Unexpected Setback for Champion Gukesh at Freestyle Grand Slam

World Champion D Gukesh suffered a defeat against USA's Fabiano Caruana in the quarterfinals of the Freestyle Grand Slam chess tournament. Despite leading for a significant period, Gukesh missed a critical queen sacrifice, allowing Caruana to control the game. Other matches included Magnus Carlsen's victory and Alireza Firouzja's loss.

In a surprising turn of events, World Champion D Gukesh faced a defeat at the hands of USA's Fabiano Caruana during the first game of the Freestyle Grand Slam chess tournament quarterfinals. The setback disrupted what appeared to be a strong opening performance from Gukesh.

Critical to this loss was Gukesh's inability to execute a queen sacrifice during the middle game, a move that shifted the game's momentum. Caruana swiftly capitalized on the situation, maintaining control and preventing any chance of a comeback for the Indian champion.

In other notable matches, Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while Alireza Firouzja was defeated by Vincent Keymer. A draw ensued between Javokhir Sindarov and Hikaru Nakamura, and American Levon Aronian claimed victory over Slovenia's Vladimir Fedoseev.

(With inputs from agencies.)