The FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championships will return to Weissenhaus, Germany, in 2027, following the success of the inaugural event in 2026. The agreement solidifies the Baltic Sea location as the permanent venue for the championship.
The FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship will be staged over three days during the first weekend of February 2027. It will be followed by the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in the following weekend. The schedule has been designed to ensure it fits smoothly within the international chess calendar.
This announcement comes after the successful debut of the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in February 2026, where Magnus Carlsen (Norway) claimed the title by defeating Fabiano Caruana (USA) 2.5–1.5 in the final. As finalists, Carlsen and Caruana are automatically qualified for the 2027 World Championship.
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan), who finished third in 2026, also earns a direct spot. Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) secured her place in the 2027 Women’s Freestyle Chess World Championship by winning the 2026 exhibition match against Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland).
By returning to the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort, FIDE and Freestyle Chess aim to establish the venue as the permanent home of the Freestyle World Championship.
Jan Henric Buettner, co-founder and CEO of Freestyle Chess, said: “The decision to return to Weissenhaus in 2027 reflects our commitment to building a stable and credible world championship cycle for Freestyle Chess. Continuity of venue and structure allows us to focus on sporting quality and long-term development.”
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The formal partnership between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, established ahead of the 2026 edition, has officially recognized the FIDE Freestyle World Championship as a world title.
Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE, said: “The 2026 championship marked an important milestone as the first official Freestyle Chess World Championship, recognized by FIDE. By confirming Weissenhaus as the stage for 2027, we are reinforcing the institutional framework of the title and supporting the continued growth of this format within the international chess ecosystem, in compliance with FIDE’s rules and regulations.”
The championship cycle will continue to include qualifying events, with the next one being the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open, set for April 2–6, 2026, in Karlsruhe, Germany. This event will carry official qualification status for the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship for the first time.
