Having lost the first game with white pieces, World champion D Gukesh did not last long against the American Grandmaster in a must-win tie with Caruana finishing the contest in a mere 18 moves.

At a meeting in Weissenhaus on Sunday, the Freestyle Chess Players Club declared the 2025 Grand Slam Tour winner will be titled 'Freestyle Chess Champion'. The club plans to establish an independent association to protect their interests,

The reigning world champion lost the must-win Game 2 of the last eight on Monday to continue his winless run in Weissenhaus

While Gukesh is out of the quarterfinal, his time in Weissenhaus still continues, as he will battle for the fifth to eighth ranking spots, playing the loser of the Hikaru Nakamura vs Jakovhir Sindarov quarterfinal tie. Fifth place gets $50,000 and 10 points, while eighth gets $10,000 and 4 points.

World champion Gukesh faces Caruana in Freestyle Grand Slam chess tournament quarterfinals, under pressure to perform.

The five-tournament series will unfold through the year, with Paris, New York, New Delhi and Cape Town being the other four host cities. It will end with the final competition from December 5 to 12

World champion D Gukesh exited the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess after his second quarterfinal loss to Fabiano Caruana in Hamburg. Gukesh, needing a win, blundered a pawn early, leading to his resignation in just 18 moves.

This isn't just another chess tournament though, with a public spat between Carlsen and the promoters of the FCGT with FIDE in the build-up to the tournament.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER On Friday, Magnus Carlsen begins his quest to grow the popularity of an alternative chess variant and win the tournament itself.

Magnus Carlsen questioned the validity of classical chess as a measure of skill, favoring rapid chess. Gukesh acknowledged the quality of their championship match, while Carlsen ruled out a title clash.