The main series begins on the picturesque Baltic coast in Weissenhaus! A week full of freestyle action, paired with the breathtaking backdrop of the coast.
Freestyle Chess World Championship
Official Rules and Regulations
Welcome to the Freestyle Chess World Championship (FCWC), an extraordinary chess event that pushes the boundaries of skill, innovation, and strategic brilliance. Below are the official rules and regulations to guide participants and enthusiasts through the journey of this unparalleled competition.
Scope
The FCWC is governed by the comprehensive set of rules and guidelines outlined by Freestyle Chess Co. (FCC). These regulations ensure a fair, transparent, and exciting tournament for all involved.
Open Qualification for Each Grand Slam
Eligibility: Players of all ratings, who are not yet qualified for advanced stages, are welcome to join the Open Qualification Competitions.
Format: Organized by Chess.com, these matches will adhere to FIDE’s Online Chess Rules, offering a dynamic and inclusive starting point for all competitors.
The Grand Slams
Each Grand Slam showcases the best of the best, featuring 10 world-class participants chosen through a rigorous selection process:
Top 3 Finishers of the preceding Grand Slam.
Highest Classical ELO-Rated Players in a specified timeframe.
Organizer Wildcards for global and local talents.
Champions of Prestigious Classical Tournaments prior to the Grand Slam.
Winner of the Open Qualification Competition.
The competition format includes:
Round Robin Matches: Determines Quarter Finalists.
Knockout Rounds: Progression through Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals, and Finals.
Unique Pairings & Scoring: Designed to challenge strategic mastery.
Scoring and Awards
Grand Slam Scoring: Participants earn points (1st place: 25 points; 10th place: 1 point). The player with the highest annual score becomes the Freestyle Chess World Champion.
Prize Pool: Generous rewards exceeding $750,000 for the 2025 Grand Slam season.
Additional Prizes: Include trophies, additional cash incentives, and recognition for exceptional performances.
Fischer-Random Format
Innovative and unpredictable, all matches are played under Fischer-Random (Chess960) rules, ensuring no two games start alike and players must rely on skill, not memorized openings.
Playing Conditions
Fair Play Assurance: Strict controls, including no extraneous devices and use of heart rate monitors, to uphold integrity and excitement.
Audience Integration: Close yet respectful interaction, enhanced by optional noise-canceling equipment for players.
Player Conduct
Dress Code: A formal, professional appearance is required, with personalized attire provided by the Organizer.
Media Engagement: Players are expected to participate in official events, interviews, and other media opportunities to promote the spirit of the championship.
Media & Commercial Rights
The FCC retains full commercial and broadcasting rights, ensuring that the competition reaches fans worldwide. Participants agree to be featured in live or recorded broadcasts, photographs, and promotional content.
Freestyle Chess Configurator
Enter the position number to view the setup of the pieces.
Or, choose a random setup to explore new configurations.
WELCOME TO THE FREESTYLE CHESS PLAYERS CLUB!
We are pleased to welcome you to the official website of the Freestyle Chess Players Club – the most exclusive chess club for the world’s best players with an Elo rating above 2725.
Our mission is to create a unique platform where chess grandmasters of the highest calibre come together to showcase their skills, exchange ideas and share the fascination of this royal game.
The Freestyle Chess Players Club has assembled a hand-picked group of 26 top chess players by invitation.
This impressive list of players includes legends such as Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Viswanathan Anand, as well as up-and-coming talents such as Alireza Firouzja and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
The club offers its members exclusive benefits, including access to high-profile tournaments and the opportunity to socialise with like-minded players in a first-class location.
Freestyle Chess Players Club
The members
Greatest of All Time
Magnus Carlsen
Born
1990
Nationality
Norway
World Rank (01/24)
#1 (ELO 2831)
World Rank Best
#1 (ELO 2882)
- Five-time classical World Chess Champion:Magnus Carlsen won the classical World Chess Championship in 2013 and successfully defended his title four times, most recently in 2021. With his wins in the 2023 Rapid and the 2023 Blitz World Championship, he became a 17-time World Chess Champion.
- Highest Elo rating ever: Carlsen’s Elo rating of 2882 is the highest in history. He achieved this feat twice, first in May 2014 and then again in August 2019.
- G.O.A.T.: Magnus Carlsen won the initial WEISSENHAUS Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge in February 2024.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2798.2
Fabiano Caruana
Born
1992
Nationality
USA
World Rank (01/24)
#4 (ELO 2796)
- World Championship Challenger: Fabiano Caruana won the Candidates Tournament in 2018. He challenged Magnus Carlsen in the 2018 World Championship Match, where he drew all twelve of the classical games but lost in the rapid tiebreaks.
