February 10, 2025 - World champion D Gukesh lost to American Fabiano Caruana in the first game of their quarter-final showdown, at Weissenhaus Resort in Wangels, Germany. The pair are up against each other in the first leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.

It was a closely-fought battle and both the Grandmasters showcased an intense determination. However, it was the India No. 1’s weakness in Chess960 that pulled him down.

Earlier, Caruana had chosen Gukesh to compete in the quarter-finals of the unique format Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. Gukesh secured a place in the knockout stage by finishing eighth among 10 participants.

According to the tournament rules, after the round-robin stage, the top three players have the right to choose their opponents for the quarter-finals. Based on this rule, Caruana opted for Gukesh.

With Media Inputs