FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025: Tickets now available
The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships return to Doha this December, bringing five days of fast chess, high stakes, and a field packed with the biggest names in the game. Fans can watch the games live at Qatar University’s Sports and Events Complex, where the world’s best players will compete for four world titles and a share of a prize fund exceeding €1,000,000. Tickets are now on sale, and spectators can tailor their visit to Doha through four types of passes designed for different viewing preferences. Individual Rounds allow fans to drop in for specific Rapid rounds, perfect for those who want to watch a particular player or a key moment in the standings. Half Day Passes cover defined blocks of Blitz rounds and are ideal for following the rapid-fire shifts on the leaderboard as the pace accelerates. Day Passes offer full access to each day’s programme, so fans can enjoy every round, every upset, and every finale. Multi-Day Passes provide the best value for those who want the complete championship experience from start to finish. TICKET PRICING Rapid tickets Individual rounds 25 QAR for rounds 1 to 12 40 QAR for round 13 Day passes 50 QAR for 26 December 50 QAR for 27 December 70 QAR for 28 December All-days Rapid pass 100 QAR Blitz tickets Half-day passes 35 QAR for rounds 1 to 6 35 QAR for rounds 7 to 13 35 QAR for rounds 14 to 19 65 QAR for the finals and closing ceremony Day passes 50 QAR for 29 December 80 QAR for 30 December All-days Blitz pass 100 QAR Full Event Pass 160 QAR This pass covers all Rapid and Blitz days. VIP ticket options will be announced soon and will include premium seating and additional benefits for fans who want an enhanced experience at the venue. Details will be shared on the official event website as soon as they are finalised. Fans are encouraged to secure their passes at special early-bird prices, and be part of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 in Doha. Tickets are available now through the official ticketing platform. Link to the ticketing platform: snoonu.com/scity/events/competitions/fide-world-rapid-and-blitz-championships-qatar-2025 About the event The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 is taking place in Doha, Qatar from December 26 to 30, bringing together the world’s elite chess talent for a thrilling end-of-year showdown. Held at the Sports and Events Complex of the Qatar University, this edition features both Open and Women’s events in Rapid and Blitz formats, with a total prize fund of over €1,000,000. Doha returns as host after nine years, underscoring Qatar’s growing stature in the chess world. The full list of registered players can be found here: Rapid Open: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-open/ Rapid Women: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-women/ Blitz Open: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-blitz-open/ Blitz Women: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-blitz-women/ Official website of the Championships: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com
FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship: Dress code requirements
FIDE is pleased to publish the dress code for the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2025 in Doha, Qatar: Dress code requirements The dress code is strictly observed for the tournament and all the official events and press-conferences. Clothing allowed for men: Suit Dark business casual trousers, including classic, non-distressed jeans (blue, black, and grey) Unicoloured shirt (with minor deviations allowed, e.g. checkered or striped) Dress shoes and loafers with closed toes Unicoloured sneakers (soles can be a different colour) Clothing allowed for women: Skirt suit, pantsuit, dress suit Dress Dark business casual trousers, including classic, non-distressed jeans (dark blue, black and grey) Shirt/blouse Dress shoes and loafers Unicoloured sneakers (soles can be a different colour) The clothes and shoes shall be neat and free of offensive slogans, tears, or rips. No players with t-shirts, shorts, baseball caps or inappropriate dress are allowed in the playing venue. Any requests to wear national or traditional dress shall be approved by GSC. Sanctions for dress code violations Minor Infringements Minor infringements are those committed without specific intent. Examples include a sloppy or unkempt appearance, wrinkled clothing, or other minor deviations from the standard. First Infringement will result in a financial penalty of 5% of the player’s total prize money earned in the two events, but not less than €300 for open events and €150 for women’s events. The player is allowed to complete the current day and is not obliged to change immediately. Further InfringementsSubsequent infringements will result in exclusion from the pairings for the next round. Major Infringements Major infringements are those demonstrating disregard for or denial of the dress code rules as a whole, or showing disrespect toward FIDE, the opponent, or their countries and national symbols. Examples include, but are not limited to, wearing shorts, beachwear, sleeveless shirts (for men), or clothing/footwear with offensive content or logos of prohibited sponsors (e.g., betting companies, alcohol, tobacco). Each infringement will result in a financial penalty of 10% of the player’s total prize money earned in the two events, but not less than €1,000 for open events and €500 for women’s events.The player will also be excluded from the pairings for the next round.
