Carlsen beats Caruana in dramatic match to become Freestyle Chess World Champion!

Magnus Carlsen secured the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship title in Weissenhaus after defeating Fabiano Caruana 2½–1½ in the final. The match turned on a dramatic third game in which Caruana failed to convert a completely winning position and ended up losing. In the contest for third place, Nodirbek Abdusattorov overcame Vincent Keymer to join the two finalists in qualifying for the 2027 Freestyle Chess World Championship. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes