FIDE has threatened legal action against a private enterprise co-owned by Magnus Carlsen if it went ahead with the use of the title 'World Championship' for its ambitious 'Freestyle Chess' project. On Tuesday, the World chess body said it was “ready to challenge organizers and initiators of any series that decide to brand themselves as a 'World Championship' without the approval of FIDE”.

The FIDE statement comes less than three weeks before the start of the inaugural Grand Slam event as part of the first Freestyle Chess World Championship cycle at Weissenhaus in Germany. The event in Germany set to be played from February 7 to 14 has a star-studded line-up featuring ten of the top players in the world, including Magnus Carlsen, World Chess Champion D Gukesh and Viswanathan Anand.

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The FIDE statement says it is open to dialogue, but has categorically stated that the organisers must respect the 'governing role' and 'well-established authority' of the body over 'World Championships'. “Should such an agreement not be reached, FIDE demands that the Freestyle series does not carry the status of a “World Championship”. FIDE will not hesitate to use all legal means against those who violate its rights - be it initiators, organizers and/or investors of the project,” the statement read.

The development could reignite a clash between FIDE and Carlsen that turned ugly during the recent World Rapid & Blitz Championship in New York over a dress code violation and subsequent drama. The Freestyle Chess project was founded in 2024 by German businessmen Jan Henric Buettner and Carlsen. Its inaugural Grand Slam Tour also has legs in France, the US, India and South Africa. Freestyle Chess had announced New Delhi as the venue for its India leg to be held from September 17 to 24.

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The participation of Gukesh and notably that of Anand, who serves as FIDE Deputy President, in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam events could be hindered by the latest statement.

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Freestyle Chess has used 'World Championship' on its website.

What is freestyle chess?
Freestyle chess, or Chess960 or Fischer Random, is the favourite variant of both Gukesh and Carlsen. Late chess icon Bobby Fischer conceptualised the variant. It involves shuffling pieces on the back ranks, with 960 combinations possible. For example, in a conventional chess position, the rooks are placed on either end, but in Freestyle chess, the rooks might end up in any place along the back rank. Placing pieces in unconventional positions breaks free from theoretical chess, making it more creative and challenging.

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The 'Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge' was launched by German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner in association with Carlsen, who is widely regarded as the 'G.O.A.T' (Greatest Of All Time). Though freestyle chess has been played for years, it was often held as rapid events (short time controls). But the 'Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge' was played in the classical time control (90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 40). Rapid and blitz games are played in the event of a tie.

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