Chess · International
Weissenhaus chosen for the first joint FIDE Freestyle championship
FIDE and Freestyle Chess sign an agreement for an eight-player February world championship.
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FIDE and Freestyle Chess Operations signed a cooperation agreement to stage an official Freestyle Chess World Championship in Weissenhaus, Germany. The eight-player competition was scheduled for February 13 to 15 under a shared framework between the federation and private organiser.
Six players qualified through the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, including Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana. Freestyle Chess nominated Hans Niemann, while FIDE planned an online qualification event to fill the eighth and final place.
A women’s exhibition match would accompany the championship. The parties also agreed to launch an inaugural women’s Freestyle championship later in 2026 with a fifty-thousand-dollar prize fund. The agreement clarified that official world championship designation requires FIDE’s written consent.
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