FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship Play-In Begins This Week
FIDE and Freestyle Chess have officially announced the first-ever FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. The main event will be held in Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13 to 15.
To decide the final participant, Chess.com will organize a Play-In qualifier this week. The winner of this qualifier will earn the last spot in the championship and a chance to compete for the $300,000 prize fund.
The Play-In qualifier will take place on January 14–15, starting at 10:00 AM ET (16:00 CET). The event is open to all verified titled players who have not already qualified for the championship. All players competing in the Swiss stage must use Proctor for fair play.
The competition will begin with a nine-round Swiss tournament. Games will be played with a 10+2 time control. After the Swiss stage, the top four players will move on to the knockout rounds.
The knockout stage will follow a single-elimination format. Each match will consist of two games with a 15+3 time control. If the match is tied, players will play two 5+2 tiebreak games. If needed, the match will be decided by a bidding Armageddon, where the winning bidder plays with the black pieces and a base time of five minutes.
The winner of the Play-In will join seven already qualified players in the inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. These players qualified through the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour or received wildcard invitations.
The confirmed players are:
-
GM Magnus Carlsen
-
GM Levon Aronian
-
GM Fabiano Caruana
-
GM Vincent Keymer
-
GM Arjun Erigaisi
-
GM Javokhir Sindarov
-
GM Hans Niemann
The Play-In also features a $5,000 prize fund. The winner will receive $1,000, while the runner-up earns $700. Players finishing third and fourth will each receive $550.
This exciting qualifier promises intense battles and gives one more grandmaster a chance to enter chess history in the first FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
