Weissenhaus Players Decide to Call Tour Winner Freestyle Chess Champion

February 10, 2025 – At a Sunday evening meeting in Weissenhaus with organizer Jan Henric Buettner, 12 Freestyle Chess Players Club members unanimously decided that the 2025 Grand Slam Tour winner in December (South Africa) will be titled "Freestyle Chess Champion." They also plan to form their own independent association with a qualified legal team to represent their interests.

The Sunday evening meeting, following the first day of the quarterfinals, included all Freestyle Chess Grand Slam participants in Weissenhaus and remote members of the Freestyle Chess Players Club. They agreed to temporarily avoid using "world" to counter FIDE's unfounded claims of ownership over such word.

"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." 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.

Another key outcome of Sunday’s roundtable in Weissenhaus was the players’ plan to establish an independent association representing top chess players, staffed with a qualified legal team. This move comes in direct response to recent clashes with FIDE.

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. 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. "These repeated harassments are outrageous," said 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." But in Sunday’s meeting, players unanimously agreed to ignore FIDE’s demands, refusing to be forced into choosing between exciting new events and future FIDE participation.

Monday marks the second day of quarterfinals in Weissenhaus, the first of five tournaments in the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, which features a $750,000 prize fund.

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Harshit wins 3rd Sunita Verma Memorial Chess, Kushal Dey Jr. Champion

Caption: Chief Guest and Awadh ITI Principal Agni Shikha Verma with prize winners at the 3rd Sunita Verma Memorial Rapid Chess 2025 in Lucknow.

Lucknow’s top rated junior, Harshit Amarnani, won the 3rd Sunita Verma Memorial Chess Rapid a point ahead of a very strong field with 6.5/7 on Sunday. 

Veteran coach and senior player Arif Ali was runners-up with 5.5 points dropping a point to another veteran coach Sayeed Ahmad of the Lucknow Chess Centre. Five players tied for third place with five points each including Pawan Batham, Kuldeep Shankar, Anchal Rastogi, Sayeed Ahmad and Suchitra Tandon. Pawan took the trophy on a better tie-break. Following him was Kuldeep Shankar who works with the Parliament in New Delhi and was recently felicitated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for excellence in chess. 

Chief Guest and Awadh ITI Principal Agni Shikha Verma gave away the prizes to all the winners. Ms Verma is a philanthropist, yoga practitioner and well known for her social contribution in supporting especially women and the underprivileged.

Another star of the tournament was eighteen-year-old Suchitra Tandon who made it to joint third despite being unrated.
Raghav Awasthi and Abhigyan Katiyar 4 points each won the under 16 rated section.

Hrothbertina Hilton was the best woman player with 3 points. The best senior citizen players were RP Gupta with 4 points and Kamalesh Kumar Kesharwani with 3.5 points.
All credit to eighteen-year-old Shabad Kesarwani for winning the Brave Beginner prize despite being an unrated player among top-rated players of the city.

Kushal Dey from Unchahar won the junior section with a fantastic 6/7, followed by Divyansh Singh 5.5/7.

Best Junior Girl prize went to nine-year-old Advika Tiwari.
Best children’s section checkmating combinations were by seven-year-old Atharv Sarin Shukla. 

Other Top Results
Under 10: 1st Advik Singhal 4.5 points, 2nd Kaustub Mishra 4 points
Under 13: 1st Aqib Jalil 5 points, 2nd Meer Shukla 4.5 points
Under 16: 1st Aadi Saxena 5.5 points, 2nd Daksh Arora 5 points

More photos in Facebook album (including newspaper clippings): https://www.facebook.com/share/15vRXLx3Tc/

Other News Links:

• https://theindianview.in/news_id/93676 

• https://sportsleak.in/harshit-wins-3rd-sunita-verma-memorial-rapid-chess-tournament-kushal-dey-junior-champion/ 

• https://nationalnewsvision.com/harshit-wins-3rd-sunita-verma-memorial-rapid-chess-tournament-kushal-dey-junior-champion/

• https://www.morningpoint.in/harshit-wins-3rd-nomination-verma-memorial-rapid-chess-tournament-kushal-dey-junior-champion/20958/ 

