Hikaru Nakamura urges prime chess gamers to boycott FIDE amid Freestyle controversy: ‘This can be a dangerous scenario’

The Worldwide Chess Federation (FIDE) and Freestyle Chess Gamers Membership (FCPC), which is run by Magnus Carlsen, have been concerned in a tussle for fairly some time now. The FIDE had formally recognised the FCPC and the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour in December 2024, however quickly after, there have been accusations that FIDE had been compelled to return into an settlement to keep away from coping with gamers like Carlsen withdrawing from the World Fast and Blitz Championships.

The controversy intensified
after the denims scandal involving the Norwegian grandmaster got here to mild through the match. Carlsen was fined $200 and disqualified from the World Fast and Blitz Championships. He additionally accused the FIDE, claiming that the worldwide chess physique threatened the gamers that they’d be barred from taking part within the World Championship cycle
in the event that they took half within the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.

And just a few days in the past, the FIDE accused gamers like Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura of
dividing the chess world by forming the FCPC. The FIDE, on their half, additionally stated that that they had solely formally recognised the FCPC “out of goodwill”.

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Nakamura urges prime gamers together with Indians to boycott FIDE

Hikaru Nakamura, the World No 3, has now criticised FIDE and urged prime gamers to boycott the FIDE. Nakamura expressed his views in a video that was uploaded on his official YouTube channel.

Whereas Nakamura has requested them to boycott the FIDE, he has additionally inspired them to take part in tournaments together with Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, which provides greater prize cash. The FCPC has additionally been making an attempt to get its personal World Championship match recognised by the FIDE, however have failed to take action.

Indians Grandmasters who’re a part of the FCPC embrace Viswanathan Anand, world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi and Praggnanandhaa.

“I hope that the opposite prime gamers, we are able to talk, cohesively in a method that we discuss to one another, and I don’t imagine that FIDE can do something about this if the highest 20 gamers rise up and say, ‘you understand what, we wish to play this occasion. We wish to play each occasion like you may’t actually do that’.

“If the highest 20 gamers or a majority of the highest 20 gamers stand as much as this, FIDE should again out. That’s simply the truth, as a result of FIDE won’t be able to get sponsors for occasions for those who don’t have the highest gamers taking part in. That’s the actuality. I don’t know what the opposite prime gamers assume, I’m positive I’ll discuss to Fabiano in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. Clearly I do know what Magnus’s view on that is,” he stated.

“The bottomline is solely that this can be a dangerous scenario. Very, very dangerous scenario. Who is aware of what’s gonna occur from this?” he questioned.

Having stated that, Emil Sutovsky, the FIDE CEO, has stated that the gamers together with Carlsen and Hikaru had signed a contract that said in opposition to taking part in non-FIDE World Championship tournaments.

Yet another factor Magnus, Hikaru and proponents of Freestyle Chess conveniently overlook to say:

All prime gamers ALREADY have a binding contract with a clause of their non-participation in “World Championships” not accepted by FIDE.

This clause, mentioning 4 years of…

— Emilchess (@EmilSutovsky) January 22, 2025

“All of the gamers, together with Magnus and Hikaru really signed a binding obligation to not take part in any “World Championship” not accepted by FIDE for the interval of 4 years. Magnus signed it in 2023, different prime gamers in 2024. Yeah, you may at all times declare that you’re at first a streamer – however that doesn’t imply you don’t have contractual obligations,” he had written on “X”.

If prime gamers