Freestyle Chess: 12 of the World’s Best Super-Grandmasters Battle for Glory in Paris

FREESTYLE CHESS: 12 of the World’s Best Super-Grandmasters Battle for Glory in Paris.

9/3/2025. Press release by Freestyle Chess

Paris, March 2025 – The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 is making its next stop in Paris! From April 7 to 14, twelve of the world’s top chess grandmasters will compete for the second Grand Slam title of the year, following a thrilling debut in Weissenhaus, where German’s Vincent Keymer secured victory on home soil. With a $750,000 prize pool at stake, including $200,000 for the winner, the competition promises high stakes and intense battles.

A Prestigious Venue and Innovative Format
The tournament will unfold at the Pavillon Chesnaie du Roy in Paris, nestled in the historic Bois de Vincennes. This will be the first Freestyle Chess Grand Slam to feature 12 participants. The event will begin with a two-day round-robin phase, from which eight players will advance to the knockout stage. The final six days will see classical time-control matches, intensifying the drama.

Star-Studded Lineup
With 11 out of 12 players confirmed, the tournament will feature some of the biggest names in chess, including world number one Magnus Carlsen and reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. The lineup also includes Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa R., Hans Niemann, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Who Will Claim the 12th Spot?
For five players, this marks their Freestyle Chess debut. French stars Firouzja and Vachier-Lagrave will enjoy strong home support, much like Keymer did in Weissenhaus. The final player will emerge from an open online qualification event—one of the highest-paying online chess tournaments, with a record $50,000 prize pool.

March 8-9: Open rounds on Chess.com
March 12: Swiss-system tournament for all titled players
Knockout Stage: Top four from Swiss stage join 12 invited members of the Freestyle Chess Players Club to compete for the final Paris seat
Beyond Paris: The Action Continues

Shortly after Paris, the grenke Freestyle Chess Open will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany (April 17 to 21), set to break participation records. Several Paris contenders including Carlsen and Keymer will compete for the $225,000 prize pool. The event’s winner will qualify for the next Grand Slam in the United States (July 17-24), escalating the excitement further.

Freestyle’s Chief Chess Officer Sebastian Siebrecht: “Amateur and elite chess come together at the grenke Freestyle Chess Open! I’m thrilled that most players of the Freestyle Chess Players Club have accepted our invitation, making Karlsruhe the strongest tournament ever held on German soil, embedded in a festival with thousands of participants. This will be a landmark event for Freestyle Chess.”