It came as it had to come: The Chess World Association FIDE and the Freestyle Chess organization were unable to agree on the joint contract negotiations and will now see each other in court. Superstar Magnus Carlsen even calls for a resignation from the most powerful representative of the FIDE.
February 03, 2025, the professional chess world could have changed sustainably. This Monday a deadline of the World Association FIDE was departed. Until this day, the association called for a signature to be signed by the players with whom they are committed not to take part in “World Championships” who are not under the patronage of the FIDE. Otherwise you face the exclusion.
How many of the professionals signed the contract is not known. However, it is securitized that the sometimes biggest names of the scene did not. Magnus Carlsen is also one of the non-signs.
The Norwegian founded the organization “Freestyle Chess” together with German investor Jan Henric Buettner last year. Her wish to organize your own “World Championship” in the Fischer-Random-Chess variant was torpedoed by the FIDE with all available weapons. The highest escalation level has now been reached. “Freestyle Chess” said on Monday in a public statement that he wanted to sue the association.
Chess-Zoff goes to court
In the letter, that is signed by BuettnerFreestyle Chess raises serious allegations. The co-founder lists his own concessions to the FIDE in detail, writes, among other things, that his team was ready to send the association $ 300,000 annually. “Almost all” wishes of the association were fulfilled, “although it is independently financed and organized events without connection to the FIDE. […] Nobody on our side can understand what the FIDE can want “.
Because the association demands that the “sole regulator of all chess competitions” and show no accommodation, “it is clear that further negotiations are pointless. Therefore, I hand over the communication to the freestyle legal department,” Buettner announced a lawsuit against the association to.
So that the players are not directly affected by the upcoming legal dispute, Buettner also said that this year did not want to carry their own “World Championship”. “This decision ensures that no player is forced to sign an illegal contract of the FIDE or to bear the threatened consequences.”
Magnus Carlsen demands resignation from FIDE President
Meanwhile, the freestyle page in the person of Magnus Carlsen called for direct consequences for the FIDE. In an X contribution he accused the association “Curgrimity of the players, abuse of power and broken promises”. The Norwegian quoted from a letter from Fide President Arkady Dvorskovich to his father, who was written on December 19.
“To convince me of playing the Rapid and Blitz World Cup in New York, you wrote: ‘I want to tell you that whatever happens between the FIDE and freestyle when it comes to recognition, the players are not in any kind and To be influenced. Later on that day you added: ‘I will step back when my word from [FIDE-]Is undermined by advice. ‘”
This is exactly what happened in the eyes of Carlsen. “By forcing the players to sign an unacceptable waiver, you have broken your promised. Are you going to step back now?”, He asked Dvorskovich more or less directly.
The most recent chapter of this public escalation had the fide beforehand triggered with your own statementin which she explained that there was no agreement between the parties. On the one hand, the association wrote that it was ready for further cooperation. On the other hand, the FIDE also confirmed that all players are excluded from their “World Championships” if they take part in a “Freestyle World Championship”.
In what extent this announcement (or threat) has a legal basis, the courts will now have to answer.