"He was briefly in danger early on when, sick, he lost his first game to his old rival Fabiano Caruana, saying: I'm quite aware that I'm just not able to think as clearly as I need on a day like this. The 5/2 blitz tiebreaks brought a further challenge: I had to tell myself several times, make a move, c'mon, what are you doing."
"Freestyle chess is also known as Fischer Random and Chess 960. Pieces start randomly placed on the two back rows, thus drastically limiting opening preparation. Its 2025 season, with a Tour financed mainly by a $12m investment from the venture firm Left Lane Capital, has featured tournaments in Weissenhaus, Karlsruhe, Paris and Las Vegas before the final in South Africa."
Magnus Carlsen lost 0.5-1.5 to Levon Aronian in the Cape Town final yet secured overall victory of the five-event Freestyle Grand Slam Tour. Freestyle chess, also called Fischer Random or Chess 960, randomizes the back-row piece placement to limit opening preparation. The 2025 Tour, mainly financed by a $12m investment from Left Lane Capital, included events in Weissenhaus, Karlsruhe, Paris and Las Vegas. Carlsen won two earlier events and needed a fourth-place finish in Cape Town to guarantee the Tour. He suffered an early loss to Fabiano Caruana while ill, survived blitz tiebreaks, and won his semi-final. Aronian advanced with relaxed choices and luck.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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