Cape Town, South Africa (December TK, 2025) – Freestyle Chess, the trailblazing chess league co-founded by five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen and entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, today announced that Kalshi, the first U.S. federally regulated prediction market, will serve as the Prediction Market Partner for its Grand Slam Finals in South Africa, taking place from December 8-11, 2025.

Through the partnership, Freestyle Chess will incorporate selected market and sentiment data from Kalshi into its coverage of the event. This innovative integration will allow the league to provide unique analytical insights like pre-match predictions, notable market movements, and context around key moments in the tournament, providing a new way for fans to experience chess.

“Kalshi is redefining how fans interact with the sports they love, and partnering with Freestyle Chess allows us to showcase the power of our data in one of the world’s most beloved sports,” said Brandon Beckhardt, the Head of Growth at Kalshi. “This collaboration creates a new dimension of engagement for fans of chess, giving them market-backed insights for every match.”

“Freestyle Chess is committed to creating unforgettable fan experiences, and this partnership with Kalshi brings a completely new layer of excitement to the Grand Slam Finals,” said Jan Henric Buettner, CEO at Freestyle Chess. “By integrating Kalshi’s innovative analytics, we’re giving fans more ways than ever to feel connected to the action on the board, and we’re thrilled to debut this first-of-its-kind partnership in chess.”

About Freestyle Chess

Freestyle Chess was founded in 2024 by Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner, to revolutionize the game of chess. Capitalizing on the boom of interest in the sport, Freestyle Chess incorporates a unique style of gameplay featuring Fischer Random and follows the players’ heart rates throughout the matches. Working to democratize the sport, matches are available for free online, and players participate in press conferences and post-match interviews, keeping the company’s events exciting for all audiences. This year, Freestyle Chess kicked off its Grand Slam tournaments in Germany, France with upcoming stops in the United States and South Africa.

About Kalshi

Founded in 2018, Kalshi is a U.S.-regulated financial exchange supervised by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Kalshi lists event-based contracts tied to objectively verifiable real-world outcomes, including economic indicators and other measurable data points. As a registered Designated Contract Market, Kalshi operates within a strict regulatory framework with a focus on transparency, market integrity, and consumer protection. For more information, visit Kalshi.com.