Power Struggle Between Freestyle Chess and Fide: Allegations of Monetary Interests and World Championship Title Dispute

The ongoing power struggle between Magnus Carlsen-backed Freestyle Chess and the world chess governing body, Fide, has taken a new turn with Freestyle Chess promoter Jan Buettner accusing Fide of being driven by monetary interests in their objections to the use of the term ‘World Championship’.

In an open letter addressed to Fide CEO Emil Sutovsky, Buettner clarified that the Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour is not a traditional ‘World Championship’ but a unique format that aims to evolve beyond classical chess. Despite offering $100,000 annually to Fide as a gesture of goodwill, Buettner claimed that Fide’s demand for $500,000 suggests that monetary gain is their primary driver.

The tension between Freestyle Chess and Fide escalated further when Fide president Arkady Dvorkovich’s invitation to top players like Carlsen and Caruana to a Freestyle Chess Summit in Singapore was allegedly ignored upon arrival. Buettner expressed his willingness to contribute $50,000 annually to ensure that players are left undisturbed.

In response to Buettner’s open letter, Fide CEO Sutovsky criticized Freestyle Chess for riding on the publicity and budget of the classical World Championship and accused them of aiming to split the chess community for personal gain. Sutovsky emphasized that Fide is open to collaboration with ambitious projects but will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt the chess community.

The Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour is set to kick off its first event in Weissenhaus, Germany next month with six of the world’s top 10 players expected to participate. As the power struggle between Freestyle Chess and Fide continues, the future of the chess community remains uncertain.