FIDE announces the list of players for the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz: A stellar lineup in Doha
World Champion Gukesh D and Magnus Carlsen join over 360 players who have confirmed their participation in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Doha. The event, which will take place from December 25 to 30, brings together a field featuring multiple world champions, most of the sport’s highest-rated competitors, and rising stars. A total of 233 players registered for the Blitz Open and 230 for the Rapid. After missing out on the crown in the Rapid and sharing gold in the Blitz in the previous edition in New York, Magnus Carlsen – who this year became a father – returns to the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz. He will try to unseat the 2024 World Rapid champion, Volodar Murzin, who has had strong tournament performances throughout the year. World Champion Gukesh D has also confirmed his attendance. His participation is expected to draw a lot of interest from the public. In particular, his superb result in Zagreb earlier this year indicates he will be one of the favorites in Rapid. Many seasoned elite players such as 2024 World Blitz co-champion Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, and Levon Aronian have also confirmed their participation. Challenging them will be a new generation of contenders seeking to disrupt established hierarchies: Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa R, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Ediz Gürel to name just a few. And of course, the public will be delighted to see legendary players like Alexander Grischuk, and Vasyl Ivanchuk, who actually won the World Rapid in Doha, back in 2016. FIDE Women’s Rapid and Blitz will also see the best in the world taking part. Headlined by Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun, the competition will see 130 players, including heavyweights Zhu Jiner, Lei Tingjie, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Humpy Koneru and more. Anna Muzychuk – who won both the Women’s Rapid and Blitz in Doha in 2016 – will also be there, together with her sister, Mariya. “The lineup shows the immense strength and magnetism of the World Rapid & Blitz,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “We are pleased to see so many strong players in both the Open and the Women’s competition confirming they will take part. The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz is traditionally one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the year, and we expect that tradition to continue. I’d like to thank the local organizing committee for sparing no effort in making it a great event,” Dvorkovich added. “The field is tremendously strong, and it is going to be a real chess feast. Once again, FIDE managed to gather nearly all the world’s best players, and I am looking forward to a great sportive drama, fascinated both in my FIDE capacity, and as a life-time chess fan,” says FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. “Doha is now the only city to host the World Rapid & Blitz Championship twice, a milestone for chess and for sports in Qatar. It reflects our deep passion for the game and our commitment to delivering excellence. We are proud to welcome the world’s greatest players back to Doha, where ambition, tradition, and the future of our sport meet,” said Mohd Al-Mudahka, President of Qatar Chess Federation. Taking place in Doha (Qatar) from December 25 to 30, the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship has a prize fund of over €1,000,000 spread across both the Open and the Women’s competitions. Doha last hosted the championship in 2016, when Vasyl Ivanchuk claimed the title in the Rapid section and Sergey Karjakin became the Blitz World Champion. About the event The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 is taking place in Doha, Qatar from December 25 to 30, bringing together the world’s elite chess talent for a thrilling end-of-year showdown. Held at the Sports and Events Complex, Qatar University, this edition features both Open and Women’s events in Rapid and Blitz formats, with a total prize fund of over €1,000,000. Doha returns as host after nine years, underscoring Qatar’s growing stature in the chess world. The full list of registered players can be found here: Rapid Open: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-open/ Rapid Women: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-women/ Blitz Open: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-blitz-open/ Blitz Women: worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-blitz-women/
FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2025: Registration period nearing close
