Hans Niemann withdraws from Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event at last minute
Hans Niemann has withdrawn from the Paris leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event, the organisers of the event said late on Saturday night on their social media handles. No reason was given by either the player or the organiser. Nodirbek Abdusattarov was named as a replacement for the American grandmaster. The announcement comes barely 48 hours before the start of the event. Four Indians — Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi — are expected to compete at the event.
Niemann had stated earlier that he was eagerly looking forward to playing in Paris. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Freestyle Paris edition… No matter what opportunities come my way, I will continue to let my chess speak for itself. Thank you to everyone who has supporte...