Magnus Carlsen accuses FIDE president of misusing power, demands his resignation

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Magnus Carlsen has put FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich in a spot in connection with the controversial 'Freestyle Chess' Grand Slam Tour set to begin this week.
The World No. 1 has urged Dvorkovich to resign, accusing the former Russian Deputy Prime Minister of failing to stand up to his promise of protecting players who have pledged their participation in the Freestyle Chess event that does not have FIDE's approval. "Coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises," Carlsen said in a post.
Besides Carlsen, World Champion D Gukesh is among the 10 participants for the first leg of the Grand Slam Tour scheduled to begin at Weissenhaus, Germany on February 7. Viswanathan Anand, who is FIDE Deputy President, pulled out recently. Gukesh's team has yet to make a statement on whether he will participate in the event if FIDE and Freestyle Chess do not strike a truce in time.
Freestyle Chess co-promoter Jan Henric Buettner alleged that FIDE initiated a 'campaign of harassment and strong-arming against the players' set to participate. FIDE had set a February 4 (6 pm CET) deadline for "players wishing to participate in the 2025 Freestyle Chess Tour event" to "sign a waiver note to remain eligible for the official FIDE World Championship cycle". Carlsen once again endorsing Buettner's accusations against Dvorkovich and the other FIDE higher-ups, has re-engaged the two powerhouses in a battle.

"FIDE President Dvorkovich, to convince me to play the Rapid & Blitz in New York, you wrote Dec 19th to my father: 'Just want to pass a message to you and Magnus that whatever happens between FIDE and Freestyle in terms of recognition, players will NOT be affected in any way. They can decide on their own and FIDE will not take any negative action'," Carlsen posted. "You added later that day: 'I will step down if my word will be undermined by the Council'. By forcing players to sign an unacceptable waiver you have reneged on your promise. Will you resign?" Carlsen posted.
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.