- Candidates Tournament Performances: Caruana has consistently qualified and participated in the Candidates Tournaments. He placed second in the 2016 Candidates Tournament and has participated in all subsequent Candidates Tournaments in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.
- Third Highest Elo Rating ever: With a peak rating of 2844, Caruana is the third-highest-rated player in history. He achieved this rating in October 2014.
Hikaru Nakamura
Born
1987
Nationality
USA
World Rank (01/24)
#2 (ELO 2802)
- Chess960 World Champion: Hikaru Nakamura won the Chess960 World Championship twice. He first won in 2009 when it was privately organized and then again the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship in 2022.
- Candidates Tournaments: Nakamura has participated in three Candidates Tournaments: 2016, 2018, and 2022. His best performance was in 2022, where he finished in fourth place.
- Five-time U.S. Chess Champion: Nakamura won the U.S. Chess Championship in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2019.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2722.6
Ding Liren
Born
1992
Nationality
China
World Rank (01/24)
#21 (ELO 2728)
World Rank Best
#2 (ELO 2816)
- World Chess Champion: Ding Liren won the World Chess Championship in 2023.
- Candidates Tournaments: Ding Liren has participated in three Candidates Tournaments: 2018, 2020, and 2022. His best performance was in 2022, where he finished in second place and qualified for the 2023 World Chess Championship match.
- Chinese Chess Champion: Ding Liren is a three-time Chinese Chess Champion, having won the championship in 2009, 2011, and 2012.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2738.4
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Born
2004
Nationality
Uzbekistan
World Rank (01/24)
#6 (ELO 2783)
- World Rapid Chess Champion: Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021, becoming the youngest ever World Rapid Champion at 17 years and 3 months, and the youngest ever open world chess champion in any time format.
- Early Achievement: Abdusattorov became a Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 1 month, and 11 days, making him the seventh youngest Grandmasters in history.
- Chess Olympiad Winner: In 2022, Abdusattorov played board 1 for Uzbekistan at the 44th Chess Olympiad, where his team won gold and he won an individual silver medal for his board 1 performance.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2779.6
Alireza Firouzja
Born
2003
Nationality
France
World Rank (01/24)
#7 (ELO 2767)
- World Championship Cycle: Alireza Firouzja is a two-time World Championship candidate, having qualified for both the 2022 and 2024 FIDE Candidates.
- Chess960: In April 2019, Firouzja won the European Fischer Random Championship with a score of 8/9.
- Notable Achievements: Firouzja is the youngest player to have surpassed a FIDE rating of 2800, breaking the previous record set by Magnus Carlsen. He also won the Grand Chess Tour in 2022.
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Born
1990
Nationality
Russia
World Rank (01/24)
#9 (ELO 2755)
- World Championship Cycle: Ian Nepomniachtchi has played in two World Championship matches. After winning the 2020-21 Candidates Tournament, he challenged Magnus Carlsen for the 2021 World Championship. He then won the 2022 Candidates Tournament and faced Ding Liren in the 2023 World Championship, but lost in tiebreaks.
- Notable successes: Among many other wins, Nepomniachtchi is a two-time champion of Russia. He won the World Championship (2013) and the European Championship (2015) with the Russian team.
- Chess960: In the 2022 Fischer Random World Championship, Nepomniachtchi reached the final and won the silver medal.
Wesley So
Born
1993
Nationality
USA
World Rank (01/24)
#10 (ELO 2751)
- Chess960: Wesley So won the inaugural FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship in 2019, defeating the reigning classical World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen, in the final match with a convincing score of 13.5-2.5.
- Classical Chess Achievements: Wesley So won the Grand Chess Tour twice, in 2016 and 2021. He won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2017 and the Sinquefield Cup in 2016.
- World Championship Cycle: Wesley So qualified for the Candidates Tournaments in 2018 and 2022.
Anish Giri
Born
1994
Nationality
The Netherlands
World Rank (01/24)
#20 (ELO 2728)
- Major Victories: Anish Giri has had significant victories in major tournaments. He won the 2023 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, the 2019 Shenzhen Masters, the 2017 Reykjavik Open, and the 2012 Reggio Emilia tournament.
- World Championship Cycle: Giri ist a two-time World Championship Candidate, qualifying for the 2016 and 2020 Candidates Tournament.
- Rating Record: Anish Giri achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2802 on February 15, 2015.
Wei Yi
Born
1999
Nationality
China
World Rank (01/24)
#8 (ELO 2763)
- Major Victories: Wei Yi won the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament. He also won the Chinese Chess Championship three times.
