India, Jan. 29 -- Battle lines continue to be drawn in the world of chess, with governing body FIDE's director general Emil Sutovsky meeting fire with fire as he released a heated statement in the wake of comments made by names such as Magnus Carlsen as certain grandmasters look to distance themselves from the largest organisational body in the sport.

Sutovsky posted on X in response to comments made by Freestyle Chess Players Club co-founders Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner.

In a long post on the social media app, Sutovsky targeted the organisation and the procedure followed by Freestyle chess. "When one sees public rhetoric coming from Freestyle Chess leaders, it becomes clear, that the project is bound to fail. 'F...