Magnus Carlsen is the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Champion. On the third and final day of play in Weissenhaus, he defeated Fabiano Caruana by the smallest of margins in an exciting match - which saw Caruana miss a number of winning chances - to take the title.
The tournament, staged over three days, marked the return of an official, FIDE-recognised World Championship in Freestyle Chess - also known as Chess960 or Fischer Random. Carlsen, who decided not to defend the classical world crown but currently holds the world rapid and blitz titles, adds the Freestyle Chess title to his record. Across formats, this represents his 21st world title.
Carlsen participated in both the 2019 and 2022 World Fischer Random Chess Championship, and failed to take the title both times. He lost matches against Wesley So and Ian Nepomniachtchi in each of the competitions, respectively.
By reaching the final match in Weissenhaus, Carlsen and Caruana have earned qualification for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who beat Vincent Keymer in the match for third place, also secured a spot in the 2027 championship.
The podium | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
The final was a renewed world championship encounter between the world numbers one and three, recalling their 2018 classical chess title match in London. That confrontation featured twelve drawn classical games, which were followed by a rapid playoff victory for Carlsen. In Weissenhaus, the margins were again narrow.
The first game was the most restrained of the four and concluded in a 47-move draw, as neither player managed to create serious imbalances.
In the second game, however, Caruana began to dictate the course of play. He emerged from the opening with the more promising structure and gradually built up pressure. There were moments when he had concrete winning chances, but Carlsen defended accurately in a tense time scramble and held the draw.
The third game proved decisive. For much of the struggle, Carlsen appeared to be coping well, but an ill-judged bishop capture left him in severe difficulty. The position was lost for the eventual champion, and Caruana initially continued with precision.
At critical junctures, though, the US grandmaster failed to deliver a decisive blow. Carlsen introduced a pawn sacrifice to stir counterplay and, as the position shifted, Carlsen refrained from simplifying into a drawn continuation once equality had been restored. Instead, he increased the pressure and quickly generated a direct mating attack. Within a few moves, the tables had turned completely, and Caruana was forced to resign.
The final moments of the crucial third game | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
Game four still contained tension. Although Carlsen entered the final encounter needing only a draw, the game was far from straightforward. On the board, he appeared to be guiding the position towards an endgame that would yield the required half point. However, the situation was less comfortable, as he allowed his time to run dangerously low.
A queen move played with only seconds remaining offered Caruana a one-move tactical opportunity to seize control of the game.
25.Qe2? was a grave mistake, as it allowed 25...Nfd2 26.Qxh5 Nxf1 27.Nxf1 and the crucial 27...Nf6 (diagram), which is probably what Caruana missed in his calculations.
The knight attacks the queen and, importantly, defends the e8-square, while there is no way to defend the bishop on g1. However, the backward knight move went unspotted, as Caruana played 25...Qg5, leading to equality. The position soon simplified, and the draw was agreed, confirming Carlsen as champion.
The champion analysing a Freestyle Chess position with Alexandra Kosteniuk, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi and Javokhir Sindarov | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
Yet again, world champion! | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
In the match for third place, Nodirbek Abdusattorov defeated Vincent Keymer by 2½–1½, thereby securing the final qualification spot for the 2027 Freestyle Chess World Championship alongside the two finalists.
The first game ended in a draw but represented a significant missed opportunity for Keymer. In an endgame, he obtained a position with three extra pawns.
Time pressure became a decisive factor, and a series of inaccuracies allowed Abdusattorov to regain the material and escape with a half point.
The second game was shorter and more direct. Keymer soon found himself unable to castle, which left him in a tactically compromised position. Abdusattorov took advantage quickly and won in 24 moves.
Vincent Keymer v. Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
In game three, Keymer reached a difficult opposite-coloured bishop ending in which he held realistic chances to level the match. Again, time trouble intervened, and the opportunity slipped away for the German star.
The fourth game unfolded favourably for Abdusattorov from an early stage. Although he even reached a winning position, he opted to repeat moves once the draw - and with it the match victory - was secured.
The match for fifth and seventh places were contested over two games.
The fight for fifth ended with a 2–0 victory for Hans Niemann against Arjun Erigaisi. Niemann struck in the first game with the black pieces, introducing a tactical sacrifice that gave him lasting control and a technically smooth win. In the second encounter, Erigaisi attempted to complicate matters but embarked on an ambitious king march that left his monarch exposed, and Niemann converted without difficulty.
Hans Niemann barely missed out on reaching the semifinals, and then won both his placement matches to finish in fifth place | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
The seventh-place match between Levon Aronian and Javokhir Sindarov produced more drama. Aronian won the first game with the black pieces after gradually outplaying his younger opponent in an endgame. Sindarov responded in kind in game two, also winning with black in a heavy-piece ending. During the conversion, he advanced a passed pawn while Aronian created counterplay and even underpromoted to a knight. A single inaccurate knight check, however, turned the position in Sindarov's favour and levelled the match.
An Armageddon decider was required. Under the bidding system, both players secretly submitted the time they were willing to start with. Aronian bid 7 minutes 37 seconds, while Sindarov's lower bid of 7 minutes 27 seconds granted him the black pieces and draw odds. Aronian therefore received 10 minutes and had to win.
The sudden-death game was played under extreme time pressure. Aronian achieved a winning position and, amid the chaos, even overlooked a mate-in-one. Despite the oversight, he maintained the initiative and eventually secured victory to finish seventh.
The ever-tricky Levon Aronian | Photo: Freestyle Chess / Lennart Ootes
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