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German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner's plans to host the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in India have been put on hold due to a lack of local support. Buettner, who co-founded the tour with world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, had intended to visit India last week to secure sponsors and finalize a venue for the November event. However, he was met with limited interest from potential investors."The only ones interested (in India) were those who wanted me to invest a couple of hundred thousand into their hotel," Buettner told HT. "It's good as part of the plan. But if it's only that, then I'd rather host the next event again, in my resort (Weisenhaus, Germany)."Buettner emphasized that he is only willing to host events outside of Germany if there is significant financial support from local investors. "I'm not going to go to another country and spend millions of dollars just to do an on-site event there," he said. "I have invested $2 million into this already, and I'm willing to keep investing but only if it makes sense."The inaugural edition of the Freestyle Chess GOAT challenge, held in Weisenhaus in February, was a success, with Carlsen emerging victorious. The tournament featured a unique format known as chess960 (Fischer Random), where the starting position of the pieces is randomized. Carlsen has expressed a strong preference for this format and skipped the Tata Steel event in Wijk Aan Zee to participate in Weisenhaus.Buettner is now exploring alternative locations for the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, including New York and Cape Town. He is also in discussions with Netflix for a series on freestyle chess. "We are having lots of talks with people in America and Africa," he said. "If we get funding we'll go ahead with an event this year. Maybe it will take a bit more time to have it in India. It might be good for next year."Buettner stressed that the success of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour depends on securing investors who are willing to share the financial burden. "I started this together with Magnus and we said we'd do this one event and see how it goes," he said. "Wesisenhaus went extremely well and then we got all excited and said we'll do it again and it seemed like there was a lot of interest from other countries. But I kind of misunderstood it perhaps. The interest was from other parties for me spending my money over there. That's not my interest."

Viswanathan Anand's remarkable victory at the 2014 Candidates Tournament stands as a testament to his resilience and unwavering determination. After a crushing defeat to Magnus Carlsen in the 2013 World Championship, Anand faced doubts and skepticism about his ability to compete at the highest level.Despite his initial reluctance, Anand was persuaded by Vladimir Kramnik to participate in the Candidates. With minimal preparation, he entered the tournament as an underdog. However, Anand's detached mindset and low expectations proved to be his secret weapon.In the first round, he stunned tournament favorite Levon Aronian, setting the tone for his dominant performance. Anand remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, securing his victory with a round to spare. His triumph earned him a rematch against Carlsen, although he ultimately fell short in the World Championship.Anand's 2014 Candidates victory is widely regarded as one of his greatest achievements. It showcased his ability to overcome adversity and regain his peak form. His legacy continues to inspire Indian chess players, as evidenced by the recent success of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, and Humpy at the 2022 Candidates Tournament.

Magnus Carlsen, the five-time world chess champion, has shared his insights on the upcoming Candidates tournament, which will determine his challenger for the next World Championship. In an interview on the Sjakksnakk podcast, Carlsen expressed his belief that Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura are the strongest contenders to emerge victorious.Carlsen highlighted the consistency and experience of Nakamura and Caruana, stating that they are the "best and most consistent players" in the field. He acknowledged the potential of rising stars like Alireza Firouzja, but emphasized that a victory for any of the other four participants (Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Vidit, Abasov) would be a major upset.Regarding the World Championship match itself, Carlsen believes that Nakamura poses a significant threat to Ding Liren, the current challenger. He noted that Nakamura has historically performed well against Ding, while Ding has struggled against Caruana. However, Carlsen also emphasized that Ding's recent form has been impressive, and if he maintains that level of play, he could challenge either Nakamura or Caruana.Carlsen also discussed his own absence from the World Championship cycle, stating that he has no immediate plans to return. He expressed contentment with his decision to step away and believes that it has been beneficial for his overall well-being.On the topic of the younger generation of chess players, Carlsen expressed skepticism about whether any of them will surpass his own achievements. He acknowledged their potential but doubted that they would reach the same level of dominance that he has enjoyed.Carlsen emphasized his continued love for the game, despite his reduced involvement in competitive chess. He enjoys playing casual online games and believes that taking breaks from major tournaments can be beneficial for his motivation.