Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in the Western Cape will host some of the world’s top chess grandmasters for the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals from December 8-11.
Inspired by the success model of Formula 1, the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is a global series that features 25 grandmasters facing off at some of the most exclusive venues in the world.
Participating players include Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja and Ian Nepomniachtchi who will stay at the reserve’s two luxury lodges: Garden Lodge and Forest Lodge.
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour uses Chess960: a playing style that shuffles pieces into one of 960 possible starting positions.
The matches will be closed to the public but tickets will be available for live streaming. Interested participants can submit their early interest in securing tickets here.
