We’re excited to announce the first Play-In of the 2026 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour! Starting on January 3, anyone can strive to qualify for the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus, which is expected to take place in February.
The Weissenhaus Play-In is your ticket to the first leg of the next Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, featuring the chess variant Chess960. Any non-titled player can join the first stage of the Play-In, the Open Qualifier, by registering before 11 a.m. ET on January 2:
In 2026, the Play-Ins will follow the same format as in 2025. Non-titled players can join the Open Qualifier, a nine-round Swiss event with a 10+2 time control. The top three move on to the Swiss Stage, another nine-round 10+2 Swiss, and are joined by verified titled players. The four best players from the Swiss Stage then go to the Knockout Stage.
The Knockout Stage will feature the four qualified players and 12 wildcards invited by the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour organizers. They’ll play a single-elimination knockout with a 15+3 time control and fight for one spot at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Weissenhaus.
The Play-In will have a $5,000 prize fund: first: $1,000; second: $700; third: $600; fourth: $500; fifth through eighth: $250; ninth through 16th: $150.
The 2025 Tour brought a regular series of elite Freestyle Chess tournaments to the world for the first time, with five spectacular events hosted across Germany, France, the U.S.A., and South Africa. GM Magnus Carlsen, the co-founder of the event alongside German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, edged out GMs Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana to take the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Champion title.
More details about the upcoming 2026 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will be released shortly.
Are you ready to be a part of the biggest Freestyle Chess competition of 2026? Then mark your calendar and join the Open Qualifiers on January 3!
