Carlsen, Keymer, Abdusattorov Headline Massive Grenke Chess Field
GMs Magnus Carlsen, Vincent Keymer, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov headline the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open, part of the Grenke Chess Festival, which runs April 2-6 in Karlsruhe, Germany and is one of the largest and most spectacular events in the world.
While most of the chess world's attention will be focused on the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, the presence of three top-10 players—Carlsen, Keymer, and Abdusattorov—along with 11 other 2700+ grandmasters competing for a €215,000 prize fund (~$248,000) and a €60,000 (~$69,000) first prize, ensures that the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open will share some of the limelight.
Carlsen returns as the defending champion in Karlsruhe after his historic 9/9 score in the 2025 Grenke Chess Freestyle Open, one of the best results of his career.
The field also features stars such as GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Leinier Dominguez, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Vladimir Fedoseev, Nihal Sarin, Awonder Liang, Parham Maghsoodloo, Amin Tabatabaei, and Aravindh Chithambaram.
Grenke Freestyle Chess Open: Top 15 Players
| # | Name | Rating | Freestyle Rating |
| 1 | GM Magnus Carlsen | 2840 | 2887 |
| 2 | GM Vincent Keymer | 2776 | 2780 |
| 3 | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2771 | 2697 |
| 4 | GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2739 | 0 |
| 5 | GM Leinier Dominguez Perez | 2738 | 2731 |
| 6 | GM Hans Moke Niemann | 2735 | 2760 |
| 7 | GM Levon Aronian | 2729 | 2765 |
| 8 | GM Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2723 | 2771 |
| 9 | GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2720 | 2700 |
| 10 | GM Nihal Sarin | 2716 | 0 |
| 11 | GM Awonder Liang | 2714 | 2680 |
| 12 | GM Parham Maghsoodloo | 2708 | 2687 |
| 13 | GM Vladimir Fedoseev | 2708 | 2716 |
| 14 | GM Amin Tabatabaei | 2700 | 2661 |
| 15 | GM Aravindh Chithambaram | 2689 | 2707 |
For the first time, the event will be an official qualifier for the Freestyle Chess World Championship, which has been announced as taking place in Weissenhaus, Germany over three days in the second week of February, 2027.
Carlsen, Abdusattorov and GM Fabiano Caruana have already secured their places as the top three finishers from the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. The extra spot offered in Karlsruhe should raise the stakes for the rest of the field.
GM Bibisara Assaubayeva, who defeated GM Alexandra Kosteniuk in an exhibition match, has already secured her place in the 2027 Women’s FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. She will be joined by the three highest-finishing women from the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open.
The organizers note that more than 50,000 chess pieces will be set up across the Schwarzwaldhalle and Gartenhalle conference rooms in Karlsruhe, creating one of the largest tournament halls in the world.
The scale of the event was captured a year ago in stunning drone footage.
In addition to the Freestyle Open, the festival will also feature the traditional Grenke Open, with GM Igor Kovalenko as the top seed and the twist that players can again switch from the Open to the Freestyle Open, retaining their points, before round five.
There's live commentary, side events, and a wide range of other activities for players and spectators alike. The event is set to be massive.
It’s getting huge. ♟️
— grenkeChess 2026 (@GRENKEChess) March 13, 2026
3,200+ players already registered with 20 days still to go. The world’s largest open chess tournament keeps growing. We’re looking forward to a packed playing hall in Karlsruhe.
There’s still space — join us:
👉 https://t.co/RHz1rW5uYR pic.twitter.com/YJEghBGfZw
With the number now approaching 4,000 players registered, the attendance record looks sure to be smashed again.
