Interview with Hans Niemann before Freestyle Las Vegas
Las Vegas Freestyle will take place July 16–20, 2025, at the Wynn Las Vegas, specifically in the 50,000-square-foot Lafite Ballroom. It’s the third leg of the 2025 tour – after Paris Freestyle and Grenke Freestyle – and the first Freestyle Chess event in the U.S. open to live spectators. It features 16 top grandmasters in a five-day event with a group stage (round-robin, 10+10 time control) followed by a double-elimination knockout (30+30 for key stages). The prize fund is $750,000, contributing to the tour’s points system to crown the first Freestyle Chess Champion in Cape Town.
Participants: Las Vegas Freestyle Chess participants
Information: Las Vegas Freestyle chess format explained + flow chat / Schedule / Pairings
Live: Las Vegas Freestyle Chess LIVE / Freestyle Las Vegas LIVE, round robin white / Freestyle Las Vegas LIVE, round robin black
Interview with Hans Niemann before Freestyle Las Vegas
In a 33 minutes interview with Sagar Shah before , Hans Niemann talks about Battles with Carlsen, Nakamura, Fischer Test, Endgame.ai and more.
Attacking Chess (@attackingchess on Twitter/X) has made a collection of quotes from the interview with Hans Niemann.
“If Bobby Fischer could overcome the Soviet chess mafia, I can overcome the modern chess mafia.” – Hans Niemann
“I wanted to play classical matches, but had no invites. So I thought, what if I sell 15% of my future prize money for $500k to fund it? That idea evolved. I spoke to VCs. And Endgame was born.”
“I was the first to 2700 before all of them.” Hans Niemann says he hit 2700 before Gukesh, Vincent, or Nodirbek, and that he lost 2 years of his chess life after THAT Sinquefield Cup. “Give me chances to play again, and I’ll prove I belong, or that I’m better.”
“Freestyle is the future of chess. […] It’s more fun. Less about prep. More about fighting. And it’s what fans want.”
“I could play #FreestyleChess 8 hours a day, 10 hours a day, and I wouldn’t feel tired. I would enjoy it.”
On Bobby Fischer’s downfall, Hans Niemann is clear: “He beat Spassky. He won the ideological Cold War. He was a hero, and they made him a fugitive. He missed his mother’s funeral. It broke him.”
Asked how he manages being a CEO and a top player, Hans says: “You should read about me. Ask yourself: Have I ever accepted defeat?”
“I’ve prophesied my success so many times… when I was 2460, I said I’d be 2600 in a year. Then 2700. People said I was arrogant. Then it happened.”
“For me, the best thing I can do for Endgame AI is win. That’s the most unique value I can bring as a CEO.”
“I haven’t received a single invitation to an American tournament since the Sinquefield Cup.”
Hans Niemann and his withdrawal from Paris Freestyle 2025
Hans Niemann has withdrawn last minute from Paris Freestyle 2025. The news came right after the official technical meeting on April 5 at 19:00 CET. Later the same afternoon Norwegian TV 2 announced that the main reason for Hans Niemann withdrawing from Paris Freestyle Chess 2025 is the implementation of new anti-cheating measures. The organizers have cited “personal reasons”. There was no official statement until today: exactly one month after the start of the story. See the full timeline of events and the first statement by Hans Niemann on the withdrawal from Paris.
05.04. Norwegian TV reports that Niemann is withdrawing after he was informed about anti-cheating
05.04 Breaking: Hans Niemann withdraws from Freestyle Chess Paris 2025 (rolling updates)
06.04 Reactions to Hans Niemann withdrawing from Paris Freestyle Chess 2025
06.04 Chess Song: Disappearing stars (Hans Niemann & Alireza Firouza) #TweetOftheDay
06.04 The organizer of Freestyle Chess Paris comments on the withdraw of Hans Niemann
17.04 Hans Niemann shows at round 1 of Grenke Chess after 12 days radio silence
17.04. Round 1 pairings of Grenke with Hans Niemann playing
19.04 Interview with Hans Niemann at Grenke
21.04 Vladimir Kramnik is the bodyguard of Hans Niemann (Video interview)
05.05. Hans Niemann talks on his withdrawal from Paris Freestyle 2025