Magnus Carlsen targets FIDE again despite truce with Freestyle Chess: ‘Doesn’t have players interest at heart’

Freestyle Chess had arrived at a truce with FIDE ahead of the opening event of its 2025 Grand Slam Tour in Germany . The decision helped bring weeks of bad blood to an abrupt end in order to ensure the smooth conduct of the tournament that is currently underway at the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort in northern Germany.

That, however, has not stopped Freestyle Chess co-founder Magnus Carlsen from continuing to take potshots at the Lausanne-based world governing body for chess. The world No 1, who is currently competing in the semi-finals at Weissenhaus, hasn’t shared the best of relations with FIDE and on Sunday, accused them of not having the players’ interest at heart.

The Norwegian Grandmaster made the accusation after a meeting involving 12 members of the Freestyle Chess Players Club including Carlsen and Buettner, in which they had come up with the decision to form their own independent association with a legal team.

“What I will say is I think it was generally a fruitful discussion,” the five-time world champion told the Take Take Take app.

“I think it was generally a fruitful discussion; I think it was very helpful for players to be able to talk, and that’s very useful when you have a governing body that doesn’t necessarily have the players interest at heart.

“So it was good to be able to talk and I think a lot of us understand each other a little bit better now,” Carlsen added.

The 34-year-old had stated last week that his relationship with FIDE was “pretty destroyed” , and he did not see himself ever competing in any event organised by them in the future.

“FIDE has actually ‘backed out.’ What I can say now is that the relationship that my team and I have with FIDE is pretty destroyed. At least with the current administration,” Carlsen told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.

“As it is now, it’s completely out of the question,” Carlsen added when asked about participating in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha in December later this year.

Carlsen had recently courted controversy during the Rapid and Blitz worlds in New York City in December, in which he had been disqualified for violating the dress code by showing up in a pair of jeans.

After he was allowed to return to the tournament, Carlsen found himself making headlines for the wrong reasons once again, this time for sharing the blitz world title with Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The bone of contention between Freestyle Chess and FIDE had been over the use of the term “world championship”, which the latter insists it has the sole authority over in the sport of chess.

Carlsen, who has been world No 1 continuously since 2011, was even accused of attempting to blackmail FIDE into recognising Freestyle Chess’ right to organise a world championship of its own. FIDE, on the other hand, was accused by Carlsen of attempting to prevent players from joining the lucrative league.