Freestyle chess: Bobby Fischer’s poisoned chalice

What is now dignified by the hopeful euphemism of Freestyle chess was popularised by that quintessential demon, Heresiarch and obliterator of his fans’ expectations and desecrator of their loyalty, Bobby Fischer. In my opinion, players being permitted to arrange their pieces at random at the start of the game represents a feeble echo of the harmony, beauty and balance of the orthodox initial chess array. It is fuelled by a disinclination to master opening theory and bolstered by the endorsement, conferred through Fischer. Respectable status, encouraging it to become confused with real thing, has been further acquired by means of the lure of “all corrupting gold”, as Shakespeare puts it in  Richard III. Players of the calibre of Grandmaster Wesley So and especially the abdicated former World Champion Magnus Carlsen have been tempted to validate it with their presence, in tournaments where the abomination prevails.

What can be the justification for Freestyie chess, when the possible permutations of chess proper are so enormous (ten to the power of 120, as I pointed out in my column Dr Siegbert Tarrasch and his search for meaning)? If one is bored with chess, then why not venture on some of the entrancing oriental alternatives? There is Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), or Shogi (Japanese Chess), where excitement is intensified by the fact that all pieces, even when captured, can re-enter the fray — but for the opposing side.

Once heresy takes root, the pestilence spreads. In Dortmund, the former scene of many a fine clash of classical chess, a match was once staged between two ex-World Champions, Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, where castling was prohibited. One might as well enfeeble the game of cricket by abolishing the ability to hit a ball for six. If these ex-Champions desired to challenge their minds in a different game, might they not have reverted to the authentic game of Shatranj, that pre-Renaissance, pre-castling ancestor of chess, which has its own immense subtleties, as revealed in the games and puzzles, from the cultured Baghdad Caliphate, of As Suli (880–946 AD), Al Lajlaj (900–970 AD), and Al Adli (circa 840 AD) who were the original Aliyat or Grandmasters.

Most importantly of all, much as I deprecate and pronounce anathema upon Freestyle chess, I see absolutely no reason why Carlsen and Co. require the benediction of FIDÉ, the World Chess Federation, to stage their own Freestyle world championship. Freestyle is a different game.  As I, stoutly supported by our sainted editor, Daniel Johnson, proved in 1993, when The Times staged the Kasparov vs. Short world championship, without the aegis of FIDÉ, it is ultimately the court of public opinion which determines the recognition of a world championship.

Here is a summary of recent fiery exchanges between the warring parties:

Carlsen To Dvorkovich In Heated Freestyle Chess Feud: ‘Will You Resign?’ by TarjeiJS , as reported on chess.com.

“The negotiations between Freestyle Chess, led by its founders Jan Henric Buettner and GM Magnus Carlsen, and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) have collapsed and escalated into a deadlocked conflict. Freestyle Chess has backed down and postponed its decision to crown a world champion, but FIDÉ President Arkady Dvorkovich is facing calls for his resignation.

The ongoing feud reached a boiling point after FIDÉ  released a statement that no agreement had been made, saying Freestyle Chess had “chosen not to acknowledge FIDÉ’s existing authority over the World Championship title.”

In response, Buettner published his own letter accusing FIDÉ of backing out of negotiations that he claimed were near completion. The letter includes a series of private messages from Dvorkovich that appear to indicate that an agreement was imminent.

“After you sent me all your WhatsApp messages yesterday afternoon and this morning—among others, within only 20 hours—… and while you are obviously still “in the air,“ FIDE posted their statement this morning,” Buettner wrote in his letter.

He referred to FIDÉ’s statement earlier that said there was no agreement “due to the other party’s refusal to acknowledge FIDÉ’s  status as the sole regulator of World Chess Championships and its authority to award a World Championship title.“

Buettner called for Dvorkovich’s resignation in his follow-up: “At the very least, it means that you will have to resign immediately from your position as President, because you have now proven for the third time within two months that you cannot even speak for FIDE. Your lack of leadership skills will be costly for FIDE, as all the negotiation points are now becoming public with this open letter and its attachments.”

