Fabiano Caruana was caught off guard when reigning world champion D Gukesh resigned after just 18 moves in their second quarterfinal match at the Freestyle Grand Slam. The American Grandmaster, who secured back-to-back victories over Gukesh, admitted he wouldn’t have conceded so early.

“I didn’t expect him to resign at that exact moment, though I couldn’t see a way out for him either. As Black, I might have considered resigning, but not so soon,” Caruana told Freestyle Chess.

Gukesh, who had already lost the first game with White, found himself in a must-win situation but was unable to hold his ground. Caruana wrapped up the contest swiftly, capitalizing on an early mistake.

Reflecting on the match, Caruana noted, “Yesterday’s game was crucial. Today’s was typical of someone trying too hard to create winning chances too early. The 5…f5 move was too aggressive—it’s unlikely that sacrificing a pawn so directly would work.”

The freestyle chess format, inspired by Bobby Fischer’s vision, involves randomized piece placements while maintaining traditional pawn structure. The variant has gained traction, attracting major financial backing and positioning itself as a potential future of chess.

Despite his quick exit, Gukesh will still have a chance to fight for a last-four spot in the event.