Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

After the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge took place as a stand-alone tournament at the Weißenhaus resort in 2024, the event was renamed for 2025 and became part of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in 2025 as its first leg. The format remained similar to 2024 with the number of participants being increased to 10.{{Cite web |title=Official Rules and Regulations (old) |url=https://www.freestyle-chess.com/wp-content/uploads/FCGST_Regulations_WH_1_2025_2_-1.pdf |access-date=2025-02-13}}

{{See also|Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour#Play-ins}}

All qualification matches were played online and were hosted by Chess.com.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-31 |title=Register for the Qualifiers of the Freestyle Chess Play-In Weissenhaus |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/register-for-the-qualifier-of-the-freestyle-chess-play-in-weissenhaus |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}

All non-titled players started qualification in one of two separate open qualifier events, which were held on January 4 and January 5 respectively. 196 players participated, with the top three players from each event advancing to the Swiss stage.{{Cite web |title=Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus - Play-in: Open Qualifier |url=https://www.chess.com/events/2025-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-weissenhaus-play-in-qualifier-1/results |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US }}

248 players participated in the Swiss stage held on January 6. It was open to all titled players. The top four players, Vladimir Fedoseev, Denis Lazavik, Javokhir Sindarov and Olexandr Bortnyk advanced to the 16-player knockout stage.{{Cite web |last=McGourty |first=Colin |date=2025-01-06 |title=Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam: Fedoseev, Lazavik, Sindarov, Bortnyk Reach Knockout |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2025-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-weissenhaus-play-in-day-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112192645/https://www.chess.com/news/view/2025-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-weissenhaus-play-in-day-1 |archive-date=2025-01-12 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}

Twelve players of the Freestyle Chess Players Club were invited directly to the knockout stage, held on January 7 and 8. They were sorted by their December 2024 classical FIDE rankings and seeded accordingly from 1-12.{{Cite web |last=McGourty |first=Colin |date=2025-01-06 |title=Fedoseev, Lazavik, Sindarov, Bortnyk Keep Weissenhaus Hopes Alive |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2025-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-weissenhaus-play-in-day-1 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}

Vladimir Fedoseev beat Javokhir Sindarov in the final in an armageddon game, after a 2–2 tie, and qualified for the Grand Slam.{{Cite web |last=Colodro |first=Carlos Alberto |date=2025-01-09 |title=Weissenhaus Play-In: Fedoseev beats Nepomniachtchi and Sindarov, gets spot in Grand Slam |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/weissenhaus-fcgs-2025-play-in |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112192643/https://en.chessbase.com/post/weissenhaus-fcgs-2025-play-in |archive-date=2025-01-12 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=ChessBase |language=en}} Following Viswanathan Anand's withdrawal, Sindarov also qualified.{{Cite web |last=Schormann |first=Conrad |date=2025-01-18 |title=Javokhir Sindarov joins the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam kick-off |url=https://www.freestyle-chess.com/news/javokhir-sindarov-joins-the-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-kick-off/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119110001/https://www.freestyle-chess.com/news/javokhir-sindarov-joins-the-freestyle-chess-grand-slam-kick-off/ |archive-date=2025-01-19 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=www.freestyle-chess.com |language=en-US}}

{{16TeamBracket

|seeds=yes

|seed-width=15px

|team-width=140px

|score-width=25px

|RD1=Round of 16 (Jan 7)

