Explained: What is the controversy regarding Magnus Carlsen, Freestyle Chess and FIDE?

Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen grabbed headlines worldwide after getting disqualified from the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York City earlier this week. Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked player in the Classical format as well as in Rapid and Blitz, had turned up at the venue wearing a pair of jeans, and was disqualified from the tournament after repeatedly refusing to change his attire.

Also Read | Anand says Carlsen left FIDE with little choice after refusing to follow rules in Rapid and Blitz Worlds

That wasn’t the only reason why he has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons; he was also somewhat dismissive of D Gukesh becoming the new World Champion in Singapore following his victory over China’s Ding Liren, downplaying the quality of the contest besides describing the classical format as the “worst” way to decide a world champion.

More recently, a controversy has been brewing and at the heart of it is Carlsen and the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour – a private tournament that the Norwegian helped create together with German technology investor Jan Buettner and New York-based Left Lane Capital that kickstarts its 2025 tour a little over a month from now in Germany.

What is the controversy regarding Magnus Carlsen, Freestyle Chess and FIDE all about?

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik had recently made a series of posts on social networking platform X in which he raised questions regarding an agreement between FIDE and the Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC) – an elite group of players with an ELO rating of 2725 and above who then are eligible to participate in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.

Kramnik also questioned Carlsen and world No 3 Hikaru Nakamura facilitating the agreement along with Danny Rensch, chief chess officer at Chess.com. The Russian Grandmaster also questioned why Gukesh was absent from the discussions, especially since he is the reigning FIDE world champion in he Classical format.

Kramnik, who had reigned as Classical World Champion from 2000 to 2006 and as the Undisputed World Champion from 2006 to 2007, alleged that Carlsen had used his status as the biggest star in the current generation of chess and one of the greatest of all time in order to try and “blackmail” FIDE into lending its support for the new tour, with the “mutual recognition of future World Championship titles” also being on the agenda.

The 34-year-old had reportedly threatened to boycott from the World Rapid and Blitz Championships, though his participation would eventually be cut short due to the dress scandal.

“Bit most important, was there a sort of “blackmail” from players using the forthcoming event? If not,why those two are mentioned? And what does this strange agreement means in real?

“That is something unacceptable from them, posing those condition, if its true,period. And even worse,FIDE showing weakness and negociating with them. Tomorrow others will follow, if FIDE accepts this behavior. FIDE supposed to be governing chess world, not individuals, full stop,” Kramnik wrote on X.

Discussion of Freestyle Chess having its own world championship rekindles memories of the Professional Chess Association that was started in 1993 by Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short. Between 1993 and 2006, the PCA conducted its own tournaments and had its own world championship – for which Indian legend Viswanathan Anand had challenged Kasparov in New York in 1995.

The difference, however, is the fact that Freestyle Chess is calling for FIDE to reportedly recognise its proposed World Championship unlike the PCA.

It’s not just Kramnik making allegations though; Carlsen claimed that FIDE – the Lausanne-based world governing body for the sport – has been threatening players against participating in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour – which will be taking place in five cities in five different countries across four countries.

How has FIDE responded to the matter?

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky recently responded to Carlsen’s accusation of the organisation threatening players against competing in the private league that reportedly will have a brand new set of rules and has a prize money of up to $1 million in each of the five events – the fourth of which takes place in Delhi in September.

The Israeli GM added that a private tour could not conduct its own World Championship unless it had FIDE’s approval.

“The claim that FIDE threatened players who were willing to participate in Freestyle Chess Tour is a lie. We were happy to cooperate (as we cooperate with Grand Chess Tour, for example), to align the calendars, etc,” Sutovsky wrote on X on Friday.

“We care about players, and about their opportunities - constantly improving prize funds and conditions in all our events, and working with numerous partners who conduct their tournaments outside of FIDE.

“The only thing we insisted on - no Series or Tour can be called World Championship unless FIDE approves it. FIDE is the governing body of chess, and any World Championship should either be conducted or approved by FIDE,” Sutovsky added.