FIDE vs Freestyle - The conflict continues

by ChessBase
1/29/2025 – The dispute between FIDE and Freestyle Chess continues. After Jan Henric Buettner attacked FIDE in an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Buettner has now published an open letter to FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. In this letter he addresses the development of the conflict, and concludes by saying: "Freestyle seeks peace, not conflict. We are still willing to contribute $50,000 annually to ensure the players are left undisturbed." Sutovsky was quick to respond, sharing his view of the conflict on X/Twitter, although he did not comment on Buettner's offer. | Picture: Pixabay

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Jan Henrik Buettner's open letter

Dear Emil,

Over the past year, you, Arkady, and FIDE have come a long way — from you singing opera songs to me over the phone, to your request to host the FIDE Chess960 World Championship in Weissenhaus last year, to Arkady meeting with Henrik and me in London for hours to coordinate tournament schedules, ensuring players wouldn't face conflicting commitments.

However, the collaboration has become increasingly strained. A notable example was Arkady's invitation for Magnus and Fabiano to play a Freestyle Chess Summit in Singapore, only for us to be stonewalled and ignored upon arrival. It seems FIDE's approach of "good cop (Arkady) / bad cop (Emil)" tactics was bound to fail. Now, FIDE appears to have dropped the pretense entirely, adopting a confrontational stance toward the players. In my opinion, this shift is counterproductive. Instead of engaging constructively with us - the organizers of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour - FIDE has alienated the very players who are its greatest assets. Nonetheless, Freestyle remains open to dialogue and is committed to working collaboratively with FIDE to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Let me clarify once again: our tour is not a "World Championship" in the traditional sense, as I have explained to both Arkady and Vishy. It is titled the "Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour." At the end of each year, we crown a champion in Freestyle Chess — a format that might evolve in the future, potentially moving beyond Chess960 to other new formats, but not classical chess.

The title of "world champion" in this context reflects the unique format of our events, not an attempt to challenge FIDE's traditional World Championship cycle. If FIDE's issue truly lies with the use of "World Championship" terminology, it would have to address similar cases, such as the Bughouse World Championship, where even players like Ding Liren have participated. Yet FIDE has not penalized Ding or others for taking part. This inconsistency reveals the true motive behind FIDE's actions: money.

Despite Freestyle's willingness to offer $100,000 annually to FIDE — purely as a gesture of goodwill and to avoid harassment - this has been rebuffed. FIDE's demand for $500,000, an unjustifiable sum for a format it has no involvement in, suggests that monetary gain is the primary driver.Our sponsors, many of whom prefer to avoid association with FIDE altogether, support our decision to remain independent.

FIDE's recent actions, such as threatening players with sanctions and demanding they sign agreements under undue pressure and without legal counsel, are deeply troubling. This is neither ethical nor professional. FIDE is attempting to exploit its dominant market position to strong-arm players into submission. Such tactics are unacceptable, and Freestyle will continue to defend the players' interests against these abuses of power.

Contrary to FIDE's approach, Freestyle prioritizes the players. This is why we have retained legal counsel to protect them from FIDE's overreach. No player has violated their obligations; instead, FIDE is the party acting improperly. Freestyle's focus remains on creating a positive environment for players, allowing them to concentrate on their games without the burden of unnecessary political interference.

To summarize:

  • Freestyle is not competing with FIDE, nor does it claim to be "bigger than FIDE."

  • FIDE does not own the rights to all chess-related activities, nor does it hold exclusive authority over the word "world."

  • Freestyle seeks peace, not conflict. We are still willing to contribute $50,000 annually to ensure the players are left undisturbed.

  • If FIDE continues its harassment, Freestyle will stand firm in defending the players to the fullest extent.

Rather than escalating this situation, I urge FIDE to return to the table and engage in constructive discussions. Harassing, threatening, or sanctioning players is not only counterproductive but also undermines the principles of fair competition and respect for the chess community.

I remain available for a conversation with you or Arkady at any time.

Best regards,

Jan

Emil Sutovsky's response

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