World Champion D Gukesh qualified for the knockout stage in the first event of the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, despite losing to the world`s highest-rated player, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, in the ninth and final round of the qualifiers.

With a total of 3.5 points, Gukesh finished a rare event without a single win, drawing seven matches and losing two. However, this was enough for him to secure eighth place in the ten-player format, which could be described as one of the strongest chess events, albeit with a twist as the initial piece positions were altered. Playing with white against Carlsen, Gukesh had several opportunities for a draw but, as ambitious as ever, he pushed for more and eventually lost.