GM Magnus Carlsen became World Champion

From February 13 to 15, 2026, the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship was held in Weissenhaus, Germany.

After a tense and interesting battle, GM Magnus Carlsen emerged as the champion, defeating GM Fabiano Caruana in the semifinal with a score of 2.5–1.5.

Final standings:
GM Magnus Carlsen
GM Fabiano Caruana
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov
GM Vincent Keymer
GM Hans Moke Niemann
GM Arjun Erigaisi
GM Levon Aronian
GM Javokhir Sindarov