Former league MVP Derrick Rose has partnered with Freestyle Chess to create Chesstival

The 2023-24 season was Derrick Rose’s final year in the NBA. He played 15 seasons for six franchises. In retirement, the former league MVP has kept quiet. 

It’s well known that Rose loves to play chess, and he’s created a full-blown event to try and expand the game. Recently, Derrick Rose announced Chesstival, a knockout-style celebrity chess tournament taking place in Las Vegas this summer. Chesstival is a blend of NBA players and chess stars. The 36-year-old partnered with Freestyle Chess to make this even possible. There is $50,000 on the line that will be donated to charity.

Derrick Rose is heavily invested in growing the game of chess

Friends, Fellas, Freestylers… #Chesstival tickets are live! https://t.co/zGk0ccNMHy

Derrick Rose, Magnus Carlsen, other NBA players, and other #Freestyle Players are waiting for you. I expect to see you in Las Vegas on July 13th! 🫰🏀🌹

— Freestyle Chess (@chess_freestyle) June 17, 2025

Where and when is Chesstival 2025?

From July 16-20, the third leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is in Las Vegas. For those few days, Vegas will become the chess capital of the world. Ahead of the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, there is buzz surrounding a new chess tournament called Chesstival. The knockout-style celebrity chess tournament was created by former Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose. A total of $50,000 is on the line for the winning team that will donate the money to charity.

Chesstival will take place on July 13, and Rose worked with Chess.com to make this all happen. The celebrity tourney has received more than $20 million from investors, Rose being one of them. Speaking about Chesstival, Rose was not shy about what he thinks the future of chess can be. Rose had this to say.

“I really believe Chesstival is one of the biggest paradigm shifts, along with Freestyle Chess, that the chess world has ever seen, and I think they’re going to help grow the game,”- Derrick Rose

How does Freestyle Chess come into play?

Freestyle chess is an innovative chess league co-founded by Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner. The focus of their league is creativity over memorization. Each Grand Slam Tout offers $750,000 in prize money. Competitors in Freestyle chess will have the chance to pair up with current and former NBA players during Chesstival in mid-July. There will be a head-to-head event where a chess player and an NBA pro are paired together in a match. Additionally, there will be a blitz event, which is an NBA player-only tournament.

Derrick Rose has a strong passion for chess

Chess has been part of NBA culture dating back to Wilt Chamberlain facing world chess champion Bobby Fischer. Fast-forward to the modern-day NBA, and players like Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are keeping chess alive. Chess has been in the life of former pro Derrick Rose. It’s something he’s extremely passionate about. There’s a famous video of Rose online at a Drake concert playing chess on his phone. He’s committed to the game. By creating Chesstival, Derrick Rose hopes to break the boundaries of chess.