FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship to Debut in Weissenhaus
The first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship will take place in Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13 to 15, 2026. The event is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in partnership with Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH.
On January 7, 2026, FIDE and Freestyle Chess signed a cooperation agreement. This agreement officially approved the first joint World Championship in the Freestyle format. It also confirmed that no event can be called a “World Chess Championship” in any format without FIDE’s written approval.
Freestyle Chess is also known as Chess960 or FIDE Fischer Random Chess. In this format, the starting position of the pieces changes, encouraging creativity and reducing opening preparation.
Qualified Players
The championship will feature eight elite players. Six players qualified through their performances in the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour:
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Magnus Carlsen
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Levon Aronian
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Fabiano Caruana
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Vincent Keymer
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Arjun Erigaisi
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Javokhir Sindarov
Two more players will join the field. One will be selected by FIDE, and one by Freestyle Chess.
Freestyle Chess has already nominated Hans Niemann after his strong performance in the Las Vegas Grand Slam event. FIDE will determine the final participant through an online qualification tournament on Chess.com, scheduled for January 14–15.
Women’s Events Announced
A Women’s Exhibition Match between two top female players will be held alongside the championship. In addition, FIDE and Freestyle Chess have confirmed the launch of the first FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess Championship in late 2026. This event will feature a $50,000 prize fund.
Official Statements
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich highlighted the importance of the agreement. He said the partnership ensures elite Freestyle Chess is governed under clear and transparent international standards.
Freestyle Chess CEO Jan Henric Buettner explained that the goal was to create a long-term competitive structure. He described the World Championship as a natural next step after the successful Grand Slam season.
A Proven Venue
The championship follows the conclusion of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025, which crowned Magnus Carlsen as the first overall champion. The tour helped establish Freestyle Chess as a serious, season-long elite circuit.
Weissenhaus, located on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, has already hosted top-level chess events. The historic estate offers privacy, strong playing conditions, and a calm atmosphere ideal for elite competition and broadcasts.
Format and Schedule
Friday, February 13. The event begins with a rapid round-robin stage. Each player faces every other player once. Time control: 10 minutes + 5-second increment. The top four players advance to the semifinals.
Saturday, February 14. The knockout stage starts with semifinals and placement matches. Time control: 25 minutes + 10-second increment. Each semifinal is played over four games.
Sunday, February 15. The final match and placement games are played. The same time control is used. The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Champion is crowned on this day.
All positions from first to eighth will be decided over the board. The total prize fund is $300,000, with $100,000 awarded to the champion.
Players arrive on February 11, while February 12 is reserved for media activities. Departures are scheduled for February 16.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
