"Will you resign?" - Magnus Carlsen calls for FIDE President's removal over 'broken promises'

Magnus Carlsen, world chess no. 1, has launched a scathing attack on International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich, demanding his resignation for "coercion of players, misuse of power, and broken promises."

The controversy started when the Freestyle Chess Tour, which Carlsen and German businessman Jan Henric Buettner co-founded, and FIDE couldn't agree on the term "world championship." As tensions increased, Carlsen accused Dvorkovich of reversing important promises he had previously made to players.

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The dispute over player autonomy

The root of the dispute is FIDE's recent requirement that players on the Freestyle Tour sign a waiver to continue competing in the official World Championship cycle. This action was seen as an effort to force players to choose between Carlsen's Freestyle Chess initiative and conventional FIDE-sponsored tournaments.

In defence of its stance, FIDE contended that the phrase "world championship" ought to be restricted to its competitions. The Freestyle Tour responded by agreeing to remove the clause from this year's grand finale, eliminating the need for players to sign FIDE's waiver. But the damage had already been done.

Visibly incensed, Carlsen posted private messages from Dvorkovich on social media, claiming they demonstrated the FIDE President's assurance that players would not be caught in the crossfire.

“...To convince me to play the Rapid & Blitz in New York, you wrote on December 19th to my father: ‘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. They can decide on their own, and FIDE will not take any negative action,'” Carlsen revealed (via Reuters).

He then confronted Dvorkovich directly, recalling another statement he made that day:

"'I will step down if the Council undermines my word.' You reneged on your promise by forcing players to sign an unacceptable waiver. Will you resign?" (source: Reuters)

As of now, neither FIDE nor Dvorkovich have responded to Carlsen's allegations. However, the storm in the chess world is far from over.

Carlsen's explosive statement has reignited the debate over chess governance, with many players and fans questioning whether FIDE's decisions truly benefit the sport—or if, as Carlsen suggests, they are merely a means of control.

One thing is certain: the world champion will not back down, and the battle for the future of chess is far from over.