As the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals kick off in Grootbos, South Africa, co-founders Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner have made their mission crystal clear—global expansion. Speaking at the opening press conference at Cape Town’s Silo Hotel, Buettner declared, “We want to conquer the continents,” a statement that perfectly captures the project’s rising international momentum.
Four Continents Down, More to Go
Buettner highlighted the rapid growth of Freestyle Chess, which has already hosted events across Europe, Asia, North America, and now Africa. After successful editions in Weissenhaus, Singapore, Paris, Karlsruhe, and Las Vegas, the Grand Slam has firmly established itself as a groundbreaking format that blends creativity, entertainment, and elite competition.
The next big target? Australia.
Buettner revealed they received an invitation from Melbourne’s Grand Slam organizers to create a crossover event—similar to the Las Vegas collaboration that involved star basketball players. Tennis icons like Andy Murray and others, he said, have already shown interest. While scheduling prevented a 2026 edition, the team is aiming for 2027.
Faster Time Control for a Wider Audience
Another major talking point was the evolving time control. Originally classical, the format has now shifted to a faster pace to make the sport more accessible to mass audiences.
Buettner explained that shorter sessions allow the entire knockout cycle—quarterfinals, semifinals, final—to be completed in a single day. With a simple structure of two groups of six and four players advancing from each, he believes newcomers can follow the excitement with ease.
Carlsen echoed this sentiment, noting that players have become significantly better at Freestyle Chess over the last two years, enabling quicker time formats without compromising depth.
“For me personally, this time control gives just enough space to explore the essence of the game,” he said.
Financial Growth, Realistic Timelines
Addressing the financial side, Buettner admitted that while sponsorship interest is strong—from crypto, finance, and major cities—the pace is slower than initially hoped. Still, the outlook remains positive.
The plan:
Event-level profitability by 2026
Overall profitability by 2027
Buettner remains confident that rising global attention combined with city partnerships will push the project into long-term sustainability.
Star-Studded Lineup for the Grand Finals
The 2025 Finals feature an elite eight:
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Fabiano Caruana (USA)
Vincent Keymer (Germany)
Arjun Erigaisi (India)
Levon Aronian (USA)
Hans Niemann (USA)
Parham Maghsoodloo (Iran)
Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan)
Buettner highlighted their good fortune with replacements. When Hikaru Nakamura withdrew due to the birth of his child, Sindarov stepped in—only to go on and win the World Cup. Similarly, Erigaisi arrives fresh from winning the Jerusalem Masters.
A Global Movement, Just Getting Started
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam has quickly evolved from a bold experiment into a worldwide sporting phenomenon. With expansion plans and a commitment to fast, fan-friendly formats, the founders are steering chess into a new era—one continent at a time.