D. Gukesh finishes in eighth place after loss to Firouzja in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam playoff

Indian chess prodigy D. Gukesh’s disappointing run at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam came to an end as he finished in eighth place after a defeat to Iranian-French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the playoff match. Gukesh, who failed to secure a single win throughout the tournament, faced a tough challenge against Firouzja in the final game.

Despite a valiant effort in the first game to secure a draw, Gukesh couldn’t maintain his momentum and succumbed to Firouzja’s superior gameplay. Meanwhile, Vincent Keymer emerged as the surprise winner of the tournament, defeating some of the top contenders in the competition.

The event, which featured unconventional formats like Chess 960 and Freestyle Chess, received mixed reactions from the chess community. However, with players like Magnus Carlsen showcasing their skills and new talents like Javokhir Sindarov making their mark, the tournament proved to be an exciting platform for chess enthusiasts.

In the end, the final standings saw Keymer clinching the top spot, followed by Caruana and Carlsen. Gukesh, despite his struggles, can take this experience as a learning opportunity to come back stronger in future competitions.