Does Jan Henric Buettner Even Like Chess?
By Robby B. · Fri, 24 Jul 2026
Jan Henric Buettner has transformed Freestyle Chess into an exciting projects, but is that enough to qualify him to lead FIDE?
When choosing a FIDE President, one question matters more than almost any other: does the candidate genuinely care about chess in all its forms, or only about one particular vision of it?That question has become increasingly relevant as German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner's name has been discussed as a potential future leader of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Buettner has undeniably invested enormous amounts of money, energy and ambition into Freestyle Chess. He deserves credit for helping launch an exciting elite event, Freestyle Chess, in recent years.But enthusiasm for Freestyle Chess is not necessarily the same as enthusiasm for chess itself. Based on Buettner's own public statements, there is an argument to be made that he has not demonstrated the broad commitment to the game that a FIDE President should possess.Ironically, one of Buettner's most revealing comments came when he described watching a traditional elite tournament for the first time.In an extensive interview with Chess.com, he recalled: “I fell asleep. It was so boring! What can be more boring than watching two people play chess?”Of course, many chess fans agree that elite classical chess has become too dependent on opening preparation. That is a perfectly legitimate opinion. But there is an important distinction between believing chess can be improved and suggesting that the game, as millions already enjoy it, is fundamentally boring.Reading Buettner's interviews, one theme appears repeatedly. His ambition is not simply to organize tournaments. It is to transform elite chess into something resembling Formula One.Again, speaking to Chess.com, Buettner explained: “My wife and I were attending a lot of Formula 1 races and I started noticing the huge difference between how Formula 1 drivers were treated and how chess players were treated.”He continued: “I can organize a better chess tournament than the ones currently out there.”The question is whether this vision aligns with the responsibilities of leading FIDE. FIDE is not merely an organizer of elite entertainment events. It governs classical, rapid and blitz championships; the Chess Olympiad; youth and school chess; women's chess; ratings; arbiters; trainers; national federations; and chess development across more than 190 member federations.Nothing in Buettner's public interviews suggests these are priorities comparable to his enthusiasm for Freestyle Chess. Buettner has also been remarkably candid about how the project was built.He explained, "If I wanted to do the greatest tournament ever, I needed the greatest chess player of all-time. So I need Magnus.”Later he recalled Magnus Carlsen telling him: “If he could choose what tournament to play in... he would want Fischer Random at the highest level with normal thinking time.”Buettner admits that he initially had little idea what Fischer Random even was. After learning about it, he became convinced it should become the centerpiece of his vision, and there is nothing wrong with that. This illustrates, though, where his passion lies: not with the broad chess ecosystem, but with one specific format that he believes has greater commercial and entertainment potential.Supporters might argue that this is exactly the kind of disruptive thinking chess needs. Perhaps. But disruption is not the primary mission of a governing body.The President of FIDE represents every federation, every titleholder, every arbiter, every junior player and every form of competitive chess, not simply the most commercially attractive version. A successful entrepreneur is not automatically the right custodian of a global sporting institution.None of this should diminish what Buettner has accomplished. Freestyle Chess has attracted elite players, substantial investment and significant public attention. Those are genuine achievements, but leading of FIDE demands something broader than successfully promoting a private circuit.After reading Buettner's interviews, one might come away with the impression that he is passionate about Freestyle Chess as the future of elite entertainment. One might not come away with the same confidence that he is equally passionate about the many less glamorous responsibilities that define FIDE's work every day.That does not make him a bad entrepreneur, but it might make him the wrong candidate to lead world chess.