Magnus Carlsen and Bibisara Assaubayeva win World Blitz crowns
Magnus Carlsen defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the knockout finals 2.5-1.5 to clinch his ninth title in the World Blitz. In the Women’s competition, with the same score, Bibisara Assaubayeva won over Anna Muzychuk to claim her third World Blitz title and qualify for the 2026 Candidates. The 2025 World Blitz Championships concluded in Doha with two familiar World Champions in this discipline. Second place in the Open Blitz went to Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while Arjun Erigaisi and Fabiano Caruana share the bronze. In the Women’s Blitz, Anna Muzychuk took silver, while the bronze went jointly to Zhu Jiner and Eline Roebers. In both the Open and Women’s competitions, the top four players from the first advanced to knockouts consisting of semifinals and finals, each a four-game match. The first stage was a Swiss-system tournament with 19 rounds in the Open and 15 in the Women’s event. Open Blitz The first day of the Open finished with Arjun Erigaisi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Fabiano Caruana sharing the lead after 13 rounds. Six more rounds on Day 2 would determine the final four players advancing to the knockout stage. The day started with a sensational ending of the game between Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan and Magnus Carlsen. In a tense position, with both players in severe time trouble, the Norwegian lost his composure and accidentally knocked off most pieces on the board with just two seconds left on his clock. As Magnus scrambled to reset them, he also pressed the clock (gaining two more seconds) before all the pieces were placed correctly, which was illegal. The arbiters were called in, and the incident – already visible on camera – was reviewed. Sector arbiter Chris Bird consulted with the players and explained the rules applicable in this situation. According to the regulations – which were presented to the players in the Technical Meeting ahead of each tournament – if a player brings the game into disrepute “with the intention of preventing their time expiring, the player should expect to be penalised by losing the game.” After hearing to the explanation, Carlsen accepted the decision and shook Martirosyan’s hand. This was a serious setback for the Norwegian – his second time in the tournament he dropped a piece in time trouble and ended up losing. Despite the incident, Carlsen kept his composure and rebounded in the following rounds. As the final rounds neared, several top players withdrew, concluding they had no chance of reaching prizes or top places. Among those who left early were Hans Niemann, José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara, Aleksandr Shimanov, and Maksim Chigaev. Caruana entered the final round on 13 points, sharing second with Carlsen, who had won four straight games after his loss to Martirosyan—including a crucial victory over Vachier-Lagrave (MVL) as Black in the penultimate round. Vachier-Lagrave, who had been in the top three for much of the event, slipped to a group on 12.5 points, sharing fourth. With first place and the top knockout spot decided, the final round determined the remaining three qualifiers. Erigaisi drew, while Caruana defeated Hakobyan with Black to claim clear second with 14/19. Carlsen split the point with Abdusattorov to finish on 13.5/19, enough for sole third. Six players finished tied for fourth with 13/19, including Nihal Sarin, Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Based on tiebreaks, Abdusattorov emerged on top of the group, clinching the final spot in the knockouts. The final standings in the Swiss-tournament phase of the World Blitz Open are available [HERE]. Women’s Blitz Day-one leader Eline Roebers continued dominating in Rounds 11 and 12 but lost in Round 13 to Bibisara Assaubayeva, who took sole lead. Playing the Sicilian, Assaubayeva seized the initiative early and won comfortably, reaching 10.5/13. Assaubayeva’s stay at the top was short-lived. In round 14 she overlooked a piece in time trouble and lost to the two-time women’s world blitz champion Valentina Gunina. With one round left to play, Gunina topped the standings with 11 points out of 14, half a point ahead of Assaubayeva. Six players shared third place, including Anna Muzychuk, who had climbed steadily with two wins and two draws on Day 2. In the final round, Gunina and Muzychuk faced each other in an Italian Game. Gunina seized the initiative and reached a dominant position with an extra piece, but time became her enemy. With seconds on her clock, she overlooked a deadly check from Muzychuk that turned the game around. Gunina fought bravely but eventually capitulated. When the dust settled, five players finished tied at the top on 11/15: Bibisara Assaubayeva, Anna Muzychuk, Eline Roebers, Zhu Jiner, and Valentina Gunina. With only the top four advancing to the knockout stage, Gunina was the unfortunate player to miss out – a disappointing end to an otherwise strong tournament. The final standings in the Swiss-tournament phase of the World Blitz Open are available [HERE]. Knockout drama In the semi-final matches in the Open, Uzbekistan’s top player, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, defeated India’s Arjun Erigaisi 2.5–0.5. Abdusattorov won both of the first two games. In game three, playing as White, Erigaisi managed only a draw, eliminating the need for the fourth game. In the other semi-final in the Open, it was a duel of two old foes: Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. After two hard-fought draws, in game three Carlsen managed to swing the game as Black and win. In the fourth game, Caruana did not manage to achieve more than equality, and the score was 2.5–1.5 for Carlsen. The final was a nail-biter. Abdusattorov won the first game as Black with superior endgame precision, announcing a potential upset. In the second game, Carlsen struck back with the black pieces, grinding out a win in a dead-equal endgame. Following a draw in game three, everything depended on the final, fourth game. Carlsen prevailed in a tense battle and sealed his ninth World Blitz crown. “This was a very tough event for me. It could have gone either way. But when we got to the knockouts, I
FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025: 100 days to go
Doha gets ready to welcome the participants of the world’s fastest chess tournament for a spectacular end to the year. FIDE today announced the regulations for the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz, which will be held from 25 to 30 December and feature a one million euro prize fund. The World Rapid and Blitz traditionally take place in late December, offering a spectacular finale to the calendar year. Often referred to as the most exciting chess event closing the year, the tournament crowns the kings and queens of the game in its fastest formats. Top men and women from across the globe will gather for what promises to be a great chess spectacle hosted by Qatar – a nation which plays an increasingly prominent role on the global chess scene. “The World Rapid & Blitz has traditionally been one of FIDE’s most closely followed events globally, playing a key role in promoting chess to a broader audience,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “We’re planning every detail to make it a world-class event. We are very fortunate to have support from the Qatar Chess Association, which is working hard with FIDE to put on a great chess show at the end of this year, and we’re looking forward to it,” Dvorkovich added. Doha hosted the WRB Championships in 2016. With the World Rapid and Blitz returning to Qatar after nine years, expectations are high for a nation which has in recent years made significant strides in supporting and promoting chess, including the famous Qatar Masters and the most recent Qatar Rail Chess Open. “We are delighted to welcome the World Rapid and Blitz back to Doha. With the strong support we enjoy in Qatar and the excellent cooperation with FIDE, we have been able to move quickly on key preparations – ensuring the venue, hotels, and all organisational details are set to provide players and spectators alike, both onsite and online, with the highest level of comfort and an unforgettable experience. We believe this edition of the World Rapid and Blitz will serve as a cornerstone in further strengthening chess in Qatar and across the region, while also contributing to the game’s growing global popularity. This is only the beginning of greater achievements to come, and I am confident this will be an event to remember,” said Mohammed Al-Mudhahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association. The regulations for the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz, outlining all the necessary details regarding the most anticipated fast-paced chess tournament on the planet, can be found here: Open (PDF) Women’s (PDF) Key highlights from the regulations: The format The format remains largely unchanged from 2024. The Rapid Championships will include 13 rounds in the Open and 11 in the Women’s tournament, played under the Swiss system and with the time control of 15 minutes and a 10-second increment per move. In the case of a tie for first place even after all tie-break criteria have been applied, the players will play a Blitz match to determine the champion, which can end in a sudden death game in case of further draws. If there are more than two players tied for first place after all tiebreak criteria have been applied, a knockout Blitz tournament will take place. The World Blitz Championship will feature two stages. In the first stage a large Swiss system tournament will take place (19 rounds in the Open and 15 in the Women’s event). Then, in stage two, the top four players will advance to the knockouts which will consist of four game matches. The knockout format in the Blitz was first introduced in the 2024 event, when it featured eight players. The change from last year is that the number of players who qualify for the knockouts is four instead of eight. If the score is even after four blitz games, one sudden death game shall be played to determine the winner of the match. Who can take part? The World Rapid & Blitz traditionally bring together all the best players in the world, in both the Open and the Women’s category. Traditionally, FIDE sets a threshold for players to be eligible to participate. This year, the threshold for the Open event is 2550 ELO points on any 2025 FIDE rating list. In the Women’s competition, the threshold sits at 2250 ELO points. Also, national champions (in any format – Standard, Rapid or Blitz) are eligible to take part. The regulations also include provisions for a “reasonable number” of players outside the qualifying criteria, who can be nominated by the FIDE President and the Organiser. The prize fund The total prize fund for the event is one million euros, split across the Open and the Women’s tournaments. The prize fund for the Open event is 700,000 euros, split equally between Rapid and Blitz (350,000 euros each). The winner of the Open Rapid and the Open Blitz will get 70,000 euros each. The Women’s event features a total prize fund of 300,000 euros (150,000 euros each for the Rapid and the Blitz). The winner of the Women’s Rapid and the Women’s Blitz will get 40,000 euros each. Player support The costs of travel and accommodation will be covered for all players in the Open section rated 2750 points and above, and players rated at least 2500 in the Women’s section. Also, gold, silver and bronze medallists from the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz will have their full accommodation covered, and they will be provided with a daily spending allowance. Event schedule The opening ceremony and technical meeting will take place on 25th December. The World Rapid Championships will take place on the 26th, 27th and 28th December. The World Blitz Championships will take place on the 29th and 30th December. The games are scheduled to start each day at the same time – 2 PM. The Semi-finals in the Blitz are scheduled for 30th December at 5.30 PM, while the Finals will start at 7.15 PM. The closing ceremony will start at 9 PM on 30th December. Departures
