Since Magnus Carlsen abdicated his classical world championship crown in 2022, the international chess federation (Fide) has faced a persistent headache: the world’s strongest player has no interest in their flagship event. Fide has responded by adding new formats in which world titles are contested, to encourage Carlsen’s participation.
Early in 2026, they sanctioned the first Fide Freestyle World Championship. Later this year, the ‘Total Chess’ World Championship pilot arrives – a combined fast-classical, rapid, and blitz format developed with Norway Chess, the prestigious Norwegian tournament organisation, that will crown a single ‘combined’ world champion across all three disciplines. Both initiatives seem designed to keep Carlsen within Fide’s orbit.
The Freestyle partnership is remarkable given a bitter public spat that took place just a year ago. Freestyle is the rebranded name for Fischer Random or Chess960, and when Carlsen and the German investor Jan Henric Buettner launched the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour last year, the organisers wanted to crown their own world champion. But Fide, which held World Fischer Random Championships in 2019 and 2022, insisted only they could sanction a ‘World Championship’. Buettner accused them of pressuring players not to sign with Freestyle.
By January this year, they had quietly reconciled, with Fide lending its name to the championship held at the Weissenhaus resort.
After two days of qualifying rounds, Carlsen faced Fabiano Caruana in the final, contested over four rapid games, of which the first two were drawn. The third game, shown below, saw Carlsen in desperate trouble but Caruana failed to grab his chances and, incredibly, lost the game. Carlsen secured his 21st world title with a draw in the final game.
The game here had as its start position: Ra1, Qb1, Kc1, Bd1, Be1, Rf1, Ng1, Nh1. Black’s setup mirrors that: Ra8, Qb8, Kc8, etc.
Fabiano Caruana-Magnus Carlsen
Freestyle Chess World Championship, Feb 2026
1 c4 f5 2 f4 c6 3 e3 e6 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 Nf2 Bh5 6 d4 Nf7 7 h3 a5 8 g4 fxg4 9 hxg4 Nxg4 10 Nxg4 Bxg4 11 Qxh7 Bf6 12 Qd3 d5 13 cxd5 cxd5 14 Nh4 Bxd1 15 Kxd1 Bxh4 A huge error, due to Caruana’s reply. Freestyle castling rules are peculiar, but here the king moves from c8 to g8 and the Rf8 stays where it is – a much better move!. 16 Rc1+! Kd7 17 Qb5+ Kd6 18 Bxh4 Carlsen’s survival from this position is a feat worthy of Houdini. Rc8 19 Kd2 Qa7 20 f5 Qa6 21 Qb3 Rc4 22 fxe6 Kxe6 (see diagram) 23 Rxc4 23 Qd3! was the simplest way to win. 23…Nd6 24 Qg6+ Kd7 25 Rf7+ Nxf7 26 Qxf7+ wins, e.g. 26… Kc8 27 Qxd5 Rxc1 28 Qd8 mate. dxc4 23…Qxc4 24 Qxc4 dxc4 25 d5+ wins 24 Qd1 c3+ 25 bxc3 Nd6 26 Qg4+ Kd5 27 Rf4 Qc4 28 Qg2+ Ke6 29 Qh3+ Kd5 30 Qh1+ Both players had less than a minute here. With more time, Caruana would certainly find the winning line: 30 Qf3+ Ke6 31 Re4+ Nxe4 32 Qxe4 Kf7 33 Qxb7+ etc. Ke6 31 Qb1 Kd7 32 e4 Stronger was 32 Qb3, retaining an edge though nowhere near winning. Re8! Now 33 e5 is met by 33…Rxe5! 33 Bg3 g5 34 Rg4 Rf8 35 Qb3 The final mistake. 35 Rxg5 could lead to a draw with best play. Qf1 With too many threats. 36 Qd5 Qg2+ 37 Kd1 Rf1+ White resigns
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