Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana advanced to the final of the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship after winning their semifinals on February 14. Carlsen defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov 3-1, while Caruana edged Vincent Keymer 2.5-1.5 in a tense match.
The semifinals of the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship took place on February 14 at the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort in Germany. This event marks the first official FIDE world championship in the freestyle chess variant, where players can consult chess engines during games. The tournament features an eight-player field competing for a $300,000 prize fund, with $100,000 for the winner.
In the upper bracket, Magnus Carlsen faced Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The first two games ended in draws, described by Carlsen as "relatively high-quality." The third game turned dramatic when Abdusattorov played 33...Re2? instead of the drawing 33...Re1+, allowing Carlsen to win. Carlsen noted, "I managed to calm down, calculate, and find the win." In the fourth game, Abdusattorov pushed for a win but faltered, with Carlsen securing victory despite severe time pressure, down to 20 seconds against nine minutes. "Getting down that much on time feels a bit silly," Carlsen admitted, adding, "It was definitely a very tough match against somebody who I feel gets stronger and stronger every time I play him."
Fabiano Caruana's match against Vincent Keymer was a "rollercoaster," as Caruana called it. Caruana won the first game after Keymer sacrificed the exchange with 11...Ba4!. The second was a draw, but Keymer won the third after Caruana missed a drawing chance. In the decisive fourth game, Caruana outplayed Keymer in 22 moves. "Vincent, maybe after all the tension of the previous game, just couldn’t adjust," Caruana said. Keymer's coach, Peter Leko, observed, "In my mind, Vincent is fighting for his life!"
In the lower bracket, Hans Niemann beat Levon Aronian 2.5-1.5, and Arjun Erigaisi defeated Javokhir Sindarov 3-1 after two draws and key wins in the later games. Abdusattorov and Keymer will contest third place for $40,000, while Niemann faces Erigaisi for fifth. The women's exhibition match between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Alexandra Kosteniuk stands at 1-1.
The final between Carlsen and Caruana, rivals from the 2018 World Championship, is set for February 15 at 9 a.m. ET, over four games at 25+10 time control. Carlsen said, "I’m just glad to be in the final and obviously playing Fabiano’s always fun!" Caruana added, "Definitely the toughest opponent you can play against... I’ll do my best and hopefully I can win the match."