2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship

• 17 Feb 2026

On 15th February 2026, Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana of the USA 2.5–1.5 in the final at Weissenhaus, Germany.

• A draw in the fourth and final game secured Carlsen’s victory after he gained the advantage by winning the third game from a seemingly lost position.
• The win marks Carlsen’s 21st world title across different chess formats.
• Both Carlsen and Caruana qualified for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.
• In the third-place match, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany and also qualified for the 2027 edition.