12/3/2025 – Tomorrow (4 December) marks the official start of the Freestyle Finals in South Africa. The opening press conference at The Silo Hotel in Cape Town will be followed by a diving chess competition. From 8 December, the Grand Slam Finals will begin at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, featuring Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov, among others. | Photos: Freestyle Chess
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Press release
From Diving Chess to Waterfront Public Viewing
Freestyle Chess Brings the Grand Slam Finals to South Africa
Free Public Viewing at the V&A Waterfront / Kick-off Press Conference in Cape Town
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals opens its South African chapter on December 4, beginning with the debut of Diving Chess at The Silo Hotel, while public viewing at the V&A Waterfront will start on December 8 and continue throughout the tournament. Before the finalists travel to the Grootbos tournament venue, the opening days in Cape Town offer opportunities for media and local players to connect with the world’s leading grandmasters.
Press Conference
The week begins at 11:00 a.m. on December 4 with the press conference at The Silo Hotel, hosted by Norwegian TV presenter Sverre Krogh Sundbø. Freestyle Chess co-founders Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner will be present, making this the only scheduled opportunity for direct questions before the competition moves to Grootbos. Media can register with a brief e-mail to media@freestyle-chess.com.
Diving Chess
Following the press conference, the opening program continues at The Silo Hotel with Diving Chess, the underwater chess variant developed by Etan Ilfeld. World Diving Chess Champion Michal Mazurkiewicz will be on site to support and advise the players. Although this is not a formal media event, limited coverage from designated positions may be possible.
Local Chess Clubs and Welcome Reception
In the hours after the press conference, and in parallel with Diving Chess, several finalists plan to visit the University of the Western Cape where they will meet players from local chess clubs in the Cape Town area. The visit is not part of a structured media program, but selected coverage can be arranged on request through the Freestyle Chess media team. On December 5, a Welcome Reception for students and regional representatives will take place in Stanford. Media coverage is possible and will be coordinated individually after registration.
Public Viewing at the Waterfront
From December 8 to 11, the V&A Waterfront becomes the public hub of the Grand Slam Finals. Starting at 12:30 p.m. each day, the official Freestyle Chess broadcast from Grootbos will be shown live on-site, hosted by South African presenters Cato Louw and Adrian Endly, joined by grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujarathi from India and several special guests from the South African chess community.
They will guide fans through every round of the tournament. The Waterfront public viewing is free of charge. It offers the main opportunity for audiences in Cape Town to experience the event as it unfolds.
Freestyle Chess emphasizes that there is no ticketing or public access to the tournament venue in Grootbos or to Diving Chess at The Silo Hotel. The V&A Waterfront serves as the central public meeting point for audiences throughout the final week.
Throughout Final Week, Freestyle Chess will distribute same-day Flash News updates during the Diving Chess competition and the Grand Slam Finals, along with current photos for editorial use. Full reports will be published on freestyle-chess.com after each tournament day.
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