Later, the dispute reached another level when Carlsen joined public calls for Dvorkovich to resign by posting on X/Twitter. He accused the head of the chess world-governing body of “Coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises.”

He referenced a message sent to his father on December 19, before the World Rapid & Blitz Championship in New York, where Dvorkovich allegedly stated: “I will step down if my word will be undermined by the Council.”

Carlsen, along with GM Hikaru Nakamura, had considered dropping out of the prestigious event over what they refer to as threats by FIDÉ that they would not be able to take part in the upcoming World Championship cycle should they take part in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.

The duo of star players decided to play in New York when given assurances by Dvorkovich that players would not be penalized, they said.

FIDÉ has been firmly against Freestyle Chess’s plans of crowning an official “world champion” by the end of the tour. In January, they threatened legal action, arguing that contracts players signed prohibit them from participating in unsanctioned world championships.

Buettner previously responded to the threats by saying he was ready to fight the chess global body in court. “We are ready for war,” he said. “But if FIDÉ is ready for some sense, we are ready to speak to them.”

Buettner further said that he had engaged in intensive discussions with Dvorkovich over four days, only to experience the same deadlock he encountered in previous negotiations. He highlighted Dvorkovich’s shifting positions, citing messages where the President expressed a willingness to finalize a deal, only for FIDÉ to later reject it outright.

He said: “The arbitrary deadline of February 3, imposed on players to sign a one-sided document drafted by FIDÉ’s Legal Director, is one you know to be legally dubious especially given FIDÉ’s market-dominant position.”

“Now, in less than two months, we are witnessing this pattern for a third time. While you have been negotiating ‘in good faith’ with me over the past four days, FIDÉ has simultaneously continued pressuring players to sign the illegal document by today’s deadline.”

Buettner also revealed he was willing to make several concessions to FIDÉ to reach an agreement, such as co-regulation of tournament rules, compliance with FIDÉ’s scheduling policies, and an annual financial contribution of $300,000 to a FIDÉ-controlled tournament.

FIDÉ had previously accused Freestyle Chess of dividing the chess world, but Buettner accused the chess governing body of the same: “It is FIDÉ that seeks to exert control over all chess competitions and impose its absolute authority on the players, thereby creating the very division of the chess world that they claim to oppose. Freestyle will challenge this overreach in the appropriate courts.”

FIDÉ had imposed a deadline of February 4 for players to sign a waiver allowing them to participate in Freestyle Chess and the next World Championship cycle. “If the ‘Freestyle Chess Tour’ removes the ‘World Championship’ title from their event, these restrictions will not apply,” the statement added.

FIDÉ’s CEO, Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky, has also responded strongly to the latest development in a post on X/Twitter:

Think about it. All these appalling attacks, blackmailing, swearing, leaking of private messages, direct lies and personal offences for a sake of what?

To sell better the Freestyle Chess Series, and to have another official World Championship title for Magnus?

The 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour began in Germany on February 7 with the first of five events, the $750,000 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus. The ambitious tour aims to “revolutionize the world of chess” and features Freestyle Chess, the variant also known as Chess960 or Fischer-Random, where the back-rank pieces are shuffled to make computer-assisted opening preparation impractical.

In response to FIDÉ’s actions, Freestyle Chess has postponed a decision over whether to crown a world champion by ten months. The final event of the tour will take place in December and will determine the highest-ranked player of the year.

“This decision ensures that no player is forced to choose between signing the unlawful letter FIDE is coercing them into or facing its threatened consequences,” Buettner writes.

Under the heading of : Coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises…. Magnus Carlsen wrote to Fide as follows: 

FIDÉ President Dvorkovich, to convince me to play the Rapid & Blitz in New York, you wrote Dec 19th to my father:

“Just want to pass a message to you and Magnus that whatever happens between FIDÉ and Freestyle in terms of recognition, players will NOT be affected in any way. They can decide on their own and FIDÉ will not take any negative action.”

You added later that day:

“I will step down if my word will be undermined by the Council.”

By forcing players to sign an unacceptable waiver you have reneged on your promise.

Will you resign?”

