The FIDE is at present at warfare with Magnus Carlsen’s Freestyle Chess Gamers Membership (FCPC), including additional spice and drama to this rising controversy. Final yr in December, the FIDE formally recognised FCPC, and its Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. However then quickly accusations got here that they had been pressured to come back to an settlement, in any other case they must take care of the likes of Carlsen pulling out of the year-ending Speedy and Blitz Championship.
D Gukesh (L) and R Praggnanandhaa (R) face one another throughout a match.(Hindustan Instances)
Then got here Carlsen’s denims scandal on the Speedy Championship in New York, the place he didn’t adhere to FIDE’s gown code. Carlsen was fined and after he didn’t agree to vary his denims, he was not paired for the rest of the day. The Norwegian pulled out of the match in response and accused FIDE of threatening FCPC gamers that they’d not be allowed to function within the World C’ship cycle in the event that they participated within the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
Quick ahead to January 2025, now the FIDE has gone on to accuse the likes of Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura of inflicting divisions within the chess world by way of the FCPC. The FIDE additionally revealed that that they had formally recognised the FCPC out of ‘goodwill’.
In response, World No. 3 Nakamura took to Youtube to put up a video the place he criticised the FIDE and urged the world’s high gamers to boycott the worldwide chess physique. If the world’s high gamers do comply with by way of Nakamura’s request, then we may see some high Indian gamers pulling out of official Indian tournaments. The checklist contains reigning world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gurathi.
Nakamura urges them to boycott and take part in tournaments just like the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, because of greater quantities of prize cash in non-FIDE tournaments.
If it’s adopted by way of, then we may see Gukesh step down because the world champion too. In the meantime, FIDE may additionally take authorized motion towards the gamers. The FCPC are additionally making an attempt to get their very own World Championship recognised by the FIDE, however haven’t been ready to take action.
Taking to X, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky additionally revealed, in response to Nakamura’s video, that the gamers have signed a contract to not take part in a non-FIDE ‘World Championship’.
He wrote, “all the players, including Magnus and Hikaru actually signed a binding obligation to not participate in any “World Championship” not approved by FIDE for the period of four years. Magnus signed it in 2023, other top players in 2024. Yeah, you can always claim that you are first and foremost a streamer – but that does not mean you don’t have contractual obligations.”
The following World C’ship will happen in 2026, the place the winner of the Candidates Event will face Gukesh.