Want to face Magnus Carlsen in online game? Here’s how

The Magnus vs. The World match is scheduled to start on April 4 with each side being permitted to have 24 hours to make a move based on a collective vote. The game will proceed with the move that will get the most votes by the end of the stipulated voting period.  

The match is free for all the community members of the website. According to Chess.com, “The match is open to any Chess.com member who wants to get a taste of what it’s like to play against the strongest player on earth. This is your opportunity to play against the GOAT and be a part of this historic moment.”

For the first time ever, the GOAT will face the world in a game of freestyle Vote Chess 🌍

SIGN UP NOW to play Magnus!!! pic.twitter.com/RJcGJ0cojB

— Chess.com (@chesscom) March 14, 2025

The match will be a Freestyle Chess (Chess960) game, where the pieces start in a semi-random position.  

Freestyle Chess, also called Fischer random is a variant of the game invented by former World Champion Bobby Fischer in 1996. The game features randomised back-rank piece setups, eliminating reliance on traditional opening theory and encouraging creativity.

This format has grown in popularity, with Carlsen endorsing the variant intensely.

The Magnus vs The World match will consist of a single game of vote chess of the Freestyle variant where Carlsen will have the white pieces, while The World will play as Black.

Carlsen’s highly anticipated Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour was kicked off in Weissenhaus, Germany last month. The tour also has Delhi as one of the five major host cities for its inaugural edition.

Carlsen has partnered with German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner to launch the tour with tournaments in Germany, India, France (Paris), the USA (New York), and South Africa (Cape Town).