DAZN has expanded its partnership with Freestyle Chess to provide global broadcast coverage, excluding Norway, for the inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship in 2026. The event, featuring top players like Magnus Carlsen, will be free-to-view on the platform with English commentary. Set for February 13-15 in Weissenhaus, Germany, the tournament introduces a dynamic chess variant with semi-random starting positions.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and Freestyle Chess Operations GmbH will host the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship from February 13 to 15, 2026, in Weissenhaus, Germany. This new format, known as Freestyle Chess, features pieces arranged in a semi-random position at the start, preventing players from relying on memorized openings and requiring real-time strategic decisions.
Eight elite players will compete for a total prize fund of US$300,000, with US$100,000 going to the champion. Six qualifiers from the Grand Slam Tour include Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, and Javokhir Sindarov. Freestyle Chess nominated Hans Niemann as the seventh participant, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov earned the final spot by winning the official Play-In qualifier hosted by chess.com.
The tournament structure begins with a rapid round-robin stage on February 13, followed by knockout matches on February 14, and the final on February 15. Running alongside is a Women’s Exhibition Match, paving the way for the FIDE Women’s Freestyle Chess Championship planned for late 2026.
DAZN's involvement marks an expansion of its partnership with Freestyle Chess, offering free-to-view streaming worldwide except in Norway, complete with English commentary. Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, stated: “Freestyle Chess is growing fast and attracting a new generation of fans, and DAZN is the ideal partner to help drive that growth. Our platform reaches a global audience that is passionate about innovation in sport, and this Championship fits perfectly with that appetite.”
Jan Henric Buettner, founder and CEO of Freestyle Chess, added: “Chess is one of the most popular games in the world, yet it has long been underserved by the mainstream media. With our innovative and dynamic format... we are redefining how the sport is presented and opening it up to a new, worldwide audience.”
