Courtesy: Google

Courtesy: Google

Indian chess legend Viswanthan Anand, who is the Vice-President of International Chess Federation (FIDE), the governing body of world chess, has withdrawn his name from the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025, organised by Freestyle Chess Operations. The decision from the 55-year-old came amid the ongoing dispute between FIDE and Magnus Carlsen, who co-owns the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour along with German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner.

Notably, Freestyle Chess Players' Club (FCPC), which was officially recognised by FIDE recently, has its players set to take part in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025. But, the bone of contention between FIDE and Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is the usage of the word “World Championship” in Freestyle World Chess Championship tournament, which the organisers want to host this year itself.

Viswanathan Anand's withdrawal from the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour came as a surprise for the fans

While the withdrawal of Viswanathan Anand from the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour came as a surprise for the fans, it was a foregone conclusion since he held an official position in FIDE. Moreover, it was in December last year when Magnus Carlsen, the co-owner of the tour, had criticised Viswanathan Anand’s ability as the Vice-President of FIDE, calling him less suitable for the role.

There is no exact confirmation in regards to whether Viswanathan Anand will only miss the debut tournament on the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, which will be played from February 7 onwards in Germany, or the entire tour itself. In his exclusive interview with Times of India, Jan Henric Buettner spoke at length about how Viswanathan Anand’s withdrawal from the tour came to be.

He was quoted as saying, “It was my idea to invite him in the first place because I thought it was a great opportunity. I gave him a wild card for Germany, and he accepted very happily. I also met him personally in London for lunch, and we had very good communication. We know each other quite well. He's a very, very nice person.”

“But then, for some reason, he chose to become the FIDE Vice President. I don't know if it's the wisest decision—having an official role in FIDE. But Anand has made it, so now he is also standing for the FIDE position,” the German entrepreneur added.