World Champion Magnus Carlsen Tuesday demanded the resignation of FIDE (International Chess Federation) President Arkady Dvorkovich, citing leaked private messages that appear to contradict the federation's official stance on player participation in independent tournaments.

The controversy erupted after Carlsen revealed private communications between Dvorkovich and Carlsen’s father, exposing what he describes as "coercion of players, misuse of power and broken promises."

The Norwegian grandmaster's challenge stems from a December 19 message where Dvorkovich allegedly assured that players would face no penalties for participating in non-FIDE events.

This revelation has cast a shadow over FIDE's recent hardline stance against the upcoming Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, co-organised by Carlsen.

The federation now requires players to sign a waiver by February 4, prohibiting their participation in non-sanctioned world championship events.

"Just want to pass a message to you and Magnus that whatever happens between FIDE and Freestyle in terms of recognition, players will NOT be affected in any way," Dvorkovich wrote to Carlsen's father, according to the leaked message.

FIDE defended its position in a statement.

“The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the only internationally recognised authority in chess, as conferred by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). FIDE retains its supreme role in regulating the sport’s official rules, titles, and ratings,” said the federation.

Despite our willingness to collaborate—including offering a waiver to the participants of the planned 2025 competition, waiving the fee for the 2025 edition, and requesting an end to unfounded accusations against FIDE and undermining classical chess — no agreement was reached…The “Freestyle Chess Tour” has chosen not to acknowledge FIDE’s existing authority.”

FIDE remained open to cooperation with private initiatives like Freestyle Chess, it made clear that World Championship status was non-negotiable. And an official world championship must have an open qualification process, which the Freestyle Chess Tour lacks.

FIDE vs Freestyle Chess

The feud between Carlsen and FIDE has been brewing for months, but tensions reached a boiling point after FIDE’s firm stance against recognising the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour as a legitimate world championship.

Carlsen, co-founding the tour alongside German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, saw Freestyle Chess as an opportunity to introduce a fresh, dynamic format into professional chess.

FIDE maintained its International Olympic Committee-recognised status as chess's sole governing body, arguing that world championship events must feature transparent qualification systems rather than invited elite players.

The dispute led five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who serves as FIDE's deputy president, withdrew from the inaugural Freestyle event in Weissenhaus, Germany.

The innovative tour, set to launch on February 6, 2025, plans to host five events across global venues including Paris, New York, New Delhi, and Cape Town. It introduces a variant where chess pieces are randomly arranged on the back rank at the start of each game.

Carlsen's exposure of private communications has transformed what began as a trademark dispute over the term "World Championship" into a broader debate about governance, player rights, and the future of professional chess.