TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
Freestyle Grand Slam Weissenhaus 2025 (Games and Results)
Freestyle Grand Slam Weissenhaus 2025
Mark Crowther - Friday 14th February 2025
The Freestyle Grand Slam Weissenhaus was the first in a series of events aimed at promoting the chess variant also known as Chess960, 9LX or Fischer Random Chess. The event is financed by German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner and backed by former World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. The remaining events of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour are: Paris April 8–15, New York July 17–24 New Delhi September 17–24 and Cape Town December 5–12.
The first event of the series took place in a resort owned by Buettner in Wangels, Germany 7th to 14th February 2025. Players: Carlsen, Caruana, Nakamura, Gukesh, Abdusattorov, Firouzja, Aronian, Keymer, Fedoseev and Sindarov. A rapid round robin is followed by a classical KO later stage. I don't have the ability to display this chess variant but do have the games available for download.
The surprise winner was Vincent Keymer who beat Fabiano Caruana in the final. In the semi-final he beat Magnus Carlsen, the game he won was one of the most favorable starting positions for white. Carlsen beat Javokhir 2-0 to finish in 3rd place although Sindarov impressed everyone.
Fischer Random, Chess960, 9LX and Freestyle Chess Variant
The Freestyle chess variant is one where the starting place of the pieces are shuffled, the white and black pieces are however mirrored. There are special castling rules depending on the position of Rooks and Kings.
The variant was first popularised by Bobby Fischer who talked about it in 1993 and was launched by him at a news conference in Argentina in 1996. The idea itself is very old going back to at least the 18th Century. Fischer himself didn't end up playing any public events and the idea was then taken up by chess organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt and he rebranded the variant as Chess960 after the number of start positions. He held rapid events in Mainz which were styled as World Championships at the time and probably led to FIDE taking steps that have become relevant now. After those events finished it was rebranded again as 9LX by the Saint Louis Chess Club and annual tournaments have been held there. Wikipedia article on Chess960.
The format has never really found favour amongst regular players because it seeks to solve problems they don't have, an exhaustion of opening choices, unwillingness to spend massive amounts of time preparing openings and boredom with the original game. I believe most players like having openings they can confidently start the game with. The standard opening position is clearly the best and most aesthetic of the 960 possible arrangements (to purloin a phrase "best by test") and indeed this perfection is surely part of the game's long term success. Even though the series is backed by a lot of money it likely faces an uphill struggle to find a broader audience given previous attempts have clearly failed. This is likely the last, but probably best, chance of moving it from niche to mainstream.
Freestyle Grand Slam Weissenhaus 2025 (Wangels GER)
Fri 7th Feb 2025 - Fri 14th Feb 2025 -
Official Site - Results - Live
Freestyle Weissenhaus RR (10 players 9 Rds SRR Indiv TC:10m+10spm) - Games in PGN: Games RR
Freestyle Weissenhaus KO (8 players 3 Rds KO Indiv TC:90m+30spm(1)) - Games in PGN: Games KO
Freestyle Weissenhaus RR (10 players 9 Rds SRR Indiv TC: 10m+10spm) - Games in PGN: Games RR
| Freestyle Weissenhaus RR Wangels GER Fri 7th Feb 2025 - Fri 14th Feb 2025
Leading Final Round 9 Standings: |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | SNo | Name | Ti | FED | Rtg | Pts | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 |
| 1 | 5 | Firouzja, Alireza | GM | FRA | 2760 | 6.5 | 1 | 5 | 25,25 |
| 2 | 10 | Sindarov, Javokhir | GM | UZB | 2700 | 6.5 | 2 | 5 | 24.50 |
| 3 | 9 | Caruana, Fabiano | GM | USA | 2803 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 24,75 |
| 4 | 3 | Carlsen, Magnus | GM | NOR | 2833 | 5.5 | 1 | 5 | 21,25 |
| 5 | 8 | Nakamura, Hikaru | GM | USA | 2802 | 5.5 | 2 | 3 | 23,25 |
| 6 | 1 | Keymer, Vincent | GM | GER | 2731 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12,25 |
| 7 | 4 | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | GM | UZB | 2766 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 14,00 |
| 8 | 7 | Gukesh, D | GM | IND | 2777 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 14,75 |
| 9 | 2 | Fedoseev, Vladimir | GM | SLO | 2724 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 8,75 |
| 10 | 6 | Aronian, Levon | GM | USA | 2745 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 6,25 |
| 10 players | |||||||||
Freestyle Weissenhaus KO (8 players 3 Rds KO Indiv TC: 90m+30spm(1)) - Games in PGN: Games KO
| Freestyle Weissenhaus KO Wangels GER Fri 7th Feb 2025 - Fri 14th Feb 2025
Leading Final Round 3 Standings: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Rk | Name | Pts |
| Final | ||
| 1 | Keymer, Vincent | 1.5 |
| 2 | Caruana, Fabiano | 0.5 |
| 3rd-4th | ||
| 3 | Carlsen, Magnus | 2.0 |
| 4 | Sindarov, Javokhir | 0.0 |
| 5th-6th | ||
| 5 | Nakamura, Hikaru | 2.0 |
| 6 | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 0.0 |
| 7th-8th | ||
| 7 | Firouzja, Alireza | 1.5 |
| 8 | Gukesh, D | 0.5 |
| Semifinal | ||
| 1 | Keymer, Vincent | 1.5 |
| 2 | Carlsen, Magnus | 0.5 |
| 1 | Caruana, Fabiano | 4.0 |
| 2 | Sindarov, Javokhir | 3.0 |
| 5th-8th | ||
| 1 | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 1.5 |
| 2 | Firouzja, Alireza | 0.5 |
| 1 | Nakamura, Hikaru | 2.5 |
| 2 | Gukesh, D | 1.5 |
| Round 1 | ||
| 1 | Keymer, Vincent | 1.5 |
| 2 | Firouzja, Alireza | 0.5 |
| 1 | Sindarov, Javokhir | 2.5 |
| 2 | Nakamura, Hikaru | 1.5 |
| 1 | Caruana, Fabiano | 2.0 |
| 2 | Gukesh, D | 0.0 |
| 1 | Carlsen, Magnus | 2.0 |
| 2 | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 0.0 |
| 9th-10th place | ||
| 9 | Aronian, Levon | 1.5 |
| 10 | Fedoseev, Vladimir3 | 0.5 |
| 8 players | ||
