Freestyle Chess World Championship: The fun begins on Friday

The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026 will take place from 13 to 15 February at the Schloss Weissenhaus resort in Germany, marking the first jointly organised world title event in this format under an agreement between FIDE and a private organiser. Eight players, including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, have qualified through the 2025 Grand Slam Tour and online competition, while a women’s exhibition match will also be staged alongside the main event. | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes