Gukesh to battle Carlsen and world's best at Weissenhaus Freestyle G.O.A.T. Challenge
A new super tournaments starts in Hamburg, Germany today. But this is not just any other super tournament. This event is introduced by none other than the World no.1 Magnus Carlsen himself. It will not be played in conventional chess rules. It will be in Fischer-Random format or as the World no.1 likes to say, Freestyle. Hence, the name WEISSENHAUS Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge. Carlsen's handpicked opponents for this eight-player tournament are - Fabiano Caruana (USA), Ding Liren (CHN), Alireza Firouzja (FRA), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), D Gukesh, Vincent Keymer (GER) and Levon Aronian (USA). There will be four rounds of Rapid games played today in Playoffs. Gukesh will face Carlsen in the second round. Round 1 starts today from 1 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal
Carlsen handpicks his opponents
In multitude of interviews, Magnus Carlsen has abundantly made it clear that he feels the conventional chess should have reduced time control due to the opening of the game played quite fast as it's mostly a preparation. He is not fond of preparing and keeping his preparation up to date. However, Chess960 or Fischer Random chess is something, he feels should have Classical time controls. The reasoning is quite simple, there is no opening theory, so you have to think from move no.1. Here at WEISSENHAUS Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge, players will get the starting position for the round and ten minutes to think, discuss with the same color players if they wish to. However, no seconds or gadgets will be allowed in this time.
Magnus Carlsen mentioned after winning the FIDE World Cup 2023 that his game against D Gukesh was the one which he enjoyed the most. So it is no surprise that he is one of the seven handpicked opponents. Vincent Keymer (GER) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) are the only two other teenagers at the event. Keymer was the sole player to defeat Carlsen and almost eliminated Carlsen before he won the World Cup 2023. Abdusattorov won the World Rapid 2021 and he upstaged the defending champion en route his first world rapid title. It is no wonder, why Carlsen chose these three teenagers.
Magnus Carlsen, the World Chess Champion from 2013 to 2023, introduced a unique competition format specifically for the WEISSENHAUS Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge. In this context, “G.O.A.T.” in Chess refers to a player who achieved the historically highest peak ELO rating, exemplified by Magnus Carlsen’s rating of 2882.
The objective is to elevate chess into an appealing, intellectually stimulating, and captivating sport for a broader audience, targeting a new demographic of spectators and consumers. The event is hosted at the prestigious WEISSENHAUS Private Nature Luxury Resort, known for hosting the G7 Foreign Minister summit in 2022.
The primary focus of the competition is on showcasing the personalities and extraordinary skills of Super Grandmasters, with Magnus Carlsen himself handpicking seven world-class challengers. This innovative approach aims to attract a younger audience of high-potential individuals who have a general interest in sports, catering to enthusiasts from around the globe.
Players
The World no.1 and greatest of all time - Magnus Carlsen (NOR), World no.2 - Fabiano Caruana (USA), reigning World Champion - Ding Liren (CHN), World no.6 - Alireza Firouzja (FRA), former World Rapid champion - Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), World no.16 - D Gukesh, World no.17 - Vincent Keymer (GER) and only two-time World Cup winner in history - Levon Aronian (USA).
Format
Time: Rapid and Standard
• Round robin: rapid 25 min for the game + 10 sec per move according to A5 of the FIDE laws of chess
• Tiebreak: first direct encounter, second: number of wins, third: Sonneborn-Berger
• Quarter-, semi- and finals: Two games standard 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes rest of the game additional 30 seconds per move
In Case of Tiebreak
1:1 in quarter-, semi-final or final. Tiebreak in the evening:
• two rapid games 15 min for the game + 10 sec per move
• two blitz games 5 min for the game + 2 sec per move
• then one more blitz game until a winner is found
You can also listen to Magnus Carlsen explaining the tournament format himself
Schedule
9th and 10th February: playoffs for starting order - Rapid
11th and 12th February: Quarterfinals - Classical
13th and 14th February: Semifinals - Classical
15th and 16th February: Finals - Classical
Photo Gallery
All eight players were given the option to mention their three colors for a jacket. These are all eight jackets designed by Frank Rudolf.
For more photos, please click here.
Video Gallery
Day 1 pairings
| Round 1 | ||||||||||||
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | Name | Result | Name | Rtg | No. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2743 | GM | Gukesh, D | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | 2760 | 8 | ||||
| 2 | 2 | 2830 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | GM | Keymer, Vincent | 2738 | 7 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 2725 | GM | Aronian, Levon | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 2744 | 6 | ||||
| 4 | 4 | 2762 | GM | Ding, Liren | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2804 | 5 | ||||
| Round 2 | ||||||||||||
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | Name | Result | Name | Rtg | No. | |||||
| 1 | 6 | 2744 | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | GM | Ding, Liren | 2762 | 4 | ||||
| 2 | 8 | 2760 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2804 | 5 | ||||
| 3 | 7 | 2738 | GM | Keymer, Vincent | GM | Aronian, Levon | 2725 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 1 | 2743 | GM | Gukesh, D | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | 2830 | 2 | ||||
| Round 3 | ||||||||||||
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | Name | Result | Name | Rtg | No. | |||||
| 1 | 3 | 2725 | GM | Aronian, Levon | GM | Gukesh, D | 2743 | 1 | ||||
| 2 | 4 | 2762 | GM | Ding, Liren | GM | Keymer, Vincent | 2738 | 7 | ||||
| 3 | 2 | 2830 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | 2760 | 8 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 2804 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 2744 | 6 | ||||
| Round 4 | ||||||||||||
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | Name | Result | Name | Rtg | No. | |||||
| 1 | 7 | 2738 | GM | Keymer, Vincent | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2804 | 5 | ||||
| 2 | 8 | 2760 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 2744 | 6 | ||||
| 3 | 1 | 2743 | GM | Gukesh, D | GM | Ding, Liren | 2762 | 4 | ||||
| 4 | 2 | 2830 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | GM | Aronian, Levon | 2725 | 3 | ||||
