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Magnus Carlsen’s innovative Grand Slam Chess Tour, designed to revolutionize the sport, finds itself mired in fresh controversy. This time, criticism comes from an unexpected corner: the camp of reigning classical world champion D Gukesh. The 18-year-old prodigy’s coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, has openly questioned the tournament’s viability, adding fuel to a fire that began with Carlsen’s public clash with FIDE over branding rights.
Earlier this year, the Norwegian chess titan demanded the resignation of FIDE’s president after a dispute about the tour’s use of the term “world champion.” Now, as scrutiny mounts, doubts about the event’s future are growing louder.
Coach’s Critique: “A Risky Gamble for Young Talent”
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, co-owned by Magnus Carlsen, promotes a Fischer Random format—a variant that shuffles starting piece positions to minimize memorized openings. While praised for injecting unpredictability into the game, the format has drawn skepticism from traditionalists. Gajewski, a Polish Grandmaster who guided Gukesh to his historic 2024 world title, voiced concerns after the Indian star’s underwhelming eighth-place finish in Stage 1 of the tour.
“The question though is whether you want to adjust and change the way you look at chess,” Gajewski told Hindustan Times. “If you adapt to this format, it could potentially backfire in the normal version of the game. For us, there’s a clear problem of how much time we should devote to Freestyle, considering Gukesh is so young and has so much yet to learn in classical chess.”
His unease stems from the tour’s uncertain trajectory. Despite Carlsen’s push to attract younger fans by ditching predictability, Gajewski worries about balancing priorities.
“We’re hesitant about which approach to choose. Freestyle is exciting and fresh, but there’s no guarantee the tour will exist in two years. We don’t know its direction,” he added.
The coach’s remarks highlight a broader tension. Magnus Carlsen envisions the tour as chess’s future, but critics argue it risks diverting focus from classical mastery—a foundation for players like Gukesh, who still seeks to solidify his legacy. The teen phenom, who stunned the chess world by dethroning Ding Liren last year, now faces a crossroads: adapt to Carlsen’s experimental vision or double down on traditional strategies.
For Magnus Carlsen, the criticism is another hurdle. After clashing with FIDE over branding—the tour now uses “Freestyle Chess Champion” instead of “World Champion”—the Norwegian must now defend its relevance to peers and mentors shaping the next generation. As Gukesh’s camp weighs risks and rewards, one thing is clear: the Grand Slam Tour’s success hinges not just on innovation, but on winning the trust of chess’s present—and future.
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