Photos of the Chess Summit taken by Stev Bonhage:
Make your best moves in the heart of Karlsruhe – where innovation meets tradition, and Freestyle Chess brings a fresh twist to the royal game.
Magnus Carlsen wins the Freestyle Chess Summit in Singapore
A cage match as the climax
Fabiano Caruana pushed Carlsen to his limits in the second game of their encounter
Ron Arad‘s Cage Sans Frontières transcends traditional boundaries, much like Freestyle Chess. This monumental structure, initially conceived to showcase Arad’s furniture designs, is a massive, ark-shaped sculpture made of steel. Its see-through fabric creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow—of black and white, one might say—evoking parallels to the duality inherent in chess.
Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen in the Cage Sans Frontières. | Photo: Stev Bonhage/Freestyle Chess
At the climax of the Freestyle Chess Summit in Singapore, the Cage Sans Frontières served as the backdrop for a showdown between the G.O.A.T., Magnus Carlsen, and World No. 2, Fabiano Caruana. In a must-win situation, Caruana faced Carlsen within Arad’s masterpiece. This battle of intellect became a testament to the fusion of sports, art, and intellect, a celebration of creativity and excellence.
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Jan Henric Buettner and Holly Buettner, the visionaries behind Freestyle Chess, were instrumental in orchestrating this unique event. In a conversation with Daniel Rensch of Chess.com, Holly Buettner shared her enthusiasm: “We are just happy to have this amazing venue and to be playing inside this beautiful piece.”
Originally displayed at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York during Arad’s retrospective exhibition No Discipline, the Cage Sans Frontières later found a home in Singapore’s high-security Freeport. Dubbed “Singapore’s Fort Knox for fine art and collectibles,” this facility provides a secure, climate-controlled space for some of the world’s most valuable art pieces.
