The sponsor of the Tour of the Grand Slam Freestyle Jan Henric Buettner revealed that he had not sought the approval of Magnus Carlsen before inviting Hans Niemann for Paris Leg, who also confirmed his participation via social media.
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The long-standing saga of Magnus Carlsen-Hans Niemann has taken a new turn with the confirmation that Niemann will participate in the Paris Leg in Paris of the Grand Slam Freestyle tour, scheduled from April 8 to 15. The announcement, made by Niemann himself on social networks, surprised a lot given his high-level legal battle with Carlsen in the past.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Freestyle Paris edition,” wrote Niemann on X. “Winning the Grenke Open last year was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to return to Freestyle / Grenke Open. No matter what opportunities arise, I will continue to let my failures talk about itself. Thank you to everyone who supported me on this trip. »»
Niemann obtains the freestyle joker
Jan Henric Buettner, the sponsor of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, revealed that he had not asked for the approval of Carlsen before extending an invitation to Niemann. Buettner has close links with Carlsen and they co-organized the Grand Chelem Freestyle Chess tour.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Freestyle Paris edition. Winning the Grenke Open last year was an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to go back to the freestyle / Grenke Open. It doesn’t matter what opportunities come to me, I will continue to leave my failures …
– Hans Niemann (@hansmokeniemann) February 13, 2025
Talk to TV 2Buettner said: “Magnus does not know it yet, but I will tell him after his match. I chose not to ask for permission now. Magnus does not have a say that to invite. He chose the first players last year. During the event, there are players with whom it is more or less comfortable. This is why I decided not to ask him for permission.
The possibility of another confrontation of Carlsen-Niemann adds to excitement. It is believed that Buettner’s decision to invite Niemann aims to increase the audience of the tournament. Their last meeting was in the Blitz Fide 2024 championships in New York, where Carlsen came out victorious.
Weissenhaus’s leg of the Grand Chelem tour of the Freestyle chess was won by the German general manager Vincent Keymer, who beat Fabiano Caruana in the final. Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen, who was the favorite to win the title, fell to Keymer in the semi-finals and had to be satisfied with third place.
Carlsen’s controversy – Niemann
The controversy broke out during the Sinquefield Cup 2022 when Magnus Carlsen withdrew after losing against Hans Niemann, alluding to cheating. Carlsen resigned later after a move in their online revenge match. Niemann admitted that he had passed the online cheating, but denied any reprehensible act in the match against Carlsen.
Chess.com prohibited Niemann, who then continued Carlsen, the website, and Hikaru Nakamura. However, the case was rejected in June 2023 and, in August, all the parties settled. Niemann was reinstated and Carlsen agreed to play it if they were again twinned.
