2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship to Return to Weissenhaus
Big news for chess fans! The 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships will once again be held in Weissenhaus, Germany.
On February 19, 2026, in Hamburg, FIDE and Freestyle Chess confirmed that the championship will return to the beautiful Baltic Sea venue in 2027. This follows the successful first official edition in 2026.
Tournament Schedule for 2027
The 2027 event will take place over two weekends in February:
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First weekend – FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship (3 days)
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Second weekend – FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship (3 days)
The format and dates have been carefully planned to fit smoothly into the international chess calendar.
Champions Already Qualified for 2027
The 2026 championship was a huge success. It also decided several early qualifiers for 2027. In 2026, Magnus Carlsen won the title by defeating Fabiano Caruana 2.5–1.5 in the final. Because they reached the final:
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Carlsen and Caruana are automatically qualified for 2027.
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Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who finished third in 2026, also qualified directly.
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In the Women’s event, Bibisara Assaubayeva qualified for 2027 after winning her 2026 exhibition match against Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Why Weissenhaus Again?
The championship will once again be hosted at the stunning Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort. FIDE and Freestyle Chess want to make Weissenhaus the official home of the Freestyle World Championship. The venue offers:
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Excellent playing conditions
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A compact and exciting knockout format
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Professional organization
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Consistency year after year
This helps strengthen the identity of the Freestyle Chess World Title within the official FIDE World Championship system.
Freestyle Chess Becomes Stronger Globally
The partnership between FIDE and Freestyle Chess officially recognizes the Freestyle World Championship as a world title. This long-term agreement gives:
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Stability for players
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Clear planning for organizers
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Better opportunities for sponsors
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Strong integration into the global chess calendar
Freestyle Chess is also known as Chess960 or FIDE Fischer Random Chess, according to FIDE rules. The format continues the legacy of FIDE’s Fischer Random World Championships held in 2019 and 2022.
Qualification Path: Grenke Freestyle Chess Open 2026
The road to the 2027 championship continues. The next major qualifying event is the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open, which will be held from April 2–6, 2026, in Karlsruhe, Germany.
For the first time, this event will officially serve as a qualifier for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.
Official Statements
Jan Henric Buettner, CEO of Freestyle Chess, said the return to Weissenhaus shows their commitment to building a stable and credible world championship cycle.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich added that confirming the 2027 venue strengthens the official structure of the Freestyle title and supports its continued growth worldwide.
A Bright Future for Freestyle Chess
With top players already qualified, a fixed venue, and official qualification events, the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship promises to be even bigger and stronger.
Freestyle Chess is growing fast. And Weissenhaus is becoming its permanent home. Chess fans around the world can now look forward to another exciting battle for the world title in 2027.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