And my conclusion? A plague on both your houses: Putin supporting apparatchiks and a money grabbing elite, intent on undermining the noble game of chess as we know it , not to mention weakening the posterity of the world chess championship and its great champions,  such as Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine , Botvinnik and Kasparov.

In any case, the resources of conventional chess are far from drained, as can be seen from this week’s remarkable game, played in the recently concluded tournament at Wijk aan Zee.

Jorden van Foreest vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Tata Steel Masters, 2025, Wijk aan Zee, rd. 5

1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5

The Caro-Kann defence, a favourite of former champions Capablanca, Botvinnik and Petrosian.

3.e5 Bf5 4. c4 e6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Ne2 Ne7 7. a3 Ba5 8. b4 Bc7 9. Ng3! TN 

An improvement over 9. c5, played in Przybylski-Krzyzanowski, T/Tue c/com, 2024, 0-1. But perhaps best, according to silicon power, is  9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nf4 Nbc6 11. Bb2 O-O 12. Na4 Ng6 13. Nxg6 Bxg6 14. Nc5 Qe7 15. Bb5 a5 16. Bxc6 bxc6, and the position remains level.

9… Bg6 10. h4 h6 11. h5 Bh7 12. Qg4 Rg8 13. Be2 dxc4 14. Bxc4 Nd7 15. O-O Nf5 16. Be3 Qe7 17. b5?! 

Best is 17. Qf3, when after, 17… O-O-O 18. Nxf5 Bxf5 19. Rfc1 g6 20. b5 c5 21. Ne4 Bxe4 22. Qxe4 gxh5 23. Be2 f5 24. exf6 Nxf6 25. Qh4, White retains a modest initiative.

17… c5 18. Nxf5 Bxf5 19. Qf3 O-O-O 20. Nd5 exd5 21. Bxd5 Kb8 22. Qxf5 Nxe5 23. dxe5 Rxd5 24. f4 Rgd8 25. Qe4 f6 26. a4 fxe5 27. a5 Qe8 28. b6 axb6 29. axb6 Bxb6 30. fxe5 Bc7?

Black has assiduously compiled a significant advantage over the past thirteen moves, but loses momentum with this inaccuracy. Black could greatly enhance his advantage, with, for example, 30… Rxe5 31. Bf4 Bc7 32. Qc4 Red5 33. Bxc7+ Kxc7 34. Rae1 Qd7 35. Qf4+ Qd8 36. Re7+ Rd7 37. Rxd7+ Kxd7 38. Qg4+ Kc6 39. Qc8+ Qc7 40. Qe6+ Rd6 41. Qe4+ Kb6 42. Qa4.

31.Bf4!? 

Good, but 31. e6! Re5 32. Qf3 Qxe6 33. Bf2 Red5 34. Qa3 is even better.

31… Rd4 32. Qe2?? 

The best applied brake was, 32. Qe1 Rxf4 33. Rxf4 Bxe5 34. Re4 Bd4+ 35. Kh1 Qxh5+ 36. Rh4 Qe8 37. Re4 Qh5+ 38. Rh4 Rd5 39. Ra3 Qf7 40. Re4 Rh5+ 41. Rh3 Rxh3+ 42. gxh3 Qd5. But Black never once looks back after this blunder, winning in another 16 unblemished moves.

32… Rxf4 33. Rxf4 Qxe5 34. Qa2 Qe3+ 35. Rf2 Bg3 36. Qa8+ Kc7 37. Qa5+ b6 38. Qa7+ Kc6 39. Qa4+ b5 40. Qa6+ Kd5 41. Qb7+ Kc4 42. Qf7+ Rd5 43. Ra2 Bxf2+ 44. Rxf2 Qd4 45. Kh2 Qe5+ 46. Kg1 Kb4 47. Rf1 Rd2 White resigns 0-1

The exchange sacrifice and king march by Black remind me strongly of similar Caro-Kann exploits against Fischer and Dückstein by Petrosian. With battles like this, I am yet to be convinced that orthodox chess is exhausted and that Freestyle Chess is the appropriate panacea.

Ray’s 206th book, “  Chess in the Year of the King  ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “  Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius  ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwells. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with chess playing artist Barry Martin,  Chess through the Looking Glass ,  is now available from Amazon.