FIDE officially published qualification paths for the second FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in 2027. Eight players will participate in the Championship, which will run from April 2026 to January 2027, including both online and over-the-board tournaments.

The pathways to qualification:

• Top-3 finishers from the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship 2026
• 1 player from the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open 2026
• 2 players from a designated OTB or online tournament
• 1 player from the Freestyle Friday Championship 2026
• 1 player from online tournament, played between January 1 and January 15, 2027

If a qualified player withdraws, the spot will be passed down according to defined sporting criteria which will be announced in due course.

The first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship will be held in Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13 to 15, 2026. The event is governed by FIDE in collaboration with Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH, marking the first joint World Championship title in 960 format under a formal agreement.

Credit: Lennart Ootes/Freestyle Chess