Magnus Carlsen questioned the validity of classical chess as a measure of skill, favoring rapid chess. Gukesh acknowledged the quality of their championship match, while Carlsen ruled out a title clash.

Carlsen, the world’s highest-rated chess player since 2010, will take a seat in Weissenhaus, Germany, to compete in freestyle chess, previously known as Chess960 and Fischer Random. The starting position of the back row pieces is randomized, removing a top grandmaster’s lifetime of memorization and theory on how to open a chess game.

The five-tournament series will unfold through the year, with Paris, New York, New Delhi and Cape Town being the other four host cities. It will end with the final competition from December 5 to 12

The 18-year-old reigning classical world champion didn’t win a single game in nine rounds but still managed to sneak into the top eight and qualify for the knockout stage

Arkady Dvorkovich is under fire after talks over an agreement about the new series fell through. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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This isn't just another chess tournament though, with a public spat between Carlsen and the promoters of the FCGT with FIDE in the build-up to the tournament.