- Rating Achievements: Wei Yi is the youngest player ever to reach a rating of 2700, accomplishing this feat at age 15.
- Youth Achievements: Wei Yi became a Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 8 months and 23 days, making him the 9th youngest in history. He is a former World Youth Chess Champion.
Viswanathan Anand
Born
1969
Nationality
India
World Rank (01/24)
#11 (ELO 2751)
- World Championships: Anand is a five-time World Chess Champion. He won the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2000. He became the undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008, Veselin Topalov in 2010, and Boris Gelfand in 2012.
- Rating Achievements: Anand achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2817 in March 2011.
- Youth Achievements: As the “father of Indian chess”, Anand became the first Grandmaster from India in 1988. He won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1987.
Arjun Erigaisi
Born
2003
Nationality
India
World Rank (01/24)
#3 (ELO 2797)
- Major Victories: Arjun Erigaisi has won the 2022 Tata Steel Challengers, the 2022 Abu Dhabi Chess Festival, and the 2022 Indian National Championship. In 2023, he won the Sharjah Masters, in 2024 the Menorca Open and the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.
- Rating Achievements: Arjun achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2778 in July 2024, making him the number four player in the world.
- Youth Achievements: Arjun became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, and 13 days.He won a silver medal in the 2015 Asian Youth Championship in Korea.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2729.4
Dommaraju Gukesh
Born
2006
Nationality
India
World Rank (01/24)
#5 (ELO 2794)
- World Championship Cycle: Gukesh won the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament, making him the youngest player in history to win a Candidates Tournament. He is set to play for the World Championship title in late 2024.
- Rating Achievements: Gukesh is the third-youngest player to reach a chess rating of 2700 and the youngest to reach a rating of 2750.
- Youth Achievements: Gukesh won five gold medals at the 2018 Asian Youth Chess Championships in the U-12 individual rapid and blitz, U-12 team rapid and blitz, and U-12 individual classical formats.
Leinier Domínguez
Born
1983
Nationality
USA
World Rank (01/24)
#13 (ELO 2741)
- World Championships: Leinier Dominguez was the world champion in blitz chess in 2008. He competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2002 and 2004.
- Rating Achievements: Dominguez achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2768 in May 2014. He was ranked No. 8 in the world in January 2024.
- Youth Achievements: Dominguez won the World Under-18 Championship in 2002 and the World Junior Chess Championship in 2004.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
Born
2005
Nationality
India
World Rank (01/24)
#12 (ELO 2746)
- World Championship Cycle: Praggnanandhaa had an exceptional performance in the FIDE World Cup 2023, where he reached the finals, becoming the second Indian ever to do so. With that, he became the third-youngest player ever to qualify for the Candidates Tournament.
- National Team: With the India-2 team, Praggnanandhaa won the bronze medal at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in his hometown Chennai.
- Rating and Youth Achievements: He became a Grandmaster at the age of 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days, making him the second-youngest Grandmaster at that time. He won the World Youth Chess Championship Under-8 title in 2013 and the Under-10 title in 2015.
Santosh Gujrathi Vidit
Born
1994
Nationality
India
World Rank (01/24)
#22 (ELO 2726)
- World Championship Cycle: Vidit won the 2023 Grand Swiss, qualifying him for the 2024 Candidates Tournament.
- Major Victories: Vidit won the 2018 Tata Steel Challengers, and the 2019 Biel tournament.
- Youth Achievements: Vidit became a Grandmaster in January 2013. He won the Under-14 World Championship in 2008.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2749.6
Levon Aronian
Born
1982
Nationality
USA
World Rank (01/24)
16 (ELO 2738)
- World Championship Cycle: Levon Aronian won the FIDE World Cup in 2005 and 2017. He also won the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010. He is a six-time World Championship candidate, each time being considered a strong contender to challenge the reigning World Champion.
- Chess960 Successes: Levon Aronian won the (inofficial) Chess960 World Championship in 2006 and 2007.
- Team Competitions: Aronian led the Armenian national team to gold medals in the Chess Olympiads of 2006 (Turin), 2008 (Dresden), and 2012 (Istanbul), and at the World Team Chess Championship in Ningbo 2011.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Born
1985
Nationality
Azerbaijan
World Rank (01/24)
#18 (ELO 2733)
- World Championship Cycle: Mamedyarov has competed in the Candidates Tournament three times, specifically in 2011, 2014, and 2018.
- Major Victories: Mamedyarov won the 2013 World Rapid Championship. He is also a two-time winner of the Tal Memorial (2010 and 2014) and Shamkir Chess (2016 and 2017). In 2018, he won the Biel Chess Festival.
