Magnus Carlsen has revealed the reason why he loves the freestyle chess format. Carlsen was speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, which he co-founded with Jan Henric Buettner in March 2024.

Carlsen, the world’s highest-rated chess player since 2010, will take a seat in Weissenhaus, Germany, to compete in freestyle chess, previously known as Chess960 and Fischer Random. The starting position of the back row pieces is randomized, removing a top grandmaster’s lifetime of memorization and theory on how to open a chess game.

D Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen are currently participating at the first leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.

Magnus Carlsen, a 34-year-old Norwegian, is among the greatest chess players of all time.

Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour boss Jan Henric Buettner and all-time great Magnus Carlsen have called on International Chess Federation (FIDE) president Arkady Dvorkovich to resign after talks over an agreement about the new series fell through.

Despite a winless run in the Freestyle Grand Slam qualifiers, D Gukesh secured a knockout berth, showing resilience in a star-studded field that saw Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, and others battle for supremacy.

Magnus Carlsen questioned the validity of classical chess as a measure of skill, favoring rapid chess. Gukesh acknowledged the quality of their championship match, while Carlsen ruled out a title clash.

This isn't just another chess tournament though, with a public spat between Carlsen and the promoters of the FCGT with FIDE in the build-up to the tournament.