The chess world has turn out to be like a actuality tv present since final month, with FIDE at conflict with Magnus Carlsen’s Freestyle Grand Slam Tour. In December final yr, the FIDE and Freestyle Chess Gamers’ Membership (FCPC) reached an settlement, the place the worldwide physique formally recognised the Freestyle Tour. However the bone of competition lies within the FCPC co-founders Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner additionally wanting to begin an official Freestyle World Championship, with out interference from FIDE.
D Gukesh, Viswanathan Anand and R Praggnanandhaa are additionally a part of FCPC.
In an interview with VG just lately, FCPC co-owner Buettner, who’s a German entrepreneur, lashed out at FIDE and alleged that the physique was asking for 500,000 {dollars} for the rights to make use of the world c’ship title. Buettner additionally said that he would take them to court docket.
The FCPC consists of the world’s top-26 chess stars like Carlsen, D Gukesh, Viswanathan Anand and R Praggnanandhaa. Buettner additionally made a bombshell revelation, indicating that FIDE was blackmailing gamers too.
He said that FIDE’s contract has a deadline of February 3, and features a clause {that a} participant who competes in a world championship not authorised by the Arkady Dvorkovich-led organisation, shall be excluded from the cycle for the subsequent 4 years. He additionally went on to foretell that he would not anticipate any gamers to signal the contract.
Buettner mentioned, “I don’t think any players will sign this ridiculous contract.”
“That’s the reason, it’s so ridiculous in so many ways. The players are uniting and trying to find something they can agree on. I can’t believe how ridiculous these people are,” he added.
There was no official affirmation from the likes of Gukesh, Anand and Praggnanandhaa on if they’ve agreed to FIDE’s calls for, or if they’re aligning with Carlsen’s FCPC. What makes it extra complicated is that Anand additionally serves as FIDE deputy president, and just lately he obtained criticism from Magnus Carlsen, throughout the World Fast and Blitz Championship, the place the Norwegian accused the Indian grandmaster of not performing his function correctly.
In the meantime, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky has additionally responded to the accusations on X, the place he has said that the FIDE simply needs formal recognition because the governing physique.