Recently, following months of public dispute, the organisers of Freestyle Chess and FIDE have joined forces to announce the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, to be held in Germany in February 2026. “It’s weird that you have a “Total Chess World Champion” title, but then we all know Gukesh is the official World Champion. All these new titles like Freestyle World Champion, or even Rapid and Blitz, or the Total… I think they are just secondary titles,” So told The Indian Express. They think that the chess world can live without having the Classical World Championship title,” he said. It’s fine, but to call it a World Championship, and then handpick seven out of eight players, does not seem like a World Championship.

Source: Indian Express January 13, 2026 11:36 UTC