Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added another title to his resume Sunday, rallying to defeat Fabiano Caruana and become the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion in Germany.
Carlsen sealed the crown with a composed draw in the fourth and final game, securing a 2.5-1.5 match victory over the 33-year-old American in Weissenhaus.
The decisive moment came one game earlier. In a gripping third encounter, the 35-year-old Norwegian escaped from what appeared to be a lost position and produced a remarkable turnaround, swinging the match in his favor.
The world’s No. 1 player needed only a draw in the fourth game and got it in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late chances to force a comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world titles across various formats.
The championship marked a collaboration between FIDE and private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first officially recognized world title in the format.
Carlsen had previously fallen short at the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly meaningful.
In the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, clinching third place after drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov qualified for next year’s championship.
In the lower placings, the United States’ Hans Niemann finished fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov to secure seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final game ended in a draw.
