Jan Henric Buettner (left), the man behind the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, with world no 1 Magnus Carlsen during last year’s freestyle event in Weissenhaus. (Photo Courtesy: Freestyle Chess)
The members of Freestyle Chess Players Club on Sunday have planned to form their own independent association with a qualified legal team to represent their interests, the organisers said in a statement.
This move comes in direct response to recent clashes with FIDE, the international chess governing body.
“Last month, FIDE demanded that players sign a legally questionable document, setting an inconvenient deadline right after the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, where many were competing,” read the press release.
“The document required them to (i) acknowledge an alleged obligation not to compete in non-FIDE events crowning a World Champion or similar title and (ii) accept a ban from future FIDE World Championship cycles if they violated this rule. The players, some still teenagers, were notified by FIDE’s Legal Director and were given no chance for legal counsel to review the demand.”
Jan Henric Buettner, the organiser of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam has slammed FIDE and called it harassment.
“These repeated harassments are outrageous,” he Buettner.
“We strongly oppose FIDE’s coercive tactics, which pressure players to forgo their right to choose which events to play.“
“We were ready to take all necessary action to defend the freedom of the players,” Buettner added.
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In Sunday’s meeting, players have unanimously agreed to ignore FIDE’s demands, refusing to be forced into choosing between exciting new events and future FIDE participation.
New title for the winner
The players have also decide that the 2025 Grand Slam Tour winner in December (South Africa) will be titled “Freestyle Chess Champion.”
“This was never our intention, as we have always called our events ‘G.O.A.T. Challenge’ or ‘Grand Slam,’” said Jan Henric Buettner.
“It’s important to note that this decision was made by the players, not by Freestyle—and certainly not by FIDE.”
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The title “Freestyle Chess Champion” will apply for the 2025 season. At year’s end, organizers and players will review and discuss the 2026 Tour, including the title at stake.
