Magnus Carlsen of Norway claimed yet another major title on Sunday, becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after defeating Fabiano Caruana in Germany, reports Reuters.
Carlsen sealed the championship with a careful draw in the fourth and final game, completing a 2.5–1.5 victory over the 33-year-old American in Weissenhaus.
The decisive moment came in Sunday’s dramatic third game, when the 35-year-old world number one staged a remarkable comeback from a seemingly lost position, turning the match firmly in his favour. Needing only a draw in the final game, Carlsen secured it in an equal endgame, as Caruana failed to capitalise on late chances to fight back.
With this triumph, Carlsen has now captured 21 world titles across different formats.
The championship also marked a significant collaboration between FIDE and private organiser Freestyle Chess, resulting in the first officially recognised title in this format. Carlsen had previously fallen short at the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this win especially meaningful.
In the bronze medal match, Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany, securing third place after drawing from a winning position in the final game. Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
Elsewhere, Hans Niemann of the United States finished fifth with a 2–0 win over Arjun Erigaisi of India. Levon Aronian of Armenia claimed seventh place by winning his Armageddon game against Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan.
In the women’s exhibition match, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan defeated Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland after their final game ended in a draw.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
