 "Magnus Carlsen subtly criticises FIDE amid freestyle chess row: 'Chess is bigger than me, but...'")
World No 1 chess player Magnus Carlsen has made a bold statement, claiming that while chess will always be bigger than him, some “specific organisations” may not be, taking a subtle dig at the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
FIDE had recently accused Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC) of creating divisions in the sporting world and threatened them with legal action if they used “World Championship” for their events. Carlsen is part of FCPC’s ownership group.
‘Chess will always be bigger than I am, but…’: Carlsen
“Chess will always be bigger than I am, but specific organizations, maybe not. I’m generally nice, but I will not agree with things I believe are wrong,” Carlsen told Gambling Insider. “They (FIDE) need me more than I need them,” he added.
Carlsen and FIDE have been in a dispute ever since the former introduced the brand-new Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour last year.
The FIDE had added the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour 2025 to its calendar in a gesture of “goodwill”, but said that it would not allow the body to conduct a parallel World Championship. Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner are the co-founders of the tour.
Also Read | Nakamura hits back at FIDE CEO over 'personal insult', claims he has 'no equity in Freestyle Chess'
The FIDE also said that players were expected to sign a contract stating that they would not participate in a non-authorised World Championship now that the 2025-26 cycle is underway. “As the 2025-2026 World Championship cycle is underway, all qualified players are expected to sign an additional contract, which will include a clause indicating that participation in any alternative world chess championships in any variation of chess not approved by FIDE (except for the Freestyle tour in 2025) would lead to their withdrawal from the two consecutive FIDE World Championship cycles,” the FIDE had said in its statement recently.
In December last year, Carlsen made a claim that the FIDE was "threatening" players against competing in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour. However, the FIDE responded strongly, slamming Carlsen for making "misleading" claims . Emil Sutovsky, the FIDE CEO and a grandmaster, said that the players had wilfully signed the contract.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is scheduled to begin in February, with Germany hosting the first of five tournaments from 7 to 14 February. The India leg will be played in New Delhi from 17 to 24 September.
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