Changes to the World Rapid & Blitz format and a 1M euro prize fund
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced a series of format enhancements and a one million euro prize fund for the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Championships. Set to take place in Doha, Qatar, the World Rapid and Blitz Championships have become one of the most prestigious events on the international chess calendar since their official launch in 2012. Traditionally held in the last week of the year (from 26 to 31 December), the event attracts the best players in the world, including current world champions Gukesh Dommaraju and Ju Wenjun, as well as the world’s top-rated player, Magnus Carlsen, and a host of other heavyweights in both the Open and the Women’s competition. “We are very much looking forward to hosting the chess world in Doha and are happy to see FIDE has introduced important enhancements to the regulations,” said Mohd Al-Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association. “We are committed to supporting chess, as we have shown with the Qatar Masters which has become one of the most prestigious chess tournaments globally. Doha also successfully hosted the World Rapid & Blitz Championships in 2016, and we are proud to welcome this flagship event back to our capital, further strengthening our place on the global chess map.” For the 2025 edition, the prize fund has been set at one million euros (approx. 1.125 million USD), maintaining the high financial standard of recent editions and reaffirming FIDE’s commitment to top level competition. The total will be split between the Open and Women’s events, with €700,000 allocated to the Open section — evenly divided between the Rapid and Blitz tournaments — and €300,000 for the Women’s section, also split equally. A new knockout format for the Blitz The two-day Blitz World Championship is the most watched and the most dramatic chess event of the year. In 2024, FIDE introduced a new knockout format in the Blitz that brought even more excitement to the event. In a significant structural shift, for 2025 FIDE is introducing a more streamlined knockout stage in the Blitz events in the Open and the Women’s sections. Only the top four players from the Swiss stage of the tournament will advance directly to the knockout semifinals (previously, eight players in both competitions qualified for the knockout). “The new format is an exciting mix of the Swiss system and knockout. The increased number of rounds in the qualifying part ensures that the strongest players will progress to the knockout. Also, the final match-up is ideally scheduled to suit audiences across all major chess hubs,” FIDE CEO and Grandmaster Emil Sutovsky said. “We are very excited about the event, and have already started preparations to produce the best quality broadcast for millions of spectators,” Sutovsky added. The Blitz schedule includes 19 Swiss rounds for the Open and 15 Swiss rounds for the Women, both played over two days, followed by semifinals and finals on December 30. The format for the Rapid World Championships remains unchanged, with 13 rounds in the Open and 11 in the Women’s competition, culminating in a playoff in case of a tie for first place. “With rapid and blitz formats gaining global popularity, the field is deeper and more competitive than ever,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “These format enhancements aim to make the event more dynamic while preserving the sport’s integrity and excitement for both players and fans.” Regulations for the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz events: Open – handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/wrbc_regulations_2025_open.pdf Women – handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/wrbc_regulations_2025_women.pdf
FIDE World R & B Championships 2025 to be Held in Doha, Qatar
Following the resounding success of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York City, FIDE is excited to announce that the 2025 edition of these landmark tournaments will return to Doha, Qatar. The event is scheduled from December 25 to December 31, 2025, with the Rapid Championships taking place from December 26 to 28, followed by the Blitz Championships on December 29 and 30. This marks the second time Qatar will host the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, having previously done so in 2016. In the Open section, Vassily Ivanchuk clinched the Rapid title, while Sergey Karjakin secured the Blitz title. In the Women’s section, Anna Muzychuk delivered an outstanding performance and achieved victories in both the Women’s Rapid and Blitz categories. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships are among the most exciting and popular events in the chess calendar, attracting top players and fans worldwide. The faster time controls and dynamic gameplay lead to thrilling and unpredictable matches, captivating audiences and keeping them on the edge of their seats. The 2024 edition in New York City, for instance, drew millions of online viewers, underscoring the event’s global appeal. Qatar’s commitment to chess is further exemplified by its experience in organizing major chess events, most notably the Qatar Masters Open in 2014, 2015, 2023, and 2024. The nation’s dedication to attracting top-tier talent makes it a fitting venue for the upcoming championships. According to the decision of the FIDE Council, rating fees for the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships as well as all other rated rapid and blitz tournaments held in 2025-2026 are waived for all the participants. FIDE looks forward to collaborating with the Qatar Chess Association to deliver an exceptional event for players and fans worldwide.