 "FIDE confirms feud with Freestyle Chess is over as Grand Slam Tour removes 'World Championship' from regulations")
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Tuesday officially ended their feud with the Freestyle Chess Tour. The development comes after FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky confirmed that the term “World Championship” would be removed from the Tour regulations. “Today, February 04, the organisers of the “Freestyle Chess Tour” fully deleted from its Regulations the reference to the “World Championship” title.
“Following this change in the regulations, players wishing to participate in the 2025 “Freestyle Chess Tour” are no longer required to sign the waiver note,” FIDE said in a statement.
❗ Today, February 04, the organizers of the "Freestyle Chess Tour" fully deleted from its Regulations the reference to the "World Championship" title. Following this change in the regulations, players wishing to participate in the 2025 “Freestyle Chess Tour” are no longer… pic.twitter.com/0DGE5bR2Px
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) February 4, 2025
World No.1 Magnus Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner co-founded the Freestyle Chess Players’ Club (FCPC) in March 2024 and also announced the launch of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.
The feud between FIDE and Freestyle Tour stemmed from FIDE’s insistence that the latter cannot use “World Championship” for its event.
“Freestyle Chess removed “World Championship” from the regulations of their Tour,” Emil had written on "X" on Tuesday. “Hence, players can compete in the series without any restriction,” he added.
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More ShortsFreestyle Chess removed "World Championship" from the regulations of their Tour.
— Emilchess (@EmilSutovsky) February 4, 2025
Hence, players can compete in the series without any restriction.
The Freestyle Chess organisers had earlier claimed that they agreed to pay FIDE $100,000 as a “gesture of goodwill and to avoid harassment” but the FIDE, in turn, demanded $500,000. FIDE had also asked players participating in the Freestyle Tour to sign a waiver to remain eligible to compete in the World Championships. Freestyle Chess, in response, criticised the FIDE but eventually agreed to not use the term “World Championship” in its season finale. This has allowed the players to take part in the tour without signing the waiver note.
Carlsen, however, had demanded the resignation of FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich and accused him of “coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises.”
Coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises.
— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) February 3, 2025
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…
And amid the conflict between the two parties, legendary Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, who is also the FIDE deputy president, quit the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.
Five legs of the Freestyle Chess Tour will be held across continents in 2025. Germany’s Weissenhaus is slated to host the first leg starting on Thursday (7 February).
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