Why in news?

The feud between Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour organisers and FIDE is nearing resolution. Recent direct talks between Jan Henric Buettner and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich mark progress after months of tension.

The dispute, involving top players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, began nearly two months ago.

What’s in today’s article:

• FIDE
• Freestyle Chess
• Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour
• Types of Chess World Championships
• The Feud Between FIDE and Freestyle Chess Organisers

FIDE

• The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions.
• Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999.
• Activities of FIDE:
  • Publishes monthly rankings for the top 100 players, women, juniors, and girls 
  • Publishes rankings for countries based on the average rating of their top 10 players and top 10 female players 
  • Regulates all international chess competitions 
  • Connects national chess federations 
• FIDE's history
  • Founded in Paris, France in 1924
  • Headquarters are in Lausanne
• FIDE's motto
  • Gens una sumus, which is Latin for "We are one Family"

Freestyle Chess

• Freestyle chess, popularised by Bobby Fischer in 1996, is a variant of chess that introduces a randomised starting position for back-rank pieces while keeping pawns in their usual places.
• Key Features and Purpose
  • This format eliminates opening theory, forcing players to rely on creativity and original thinking rather than pre-prepared moves.
  • There are 960 possible starting positions, making each game unique.
• Movement and Rules
  • Despite the shuffled setup, all pieces retain their standard movement rules—rooks move straight, bishops diagonally, and knights retain their ability to jump.
• Alternate Names
  • Freestyle chess is also known as Fischer Random Chess, Chess 9LX, and Chess 960.

Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour

• The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is a five-event chess series launched by German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner.
• The tournaments will take place in 2025 across Weissenhaus, Paris, New York, New Delhi, and Cape Town.
• Time Control and Format
  • Unlike rapid or blitz formats, the tour will follow classical time controls—90 minutes for the first 40 moves, 30 minutes for the rest of the game, and a 30-second increment per move.

Types of Chess World Championships

• FIDE currently organises several world championship events across different formats:
  • Classical World Championship – The premier event, where Gukesh defeated Ding Liren.
  • Women’s World Championship – Specifically for female players.
  • World Rapid Championship – For faster time controls.
  • World Blitz Championship – For the fastest format, with even shorter time controls.
• Additionally, FIDE previously organised a Freestyle/Chess960 World Championship until 2022 but had to discontinue it due to a lack of sponsorship.

The Feud Between FIDE and Freestyle Chess Organisers

• The dispute centers around the use of the term “world championship.”
• FIDE claims that, as the global governing body of chess, only it can sanction an event as a world championship.
• The organisers of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour challenge this assertion.
• Financial Disagreement
  • The freestyle event's organiser claimed that they offered FIDE $100,000 as a goodwill gesture to avoid conflicts.
    • However, FIDE allegedly rejected this and instead demanded $500,000.
  • They later stated they were willing to contribute $50,000 annually to prevent interference from FIDE.
• FIDE’s Stance
  • FIDE emphasized that world championships are a key revenue source for FIDE, funding grassroots chess programs.
  • Allowing an unsanctioned event to use the title “world championship” could undermine this system.
• Contractual Restrictions on Players
  • FIDE contracts for major events like the Candidates Tournament and World Chess Championship include a clause barring players from competing in non-FIDE-approved world championships.
  • As the 2025-26 FIDE World Championship cycle begins, players will need to sign agreements ensuring they do not participate in alternative world championships—except for the Freestyle Tour in 2025.
  • Violation could result in exclusion from two consecutive FIDE World Championship cycles.