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.

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.

Magnus Carlsen criticised FIDE after co-founding Freestyle Chess Players Club with Jan Henric Beuttner, which led to a dispute over the term "World Championship". Carlsen supports Beuttner's stance that their new tour shouldn't replace traditional championships but should have its unique format.

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

Discover why chess icon Magnus Carlsen is calling for the resignation of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich amid a high-stakes dispute over the Grand Slam Tour.

I n a massive move that further fueled the ongoing controversy, the FIDE released a statement on Monday revealing that it hadn’t reached an agreement with the Freestyle Chess Gr