• https://www.hindusthansamachar.in//Encyc/2025/2/3/3rd-Sunita-Verma-Memorial-Rapid-Chess-Tournament.php 

• https://livevns.news/Sports/3rd-sunita-verma-memorial-rapid-chess-tournamentphp/cid16166165.htm

 

 

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Singapore World Chess Championship 2024 Gukesh plays White Game 1 today

Singapore, Nov 23: The World Chess Championship 2024 in Singapore between Ding Liren and Gukesh D kicked off this afternoon with the opening ceremony. Packed to the brim with more than 400 guests, the magnificent Capitol Theatre, an architectural and lifestyle gem in the heart of Singapore's civic and cultural district, hosted the festivities.

The gala evening included a wonderful musical performance, three motivational opening speeches, the two national anthems, and, most importantly for the players, the drawing of colors for the first game of the match. In an unprecedented technological display in which both players participated actively, the drawing of colors awarded Gukesh D the white pieces in the first of the fourteen games. Three of the many attending guests of honor addressed the audience, highlighting the significance of the event for the Singapore chess community.

Mr Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, was the first on the stage and was eager to keep in mind the huge impact of the championship on his country. "This year's World Championship has spread special significance for our part of the world. It is the first ever between two Grandmasters from Asia. Singapore is proud to play host for this historic match," he said.

FIDE President, Mr Arkady Dvorkovich, began his speech by thanking the media for paying so much attention to the match. He also mentioned the many side events organized around the event. In addition, he highlighted the fact that special attention had been given to the younger generation, "The match itself is the most important thing, but today we already had dozens of kids coming to the playing venue. I would like to thank both players for sharing their time with the kids: they will remember this moment for the rest of their lives, and maybe some of them will compete at the highest possible level at some point."

Dvorkovich also directed his attention to the worldwide audience and chess legacy, "Now, for the first time in history, the Indian Tiger faces the Chinese Dragon in the fight for the world crown. We are about to witness a monumental clash as Gukesh, just 18 years old, challenges the reigning World Champion, Ding Liren, one of the strongest players ever to emerge from China. This match will not only shape the history of the game, but also its future, with millions watching worldwide".

Finally, the President of the Singapore Chess Federation, Dr Hsu Li Yang, also an International Master in his own right, was confident that the match would help inspire the new generation of players in Singapore, "My federation and I hope that this match will serve as a powerful catalyst for our thriving chess community, inspiring the next generation of chess players in our country and around the world. Singapore has long valued education, innovation, perseverance and the pursuit of excellence – qualities that are the essence of chess and which both Champion and Challenger possess in spades."

The full video of the opening ceremony can be found here:

https://youtube.com/live/tpAolTm1mTU?si=ElgLxn1L5U29iV2h

Written by IM Michael Rahal (Singapore)

Photos: Eng Chin An and Maria Emelianova

About the event

Current World Champion Ding Liren, representing China, and challenger Gukesh D, from India, will face each other in a fourteen-game classical chess match. The player who scores 7.5 points or more will win the match, picking up the better part of the $2.5 million total prize fund.

The first of the fourteen scheduled games will take place on Monday, November 25 at 5 pm. Gukesh will open with White. The match will be hosted at the luxurious Resorts World Sentosa and will be broadcasted live with expert commentary on the FIDE YouTube Channel.

Official website: worldchampionship.fide.com/

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Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 US, Germany, South Africa Dates Announced

Hamburg, October 1, 2024 – The first dates for the new Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 with Magnus Carlsen have been set: The elite of chess will initially meet from 7 to 14 February in Weissenhaus in northern Germany. The second event is planned for 17 to 24 July in the USA. In December 2025, the event will then move to South Africa, where it will be played from 1 to 8 December. The specific venues will be announced later.

"We are very pleased about these concrete steps towards the globalization of Freestyle Chess and are convinced that the Grand Slam will take chess as a spectator event into a new dimension,” said entrepreneur and investor Jan Henric Buettner, who launched the new series together with the world’s best chess player Magnus Carlsen.

Thomas Harsch, who was appointed Managing Director of Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH on 1 September, added: "The opening tournament this February in Weissenhaus, Germany, has already received an overwhelmingly positive response from players, fans and the media around the world. Chess interest in the USA is traditionally very good, and in Africa, there is huge untapped potential that we now want to realize.”

