World champion D Gukesh feels that while he is glad to experiment the Chess960 format, he doesn’t feel that it will take over classical chess. Gukesh is currently in Germany competing in the first leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen shared a text that FIDE chief Dvorkovich had sent to his father, Henrik, before demanding the Russian's resignation.

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.

D Gukesh is set to face Magnus Carlsen for the first time since becoming the world champion. Carlsen, one of the greatest players of all time, will face Gukesh in the classical format in Norway Chess 2025.

Magnus Carlsen criticised FIDE after co-founding Freestyle Chess Players Club with Jan Henric Beuttner, which led to a dispute over the term "World Championship". Carlsen supports Beuttner's stance that their new tour shouldn't replace traditional championships but should have its unique format.

World champion D Gukesh made a steady start at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, adapting to the unique format amid rising tensions between FIDE and organisers, while Magnus Carlsen and other top players experience mixed fortunes.

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.