|RD1-seed1=S3

|RD1-team1={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD1-score1=1½

|RD1-seed2=2

|RD1-team2={{flagathlete|Wei Yi|CHN}}

|RD1-score2=½

|RD1-seed3=10

|RD1-team3={{flagathlete|Vidit Gujrathi|IND}}

|RD1-score3=1

|RD1-seed4=7

|RD1-team4={{flagathlete|R Praggnanandhaa|IND}}

|RD1-score4=3

|RD1-seed5=S2

|RD1-team5={{flagathlete|Denis Lazavik|FIDE}}

|RD1-score5=3

|RD1-seed6=3

|RD1-team6={{flagathlete|Wesley So|USA}}

|RD1-score6=2

|RD1-seed7=11

|RD1-team7={{flagathlete|Yu Yangyi|CHN}}

|RD1-score7=1½

|RD1-seed8=6

|RD1-team8={{flagathlete|Lê Quang Liêm|VIE}}

|RD1-score8=½

|RD1-seed9=S1

|RD1-team9={{flagathlete|Vladimir Fedoseev|SLO}}

|RD1-score9=2

|RD1-seed10=4

|RD1-team10={{flagathlete|Leinier Domínguez|USA}}

|RD1-score10=0

|RD1-seed11=12

|RD1-team11={{flagathlete|Parham Maghsoodloo|IRN}}

|RD1-score11=1

|RD1-seed12=5

|RD1-team12={{flagathlete|Jan-Krzysztof Duda|POL}}

|RD1-score12=3

|RD1-seed13=9

|RD1-team13={{flagathlete|Maxime Vachier-Lagrave|FRA}}

|RD1-score13=½

|RD1-seed14=8

|RD1-team14={{flagathlete|Hans Niemann|USA}}

|RD1-score14=1½

|RD1-seed15=S4

|RD1-team15={{flagathlete|Oleksandr Bortnyk|UKR}}

|RD1-score15=½

|RD1-seed16=1

|RD1-team16={{flagathlete|Ian Nepomniachtchi|FIDE}}

|RD1-score16=1½

|RD2=Quarterfinals (Jan 7)

|RD2-seed1=S3

|RD2-team1={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD2-score1=2

|RD2-seed2=7

|RD2-team2={{flagathlete|R Praggnanandhaa|IND}}

|RD2-score2=0

|RD2-seed3=S2

|RD2-team3={{flagathlete|Denis Lazavik|FIDE}}

|RD2-score3=0

|RD2-seed4=11

|RD2-team4={{flagathlete|Yu Yangyi|CHN}}

|RD2-score4=2

|RD2-seed5=S1

|RD2-team5={{flagathlete|Vladimir Fedoseev|SLO}}

|RD2-score5=2

|RD2-seed6=5

|RD2-team6={{flagathlete|Jan-Krzysztof Duda|POL}}

|RD2-score6=0

|RD2-seed7=8

|RD2-team7={{flagathlete|Hans Niemann|USA}}

|RD2-score7=1½

|RD2-seed8=1

|RD2-team8={{flagathlete|Ian Nepomniachtchi|FIDE}}

|RD2-score8=2½

|RD3=Semifinals (Jan 8)

|RD3-seed1=S3

|RD3-team1={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD3-score1=1½

|RD3-seed2=11

|RD3-team2={{flagathlete|Yu Yangyi|CHN}}

|RD3-score2=½

|RD3-seed3=S1

|RD3-team3={{flagathlete|Vladimir Fedoseev|SLO}}

|RD3-score3=2½

|RD3-seed4=1

|RD3-team4={{flagathlete|Ian Nepomniachtchi|FIDE}}

|RD3-score4=1½

|RD4=Final (Jan 8)

|RD4-seed1=S3

|RD4-team1={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD4-score1=2

|RD4-seed2=S1

|RD4-team2={{flagathlete|Vladimir Fedoseev|SLO}}

|RD4-score2=3

}}

Note: The player listed first played as white in the first game of the match. Scores between two players adding up to 2 indicate a win under rapid time controls; adding up to 4, a win under blitz time controls; and adding up to 5, a win in armageddon with bidding.

{{See also|Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour#Grand Slams}}

The qualifiers to the first leg were as follows:

The event began with a rapid round-robin stage, with a time control of 10 minutes with an increment of 10 seconds per move. The players finishing 1-8 in the round robin stage qualified for the classical knockout stage.

On the first day of the tournament, Javokhir Sindarov remained undefeated, winning four out of his five games, including a victory against Magnus Carlsen. By the end of the day, he was tied with Fabiano Caruana after their fifth-round game resulted in a draw.{{Cite web |title=Sindarov Impresses on Day 1 of Rapid, Tops Leaderboard With Caruana » WEISSENHAUS – WORLD OF FREESTYLE CHESS |url=https://www.freestyle-chess.com/news/sindarov-impresses-on-day-1-of-rapid-tops-leaderboard-with-caruana/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.freestyle-chess.com |language=en-US}}

On the second day, Alireza Firouzja defeated Sindarov in the final round, securing first place in the round-robin on tiebreaks and earning the right to be the first to select his opponent for the quarterfinals. Levon Aronian and Vladimir Fedoseev were eliminated from the main competition and were set to compete against each other in a match for ninth place.{{Cite web |title=Firouzja Wins Rapid On Tiebreak; Aronian, Fedoseev Knocked Out » WEISSENHAUS – WORLD OF FREESTYLE CHESS |url=https://www.freestyle-chess.com/news/firouzja-wins-rapid-on-tiebreak-aronian-fedoseev-knocked-out/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.freestyle-chess.com |language=en-US}}

Matches in the knockout stage consisted of two games using a time control of 90 minutes with an increment of 30 seconds per move. In the event of a tie, the tiebreak is two 10+10 rapid games followed by two 5+2 blitz games if the tie persists, and then one armageddon game with bidding. The players who finished 1st-4th in the rapid round robin stage picked their opponents from the players who finished 5th-8th. They also chose whether they would play as white or black in the first game.

