Carlsen, the world’s highest-rated chess player since 2010, will take a seat in Weissenhaus, Germany, to compete in freestyle chess, previously known as Chess960 and Fischer Random. The starting position of the back row pieces is randomized, removing a top grandmaster’s lifetime of memorization and theory on how to open a chess game.

D Gukesh ends the opening day of the Weissenhaus tournament tied on 2 points with Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Vincent Keymer after collecting four draws along with a defeat. Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov end the day occupying the top two slots.

Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour boss Jan Henric Buettner and all-time great Magnus Carlsen have called on International Chess Federation (FIDE) president Arkady Dvorkovich to resign after talks over an agreement about the new series fell through.

The five-tournament series will unfold through the year, with Paris, New York, New Delhi and Cape Town being the other four host cities. It will end with the final competition from December 5 to 12

As the revolutionary Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 gets underway on 7 February, we take a look at the players competing in the tournament. Also check out Freestyle Chess Grand Slam format, schedule and live streaming details.

This isn't just another chess tournament though, with a public spat between Carlsen and the promoters of the FCGT with FIDE in the build-up to the tournament.

Magnus Carlsen questioned the validity of classical chess as a measure of skill, favoring rapid chess. Gukesh acknowledged the quality of their championship match, while Carlsen ruled out a title clash.