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In a surprising development just 48 hours before the start of the Paris leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, American Grandmaster Hans Niemann has withdrawn from the competition. The announcement was made late Saturday night through the event’s official social media handles. No official reason has been provided either by Niemann or the tournament organizers.
Nodirbek Abdusattarov Steps In
Uzbekistani prodigy Nodirbek Abdusattarov has been confirmed as Niemann's replacement. The timing of the announcement leaves little room for adjustment as players gear up for the second Grand Slam of the Freestyle Tour.
Niemann, who had earlier expressed enthusiasm about competing in Paris, had said:
> “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Freestyle Paris edition… No matter what opportunities come my way, I will continue to let my chess speak for itself. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey.”
"In a message exchange seen by Norwegian TV 2, it appears that Niemann is withdrawing after he was informed that organizer Jan Henric Buettner has invested in new security equipment to be able to detect cheating," wrote Chessdom.
As of now, Niemann has not made any public statement regarding his sudden withdrawal.
Clash with Carlsen Now Off the Table
The Paris event was supposed to be a contest of high stakes, with Niemann facing off against the former world champion Magnus Carlsen. Their relationship becomes further complicated by the fact that Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating back in 2022, which resulted in a highly publicized defamation lawsuit against Niemann for a whopping $100 million. The battle long awaited, is now taken out of the way given the absence of Niemann.
Star-Studded Line-up Remains Intact
The Paris edition still has a strong roster even after the exit of Niemann. At the forefront of the list includes World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana. Among them are Vincent Keymer, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Richard Rapport (the last-minute replacement for Alireza Firouzja), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and four upcoming Indian stars — Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi.
Venue and Format
At Pavillon Chesnaie du Roy, the event takes place in the historic Bois de Vincennes in Paris. Battle would entail two days of round-robin before the eight best play in a knockout phase. The final rounds go classical time control, creating an exciting high-stakes conclusion.
Second Grand Slam of the Year
Paris is the second leg of this year's Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour thus far, following the successful opening event at Weissenhaus, Germany, where Vincent Keymer emerged as a victor on home soil. It is also the first edition of the Grand Slam that has 12 participants increasing the stakes even further.
