World Chess Champion D Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess, Citing Exhaustion: Carlsen Rematch on Hold OR Exhausted World Champion D Gukesh Forgoes Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Showdown; Vidit Gujrathi Steps In

D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, will not be participating in the upcoming Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. The tournament is scheduled to take place from July 16 to 20. His absence has raised eyebrows, as many anticipated a rematch between him and Magnus Carlsen.

Chess stars from India: D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa.

Jan Henric Buettner, co-founder and CEO of Freestyle Chess, explained the reason behind Gukesh's withdrawal. "He said he’s exhausted and needs rest," Buettner told TimesofIndia.com. "His performances have not been that good at any Grand Slam. We were always expecting that he would decline to participate in the next event."

According to Buettner, Gukesh initially accepted the invitation to the Las Vegas event despite his performance in Paris. However, the Norway Chess tournament proved to be particularly draining. "He was so exhausted that I got a message. He said he's exhausted and would like to rest. He can't come to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he needs rest. So, you know, that's understandable."

Vidit Gujrathi has been named as Gukesh's replacement for the Las Vegas tournament. "So we invited Vidit again as a replacement. So Vidit will wear the red jacket of Gukesh this time in Vegas," Buettner confirmed. The jackets are a tradition, with each player wearing a distinct color – R Praggnanandhaa in green, Arjun Erigaisi in blue, and Vidit in maroon at the Paris event.

Gukesh's withdrawal occurs as he strives for consistency on the Freestyle Chess circuit. He finished eighth at Weissenhaus and 11th in Paris. He was 11th overall with four FCC points and later dropped to 16th after the Grenke Open. Despite these results, Gukesh demonstrated his skill at the Norway Chess tournament, finishing third behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, securing victories against Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi.

The Las Vegas event marks Freestyle Chess's debut in the United States, the fourth stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Tour. The tournament, hosted at the Wynn Las Vegas, will welcome a live audience and offer a prize pool of $750,000, with $200,000 awarded to the winner.

In related news, the Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, scheduled for September 17–24 in New Delhi, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsors. Additionally, Jan Henric Buettner will step down as CEO on July 1, with COO Thomas Harsch assuming the role. Buettner will remain as Executive Chairman in a strategic capacity.