Archive · 13 Jan 2026
Wesley So Criticizes FIDE for Creating Multiple World Championships
Wesley So, a famous chess player from America, thinks that D Gukesh from India should be the only world chess champion.
He is not happy with the organization that runs chess, called FIDE, because they are making too many new world championship events.
So says these new events are not as important and that chess should have just one main champion, like in the old days.
He won his first Blitz title recently and believes the traditional way of deciding the champion is the best.
Gukesh became the youngest champion ever in December 2024 by beating Ding Liren from China.
Wesley So criticizes FIDE for creating multiple world championships, including the 'Total Chess World Championship' and 'FIDE Freestyle World Championship'.
So supports D Gukesh as the only official world champion after Gukesh's victory in December 2024.
FIDE's new events are seen as secondary titles by So, who prefers the traditional format of a 14-game classical match.
The 'FIDE Freestyle World Championship' will take place in Germany in February 2024, and the 'Total Chess World Championship' will start in 2027.
Gukesh broke Garry Kasparov's record to become the youngest champion in chess history, defeating Ding Liren.
- Who
- Wesley So, D Gukesh, FIDE
- What
- Criticism of FIDE for creating multiple world championships
- When
- Recent comments, event in February 2024, Total Chess World Championship in 2027
- Where
- Global chess community, Weissenhaus (Germany) for Freestyle Championship
- Why
- So believes there should be only one official world champion and criticizes FIDE's political and financial motivations
- Wesley So
- American Grandmaster
- D Gukesh
- Indian Chess World Champion
- FIDE
- World Chess Federation
- Total Chess World Championship
- New event starting 2027
- FIDE Freestyle World Championship
- Inaugural event in February 2024
- Chess World Championship
- FIDE's showpiece event
- World Rapid and Blitz Championships
- Annual events
- Ding Liren
- Chinese Grandmaster defeated by Gukesh