Grenke Freestyle Chess Open and Grenke Chess Open 2025 with Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer
Baden-Baden/WeissenhausFebruary 13, 2025 – The traditional Karlsruhe Chess Festival continues in a new format. Instead of the classic tournament alongside the Open, this year there will be two grand Opens from April 17 to 21: the grenke Freestyle Chess Open and the grenke Chess Open. Both tournaments combine freestyle and classical chess under the roof of the Karlsruhe Convention Center – a unique concept.
Numerous GMs are expected. The 18-time world champion Magnus Carlsenworld No. 1 and Grenke Festival regular, has already confirmed his participation in the Freestyle Open. The German n°1 Vincent Keymer will also be taking part. In Karlsruhe, Carlsen may have the opportunity to take revenge on Keymer after his defeat in the semi-finals of the Freestyle Grand Slam in Weissenhaus.
The winner of the Freestyle Open (A) will receive a place in the next stage of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in New York (July 17-24, 2025). The top ten finishers will earn points towards the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025.
“We’re very excited about this innovative new edition. Karlsruhe is a unique city, combining grandeur and class. This year, the stars will be playing in the grenke Freestyle Chess Open, which is open to all. There’s no better way to combine popular and competitive sport.“says the tournament director, Sven Noppes. “By combining classic chess and classic freestyle, we create a festival that is a highlight for amateur players, amateurs and the absolute world elite, and a spectacle for all spectators on site or online.“
Christian Bossertpresident of the Baden-Baden Chess Center, expects the event to become the world’s biggest chess festival once again, as it did last year, with around 2,600 participants.
Dr Sebastian HirschCEO of grenke AG: “grenke has been passionately committed to chess for decades. We invite the international chess elite to our region, bring them together and offer the winner a trip to New York. We’re proud of the diversity and quality of the participants, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that all the players have a successful tournament. I recommend everyone to stop by, as the new Grenke Chess Festival offers all chess enthusiasts and the curious an unforgettable experience in Karlsruhe.“
As the Grenke Classic 2025 will not take place, the winner of the Open 2024 will qualify, Hans Moke Niemannfor the Classic 2025 is no longer valid. To underline the close ties between Freestyle Chess and grenke, a long-standing chess sponsor, Jan Henric BuettnerCEO of Freestyle Chess, has decided to invite the American GM to the next stage of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Paris (April 08-15).
“We are very pleased with this cooperation“declares Sebastian Siebrechtdirector of Freestyle Chess. “With the Open, we can make the Freestyle Grand Slam accessible to a wide audience. Every player has the opportunity to compete against the best and qualify for one of the major events in our series.“
Two major open events, six ranking categories
The Karlsruhe Chess Festival 2025 will combine two top-level tournaments, each with three rating categories:
- grenke Freestyle Chess Open with a prize board of €225’000:
- Freestyle Open Afor players with an Elo > 1950
- → Winner qualifies for the New York round of the Freestyle Grand Slam
- Freestyle Open B for players with an Elo < 2000
- Freestyle Open C for players with a DWZ < 1400 and an Elo < 1600
- Freestyle Open Afor players with an Elo > 1950
- grenke Open endowed with €70′ 000 euros :
- grenke Open A for players with an Elo > 1950
- grenke Open B for players with an Elo < 2000
- grenke Open C for players with a DWZ < 1400 and an Elo < 1600
Switch from one tournament to another
One special feature guarantees maximum flexibility: participants in the grenke Chess Open can switch to the grenke Freestyle Chess Open up to the 5th round, and keep the points they’ve earned so far. The festival thus offers a unique opportunity to opt for the freestyle format during the tournament.
Tournament mode:
- Freestyle Open : 9 rounds Swiss system, 90’+30”
- Grenke Open : same format as last year with 9 rounds in the Swiss system
Register now!
Registration is now open on www.grenkechessopen.de. Here you’ll find all the information you need about the schedule, tournament format and prizes.
Contact:
Schachzentrum Baden-Baden e.V.
E-mail: td@grenkechessopen.de
Website: www.grenkechessopen.de