{{8TeamBracket

|team-width=240

|RD1=Quarterfinals (Feb 9-10)

|RD1-seed1=1

|RD1-team1={{flagathlete|Alireza Firouzja|FRA}}

|RD1-score1=½

|RD1-seed2=6

|RD1-team2={{flagathlete|Vincent Keymer|GER}}

|RD1-score2=1½

|RD1-seed3=4

|RD1-team3={{flagathlete|Magnus Carlsen|NOR}}

|RD1-score3=2

|RD1-seed4=7

|RD1-team4={{flagathlete|Nodirbek Abdusattorov|UZB}}

|RD1-score4=0

|RD1-seed5=8

|RD1-team5={{flagathlete|Gukesh Dommaraju|IND}}

|RD1-score5=0

|RD1-seed6=3

|RD1-team6={{flagathlete|Fabiano Caruana|USA}}

|RD1-score6=2

|RD1-seed7=2

|RD1-team7={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD1-score7=2½

|RD1-seed8=5

|RD1-team8={{flagathlete|Hikaru Nakamura|USA}}

|RD1-score8=1½

|RD2=Semifinals (Feb 11-12)

|RD2-seed1=6

|RD2-team1={{flagathlete|Vincent Keymer|GER}}

|RD2-score1=1½

|RD2-seed2=4

|RD2-team2={{flagathlete|Magnus Carlsen|NOR}}

|RD2-score2=½

|RD2-seed3=3

|RD2-team3={{flagathlete|Fabiano Caruana|USA}}

|RD2-score3=4

|RD2-seed4=2

|RD2-team4={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD2-score4=3

|RD3=Final (Feb 13-14)

|RD3b=Third Place Match (Feb 13-14)

|RD3-seed1=6

|RD3-team1={{flagathlete|Vincent Keymer|GER}}

|RD3-score1=1½

|RD3-seed2=3

|RD3-team2={{flagathlete|Fabiano Caruana|USA}}

|RD3-score2=½

|RD3-seed3=2

|RD3-team3={{flagathlete|Javokhir Sindarov|UZB}}

|RD3-score3=0

|RD3-seed4=4

|RD3-team4={{flagathlete|Magnus Carlsen|NOR}}

|RD3-score4=2

}}

The four losers from the quarterfinal round above competed in the 5th-to-8th-place bracket.

{{4TeamBracket

|team-width=240

|RD1=(Feb 11-12)

|RD1-seed1=7

|RD1-team1={{flagathlete|Nodirbek Abdusattorov|UZB}}

|RD1-score1=1½

|RD1-seed2=1

|RD1-team2={{flagathlete|Alireza Firouzja|FRA}}

|RD1-score2=½

|RD1-seed3=5

|RD1-team3={{flagathlete|Hikaru Nakamura|USA}}

|RD1-score3=2½

|RD1-seed4=8

|RD1-team4={{flagathlete|Gukesh Dommaraju|IND}}

|RD1-score4=1½

|RD2=Fifth Place Match (Feb 13-14)

|RD2b=Seventh Place Match (Feb 13-14)

|RD2-seed1=7

|RD2-team1={{flagathlete|Nodirbek Abdusattorov|UZB}}

|RD2-score1=0

|RD2-seed2=5

|RD2-team2={{flagathlete|Hikaru Nakamura|USA}}

|RD2-score2=2

|RD2-seed3=1

|RD2-team3={{flagathlete|Alireza Firouzja|FRA}}

|RD2-score3=1½

|RD2-seed4=8

|RD2-team4={{flagathlete|Gukesh Dommaraju|IND}}

|RD2-score4=½

}}

{{2TeamBracket

|team-width=240

| RD1=Ninth Place Match (Feb 9-10)

| RD1-seed1=10

| RD1-team1={{flagathlete|Levon Aronian|USA}}

| RD1-score1=1½

| RD1-seed2=9

| RD1-team2={{flagathlete|Vladimir Fedoseev|SLO}}

| RD1-score2=½

}}

Note: The player listed first played as white in the first game of the match. Scores between two players adding up to 2 indicate a win under normal time controls; adding up to 4, a win under rapid time controls; adding up to 6, a win under blitz time controls; and adding up to 7, a win in armageddon with bidding.

{{for|full standings|Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour#Standings}}

Note: Only the top five positions are included.

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}{{Freestyle Chess}}

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