The second and final day of the Play-in stage for the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship has concluded. After 9 Swiss rounds and a Knockout stage, Nodirbek Abdusattorov scored 6 wins and 2 draws in Swiss, as well as 2 wins in Knockout final to win the tournament.

The final standings and prize distribution are:

Place Player Score Prize
1. 🇺🇿 GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov 10.5 $1,000
2. 🇮🇳 GM V Pranav 8.5 $700
3-4. 🇺🇸 GM Grigoriy Oparin 8.5 $550
3-4. 🇮🇷 GM Amin Tabatabaei 8.5 $550
5-8. 🇷🇺 GM Arseniy Nesterov 7 $250
5-8. 🇷🇴 GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac 6.5 $250
5-8. 🇺🇸 GM Leinier Dominguez Perez 6.5 $250
5-8. 🇦🇲 GM Arman Mikaelyan 6.5 $250
9-16. - - $150

The event features Nine-round Swiss system with a 10+2 time control and a $5,000 prize fund. The top-four players advance to the Knockout Stage with Single-elimination Knockout and a 15+3 time control.

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