Jan-Henric Buettner, the visionary behind the Freestyle G.O.A.T. Challenge organised earlier this year, has announced that Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will face off in a Freestyle Chess match in Singapore. This exhibition will take place just days before the Classical World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and Dommaraju Gukesh. Buettner revealed the exciting news in an exclusive conversation with ChessBase India's Sagar Shah, adding further intrigue to what is already shaping up to be a thrilling period for the chess world.
Earlier this month, Buettner's newly founded company, Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH, disclosed the first three dates and venues for the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. These developments underscore Buettner's commitment to promoting Freestyle Chess, also known as chess960 or Fischer Random chess. By organising this high-profile match in Singapore, Buettner aims to introduce a broader audience to the format, leveraging the star power of Carlsen and Caruana, two of the most prominent figures in modern chess and rivals for the World Championship in 2018.
Carlsen has long been an advocate for changes in competitive chess, often calling for quicker time controls and favouring online tournaments. His enthusiasm for Buettner's vision is clear, especially after helping raise 12 million dollars for the 2025 Grand Slam. The inaugural Freestyle G.O.A.T. Challenge saw Carlsen emerge victorious, with the "G.O.A.T." moniker referring directly to his status as the Greatest of All Time in the chess world.
The Classical World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and Dommaraju Gukesh will take place from 25 November to 13 December at the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. In a remarkable development, Google has been confirmed as the primary sponsor of the event, adding even more prestige to the highly anticipated title match.
