In a significant development that has intensified the ongoing debate, FIDE issued a statement on Monday indicating that it has not come to an agreement with the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour regarding the use of the term 'World Championship' in their event schedule. The international chess governing body asserted that the organization led by Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner has not recognized FIDE's position as the exclusive authority overseeing World Chess Championships and its right to confer such a title.

This announcement sharply contrasts with Buettner's recent comments to Hindustan Times during an exclusive interview, where he expressed optimism about nearing an agreement with FIDE and anticipated that both parties would finalize an accord by Monday. The Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC) was officially recognized by FIDE in December of the previous year; however, the dispute regarding the use of the world championship title persists.

Alleged WhatsApp conversation between FIDE president and Freestyle Chess co-owner-

Buettner highlighted Dvorkovich’s initial reactions, which suggested that the FIDE president was amenable to the FCPC's establishment of their own World Championship. However, it was noted that Dvorkovich was reportedly preoccupied with his commitments and travel. In their correspondence, Dvorkovich indicated to Buettner that he would respond shortly, yet ultimately, he provided a reply through an official FIDE statement instead.

Furthermore, Buettner recalled that on December 5, Dvorkovich assured him he would follow up after consulting with his colleagues. Rather than providing a personal response, FIDE initiated their campaign against Freestyle Chess, which Buettner claims is still ongoing.

After presenting excerpts from their WhatsApp exchanges, Buettner stated, “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 previously disclosed that FIDE had set a February 3 deadline for all players to abstain from participating in a non-recognized World Championship tournament. Although Dvorkovich allegedly concurred with Buettner regarding the postponement of this deadline, it appears that such a change is unlikely to occur.

Buettner asserts that FCPC has consented to all of Dvorkovich’s stipulations, which include providing an annual financial contribution of $300,000 to a tournament governed by FIDE and ensuring FIDE's presence at the crowning ceremony of the Freestyle Chess World Champion. He further alleges that FIDE is pressuring players to comply with the February 3 deadline, even as Dvorkovich engages in discussions with him.

Buettner has also proposed a solution for players such as D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa, enabling their participation in Freestyle Chess tournaments while adhering to FIDE’s February 3 deadline. In his correspondence, Buettner disclosed, “The concluding segment of the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour is scheduled to occur in South Africa in December. This event will, by default, determine the highest-ranked player of the year based on total points accrued. Until that time, Freestyle tournaments will continue to be designated as 'Grand Slams,' and the entire series will be recognized as the Grand Slam Tour.”

“This resolution guarantees that no player is compelled to choose between signing the unlawful letter that FIDE is pressuring them to accept or facing the consequences of non-compliance. To clarify: The current cycle is officially named The Grand Slam Tour, as indicated in the finalized 2025 Rules and Regulations available on our website.”

In a further warning of potential legal action, he stated, “FIDE publicly asserts that Freestyle is responsible for creating divisions within the chess community. In truth, it is FIDE that aims to dominate all chess competitions and impose its absolute authority on the players, thereby fostering the very divisions they claim to oppose. Freestyle will contest this overreach in the appropriate legal forums. It has become evident that further negotiations are pointless.”

The inaugural leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 is set to commence on February 7 in Germany. Notably, the tournament will witness the withdrawal of Viswanathan Anand under contentious circumstances, despite his initial acceptance of a wildcard entry.

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