FIDE press release
Regarding recent communications from the Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC), FIDE states the following:
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) is the only chess governing organization recognized internationally (notably by the International Olympic Committee), regulating all official international chess competitions. Although we have always remained open to cooperation with private organizations and to initiatives within the chess community, FIDE retains its supreme role with regard to rules, titles and rankings. FIDE’s status and worldwide responsibilities to the chess community are distinct and non-negotiable.
FIDE does not object to privately run commercial platforms, projects or clubs, such as FCPC, interacting with individual players. However, the FCPC’s attempts to present their project as a World Championship are in contradiction with the well-established status of FIDE and its authority over World Championship titles in all relevant chess variants – including Chess960/Freestyle chess, as described in the FIDE Handbook.
In addition, the course of action adopted by the FCPC threatens the performance of the players’ existing contractual obligations to FIDE.
The measures taken by the FCPC project inevitably lead to divisions in the chess world – and we remember all too well the unfortunate consequences of a similar split in the not-so-distant past.
Although the formal status of the Freestyle Chess 2025 series has not yet been determined, FIDE wants to ensure that all players can plan their schedules for 2025. Therefore – as a sign of goodwill and to provide sufficient security for players in the near future – FIDE has taken the decision to integrate the Freestyle Chess 2025 series into its calendar and to refrain from invoking the relevant legal clauses in previously signed contracts regarding player participation in 2025 Freestyle events.
Nevertheless, FIDE retains all its legal rights related to the title of World Championship and will be ready to challenge the organizers and initiators of any series who decide to present themselves as a “World Championship” without FIDE’s approval.
We are open to dialogue and hope to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, provided that FIDE’s leading role and well-established authority over World Championships is respected by potential partners.
If such an agreement is not reached, FIDE requires that the Freestyle series does not carry the status of “World Championship”. FIDE will not hesitate to use all legal means against those who violate its rights – be they the initiators, organizers and/or investors of the project.
While the 2025-2026 World Championship cycle is underway, all qualified players are required to sign an additional contract, which will include a clause stating that participation in any alternative World Championship in any chess variant not approved by FIDE (with the exception of the Freestyle tournament in 2025) would result in their exclusion from two consecutive cycles of the FIDE World Championship.
As part of the contracts, FIDE undertakes to organize the cycle’s events at the highest level, with substantially increased prices – the dates and locations of these events are published in the FIDE Calendar.
