In a massive move that further fueled the ongoing controversy, the FIDE released a statement on Monday revealing that it hadn’t reached an agreement with the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour over the use of the ‘World Championship’ in their schedule. The international chess body further went on to claim that the Magnus Carlsen, Jan Henric Buettner-led organisation has failed to acknowledge FIDE’s status as the sole regulator of World Chess Championships and ‘its authority to award’ such a title.
This statement is in stark contrast to Buettner’s recent words to Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview, in which he revealed that he was close to reaching an agreement with FIDE and expected both parties to reach an agreement by Monday. The Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC) received official recognition from FIDE in December last year, but the bone of contention over the usage of the world championship remained.
In an open letter to FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, which Hindustan Times has access to, Freestyle Chess co-owner lashed out at the Russian politician. The German entrepreneur claims that he was in conversation with Dvorkovich over WhatsApp messages, and revealed some of those alleged exchanges.
Alleged WhatsApp conversation between FIDE president and Freestyle Chess co-owner-
Buettner pointed out Dvorkovich’s initial responses where the FIDE president appeared to be in acceptance of FCPC introducing their own World Championship. But as the FIDE chief was allegedly busy due to his schedule and has been travelling. In the messages, Dvorkovich also informs Buettner that he would revert back soon, but then instead he got his response from FIDE’s official statement.
He also mentions that on December 5, Dvorkovich told him that he would get back to him after a discussion with his colleagues. But instead of reverting back, FIDE began their anti-Freestyle Chess campaign, which according to Buettner, ‘continues to this day’.
After showing examples of their WhatsApp conversation, Buettner also remarks, “At the very least, it means that you will have to resign immediately from your position as President, because you have now proven for the third time within two months that you cannot even speak for FIDE. Your lack of leadership skills will be costly for FIDE, as all the negotiation points are now becoming public with this open letter and its attachments.”
He has already revealed in the past the FIDE handed a February 3 deadline to all players to refrain from a non-recognised World Championship tournament. Dvorkovich allegedly agreed with Buettner that the deadline would be postponed, but that doesn’t look like happening.
According to Buettner, FCPC had agreed to all of Dvorkovich’s terms, which range from giving ‘an annual financial contribution of 300,000 dollars to a FIDE-controlled tournament’, ‘FIDE representation at the Freestyle Chess World Champion’s crowning ceremony’. He also accuses FIDE of pressurizing players to accept the February 3 deadline, while Dvorkovich is simultaneously in conversation with him.
The likes of D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa have also been given a solution by Buettner, so that they can participate in Freestyle Chess tournaments and also agree with FIDE’s February 3 deadline. In his letter, Buettner revealed, “The final leg of the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour will take place in South Africa in December. By default, this event will determine the highest-ranked player of the calendar year based on accumulated points. Until then, Freestyle tournaments will continue under the title of “Grand Slams,” and the entire series will remain the Grand Slam Tour.”
“This decision ensures that no player is forced to choose between signing the unlawful letter FIDE is coercing them into or facing its threatened consequences. To be clear: The current cycle is officially titled The Grand Slam Tour, as reflected in the finalized 2025 Rules and Regulations available on our website.”
Further threatening legal action, he added, “Publicly, FIDE claims that Freestyle is responsible for dividing the chess world. The reality is the opposite: it is FIDE that seeks to exert control over all chess competitions and impose its absolute authority on the players, thereby creating the very division of the chess world that they claim to oppose. Freestyle will challenge this overreach in the appropriate courts.It has become clear that further negotiations are futile.”
The first leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 will begin on February 7, and will take place in Germany. The tournament also Viswanathan Anand withdrawal in controversial circumstances, despite initially accepting a wildcard entry
