Vincent Keymer achieves a major success in Karlsruhe
German grandmaster Vincent Keymer added another important milestone to his career by winning the Freestyle Chess Open A held as part of the grenke Chess Festival in Karlsruhe. Keymer finished the event tied on points with French star Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, but after their direct Round 9 encounter ended in a short draw, he edged ahead on tiebreaks and claimed the title. With this result, Keymer not only secured a prestigious tournament victory; he also earned qualification for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship and collected €60,000 in prize money.
On the final day, attention was focused not only on the fight for first place but also on Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian world number one remained within striking distance of the lead until the closing stages, yet could not produce the final surge needed to overtake the top two. As a result, Keymer and Vachier-Lagrave crossed the finish line ahead of a powerful chasing pack, underlining once again how finely balanced top-level competition can be in the Freestyle format. Freestyle Chess—the modern Fischer Random/Chess960 approach with variable starting positions—demands not only opening understanding but also creativity, positional feel, and strong calculation in the early middlegame. Keymer’s triumph stood out as a reflection of exactly that all-around skill set.
With this performance, Keymer joins the list of players already qualified for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship. Magnus Carlsen, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana had previously secured their places through the 2026 World Championship. Still young but already firmly established among the elite, Keymer continues to prove that he can compete at the highest level not only in classical chess but also in fast-paced and innovative formats. His victory also carries special significance for German chess: winning on home soil boosted local interest and further confirmed his status as one of the strongest representatives of Europe’s new generation.
In the women’s race, Harika Dronavalli of India, Alua Nurman of Kazakhstan, and Dinara Wagner of Germany claimed the three qualifying spots for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess Women’s World Championship. All three players finished on 6.0 points, a clear sign of how competitive the race remained throughout the event. Right behind them stood a crowded group of eight players on 5.5, showing just how decisive the final round was in shaping the standings. The results in Karlsruhe offered strong evidence that Freestyle chess is rapidly becoming an increasingly important stage for elite open competition as well as for the women’s game.