Vincent Keymer and Magnus Carlsen Clash at Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour

The Freestyle Chess world was rocked by controversy as chess legends Vincent Keymer and Magnus Carlsen found themselves at the center of a heated dispute that threatened to divide the chess community.

It all started when five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand pulled out of the opening leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus, Germany. Anand’s absence was a significant blow to the event, as he was not only a seasoned competitor but also a FIDE vice-president and a global chess icon.

The tension between FIDE and Freestyle Chess escalated when Magnus Carlsen defied dress code norms at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships by showing up in jeans. Anand, upholding the rulebook, fined Carlsen and issued a warning. Carlsen’s response, calling out Anand, led to Anand’s withdrawal from the Freestyle event.

Behind the scenes, efforts were made to broker peace between the two chess camps, but a public letter accusing FIDE of backtracking on negotiations further fueled the dispute. Eventually, the world’s top Grandmasters took matters into their own hands, voting to crown the winner of the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour as the “Freestyle Chess Champion.”

The decision marked a turning point in the FIDE vs Freestyle Chess standoff, with the players taking control of their tournament’s destiny. Whether this resolution will hold or if tensions will flare up again remains to be seen, but for now, the focus is on the upcoming Freestyle Chess events and the battle for the coveted title of “Freestyle Chess Champion.”