- Rating and Youth Achievements: Mamedyarov achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2820 in September 2018, making him the sixth-highest-rated player in chess history. He won the World Junior Championship twice, in 2003 and 2005.
FREESTYLE RATING: 2747.2
Vincent Keymer
Born
2004
Nationality
Germany
World Rank (01/24)
#24 (ELO 2721)
- World Rapid Chess Championship: Vincent Keymer finished as the runner-up in the 2022 World Rapid Chess Championship, scoring 9.5/13 points and beating many world-class players including Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
- Youngest German Grandmaster: Keymer became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, and 4 days, making him the youngest German Grandmaster in history. He’s the highest rated German player ever.
- Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge: In the 2024 Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge, Keymer initially performed among the very top players. As the tournament progressed, he finished in 7th place – winning his final match against World Champion Ding Liren.
Alexander Grischuk
Born
1983
Nationality
Russia
World Rank (01/24)
#40 (ELO 2689)
- World Championship Cycle: Grischuk has competed in five Candidates Tournaments, in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2020.
- Major Victories: Grischuk is a three-time world blitz chess champion (in 2006, 2012, and 2015). He also won the Russian Chess Championship in 2009.
- Rating and Youth Achievements: Grischuk achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2810 in December 2014. He became a Grandmaster in 2000.
Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Born
1998
Nationality
Poland
World Rank (01/24)
#14 (ELO 2740)
- World Championship Cycle: Duda won the 2021 FIDE World Cup, which led to his qualification for the 2022 Candidates Tournament.
- Chess960: Duda topped the eight-player lineup for the Finals of the 2024 Chess.com Chess960 Championship after finishing the first qualifier with a perfect 9/9 score.
- Youth Achievements: Duda won the World Youth Chess Championship in the under-10 category in 2008 and the European Youth Chess Championship in the under-14 category in 2012.
Lê Quang Liêm
Born
1991
Nationality
Vietnam
World Rank (01/24)
#15 (ELO 2739)
- Major Victories: Le Quang Liem has won the 2013 World Blitz Championship. He also won the Asian Chess Championship in 2019.
- Consecutive Wins in Biel: Le Quang Liem has shown exceptional performance in the Biel International Grandmaster Triathlon, winning it three consecutive times in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
- Rating and Youth Achievements: Le Quang Liem won the Under-14 World Youth Championship in 2005. He became a Grandmaster in 2006 and has been leading the Vietnamese national team ever since.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Born
1990
Nationality
France
World Rank (01/24)
#17 (ELO 2735)
- World Championship Cycle: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave competed in the Candidates Tournament in 2020-2021.
- Major Victories and Championships: Vachier-Lagrave won the World Blitz Championship in 2021. He is a three-time French Chess Champion, five-time winner of the Biel Grandmaster Tournament and a two-time European Blitz Champion.
- Rating and Youth Achievements: Vachier-Lagrave achieved his peak FIDE rating of 2819 in August 2016, making him the seventh highest rated player in history. He became a Grandmaster in 2005.
Yu Yangyi
Born
1994
Nationality
China
World Rank (01/24)
#27 (ELO 2717)
- Major Victories: Yu Yangyi won the 2013 World Blitz Championship. He is also a three-time Chinese Chess Champion, and the 2014 Asian Chess Champion.
- Chess960: Yu Yangyi won the Accentus Chess960 event at the 56th Biel International Chess Festival in 2023.
- Youth Achievements: Yu Yangyi became a Grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, and 23 days. He won the Under-10 World Championship in 2004.
Parham Maghsoodloo
Born
2000
Nationality
Iran
World Rank (01/24)
#25 (ELO 2719)
- World Junior Chess Champion: In 2018, Maghsoodloo won the World Junior Chess Championship with a stunning performance, going 9.5/10 points and clinching the event with one round to go.
- Asian Games Gold Medalist: Maghsoodloo represented Iran in the 2022 Asian Games and won a gold medal in the Men’s team event.
- National Champion: He won the Iranian Chess Championship three times in 2017, 2018, and 2021.
Richard Rapport
Born
1996
Nationality
Hungary
World Rank (01/24)
#23 (ELO 2721)
- World Championship Cycle: In 2022, Rapport won the second leg of the FIDE Grand Prix. This victory was his qualification for the Candidates Tournament in the same year.
- Youngest Hungarian Grandmaster: Rapport earned his grandmaster title at the age of 13 years, 11 months, and 6 days, making him Hungary’s youngest ever grandmaster.
- Coaching Success: Rapport was the main second of Ding Liren in the 2023 World Chess Championship, helping Ding to become the World Champion.