The newly founded Hamburg-based company Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH will organize six to eight Grand Slam tournaments a year on all continents. Magnus Carlsen, the greatest chess player of his era and co-founder of the new tour, will take part in all tournaments. The prize money to be shared between the players is 750,000 US dollars for each of the first three tournaments and 1 million US dollars for the subsequent tournaments. Freestyle Chess retains the core elements of traditional chess but offers a new twist: the pieces on the baseline are placed randomly. Also known as Fischer Random, this innovative setup brings new strategic options and greater unpredictability to the game, promoting a fresh, new way of competing.

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French Pianist Jason Kouchak, Hungarian Singer Lilla Vincze Chess Song Premiere

French pianist and composer Jason Kouchak (whom we interviewed recently) will be performing with Lilla Vincze, Hgarian singer from the band Napoleon Boulevard at the opening ceremony of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest on September 10, 2024. You can watch the event at the official Fide website. 

Their chess-themed song will premiere at the opening ceremony of the 45th Chess Olympiad. The song Royal Game draws inspiration from chess games and speaks about human relationships and the games we play in those. Besides Royal Game, Lilla Vincze and Jason Kouchak will sing songs in three languages, in Hungarian, in English and in French to highlight the cultural diversity of the chess community. It’s no coincidence that they sing about chess: Jason Kouchak is an amateur chess player, and while he does not take part in competitions, chess plays a central role in his life. 

Royal Game will not be the only premiere at the opening ceremony, the official song of the Chess Olympiad will also be performed live for the first time. The song Trojan War was created by Rose May and Raul in a songwriting camp organized by Artisjus and zeneszöveg.hu.  This way the opening ceremony will be an event where various cultures and nations, and also various generations can come together.

The will be several other events alongside the main event.

Chess Olympiad, the largest global chess event, will be hosted this year by Budapest between 10 and 23 September. Legendary players and rising stars will come together to compete. Hosted by the BOK Sports and Conference Centre, the Olympiad will offer an array of satellite events. The Judit Polgár Chess Foundation will take you on a special adventure to its Chess Palace, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) will present its 100-year history in an exhibition, and you can participate in competitions, a chess quiz and more, organized by the Hungarian Chess Federation.

Chess enthusiasts and those who are just getting to know this sport can take part in the events of the 45th Chess Olympiad for free. The venue is the BOK Sports and Conference Centre, open on competition days, games are scheduled between 3 pm and 9 pm. Attendance is free, but there is limited audience capacity: visitors can watch the games of the Olympiad from the stands, but on-the-spot registration is required. In order not to disturb the games and the players, no electronic devices are allowed on the stands.

The EXPO in Hall C will offer free events and activities. You can watch the games live on a screen and listen to experts analysing the key games from the previous day. In addition to the events, there will be several exhibitors with chess-related stands, including Women in Chess and DGT. At DGT, you can check out the state-of-the-art chessboards with Bluetooth functionality that competitors also use. If you would like to buy some special merchandise as a keepsake from the 45th Chess Olympiad, you can do that, too.

The Judit Polgar Chess Foundation will invite children and adults to the magical world of the Chess Palace. This is a project of the greatest ever female chess player, Judit Polgár, where you can explore a fantasy chess world and its inhabitants. You can also get the autograph of the Polgár ladies, Zsuzsa, Zsófia and Judit.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. An exhibition will mark this special occasion at the Chess Olympiad, with highlights from the past 100 years of the federation and the chess community. FIDE is also bringing an urban installation, Capture, with photos of people playing chess from around the world. You can visit the exhibition in Vigadó Square between September 17 and 22.

FIDE will have several conferences and seminars at the event. For further information, please visit: fide.com/news/3189

The Hungarian Chess Federation is also offering a number of events and activities at the Olympiad. You can take part in a walkabout chess quiz, enrol in competitions and watch the simultaneous displays at the event.

Further information:   chess.hu/tovabbi-esemenyek/

The 45th Chess Olympiad is organized by the National Event Management Agency, in cooperation with the Hungarian Chess Federation and the International Chess Federation.

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