What better way to end the year than with a high-stakes chess tournament featuring the world’s top players, a one-million-euro prize fund, and popular fast-paced time controls? The 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships offer exactly this to chess players and fans around the globe. This year, from December 25-31, the annual event heads to Doha, Qatar – a world-class setting for a world-class competition. Registration is now open, and FIDE invites all eligible players to take part in one of the most exciting events on the chess calendar. [Register now] Event overview Rapid: Open section: 13 Swiss rounds Women’s section: 11 Swiss rounds Blitz: Two-stage format: Swiss stage: 19 rounds (Open), 15 rounds (Women) over two days Knockout stage: Only the top four players from the Swiss stage proceed to the semifinals (Open and Women). Matches in the knockout are over four games, and ties after these lead to a “sudden death” game. Prize fund Open Rapid Championship: €350,000 Open Blitz Championship: €350,000 Women’s Rapid Championship: €150,000 Women’s Blitz Championship: €150,000 Eligibility Players with a FIDE rating of 2550 (Open section) or 2250 (Women’s section) or higher in any recent FIDE rating list (Standard, Rapid, or Blitz) are eligible to participate. Reigning national champions also qualify regardless of rating. Players who do not meet the above criteria may be nominated by the FIDE President and/or the organiser. Registration Entry fee: $100 for the Open section and $50 for the Women’s section. Late entry fee: Double the original fee if paid less than 10 days before the tournament. The list of registered players includes: Open: Gukesh D, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Levon Aronian, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Arjun Erigaisi, Volodar Murzin, Praggnanandhaa R, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Shakriyar Mamedyarov, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Women: Humpy Koneru, Vaishali R, Zhu Jiner, Lei Tingjie, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Nana Dzagnidze. Travel & accommodation support Open section players rated above 2750 and women’s section players rated above 2500 will have travel and accommodation covered. The 2024 medalists (gold, silver, bronze) will have full accommodation covered. Accompanying person fee: Accompanying person’s fee in amount of 100 USD must be paid by 1 November 2025, which covers: Transportation during the event: airport-hotel-airport, hotel-playing hall-hotel; Accreditation; Visa support; General admission ticket Registration can be done [HERE]. The deadline for submitting entries is November 01, 2025. All foreign players and their accompanying persons shall stay only in the official hotels, which can be booked while completing the registration form. Regulations for 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships: Open (PDF) Women’s (PDF) With exciting formats, strong incentives for top performers, and full global attention, the stage is set in Doha for one of the landmark events of the chess calendar.
2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships: Registration open
What better way to end the year than with a high-stakes chess tournament featuring the world’s top players, a one-million-euro prize fund, and popular fast-paced time controls? The 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships offers exactly this to chess players and fans around the globe. This year, from December 25-31, the annual event heads to Doha, Qatar – a world-class setting for a world-class competition. Registration is now open, and FIDE invites all eligible players to take part in one of the most exciting events on the chess calendar. Register now Tournament Overview Rapid: Open section: 13 Swiss rounds Women’s section: 11 Swiss rounds Blitz: Two-stage format: Swiss stage: 19 rounds (Open), 15 rounds (Women) over two days Knockout stage: Only the top four players from the Swiss stage proceed to the semifinals (Open and Women). Matches in the knockout are over four games, and ties after these lead to a “sudden death” game. Prize fund Open Rapid Championship: €350,000 Open Blitz Championship: €350,000 Women’s Rapid Championship: €150,000 Women’s Blitz Championship: €150,000 Eligibility Players with a FIDE rating of 2550 (Open section) or 2250 (Women’s section) or higher in any recent FIDE rating list (Standard, Rapid, or Blitz) are eligible to participate. Reigning national champions also qualify regardless of rating. Players who do not meet the above criteria may be nominated by the FIDE President and/or the organiser. Registration Entry fee: $100 for the Open section and $50 for the Women’s section. Late entry fee: Double the original fee if paid less than 10 days before the tournament. Travel & accommodation support Open section players rated above 2750 and women’s section players rated above 2500 will have travel and accommodation covered. The 2024 medalists (gold, silver, bronze) will have full accommodation covered. Accompanying person fee: Accompanying person’s fee in amount of 100 USD must be paid by 1 November 2025, which covers: Transportation during the event: airport-hotel-airport, hotel-playing hall-hotel; Accreditation; Visa support; General admission ticket Registration can be done HERE. The deadline for submitting entries is November 01, 2025. All foreign players and their accompanying persons shall stay only in the official hotels, which can be booked while completing the registration form. Regulations for 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships: Open (PDF) Women’s (PDF) With exciting formats, strong incentives for top performers, and full global attention, the stage is set in Doha for one of the landmark events of the chess calendar.