Doha, Qatar – The 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships commenced in Doha on Friday, December 27th, and will continue through December 30th. The prestigious tournament brings together over 400 of the world’s top chess players to compete for four world titles – rapid and blitz – in both the men’s and women’s divisions. This marks a significant return for the event to Qatar, having previously been hosted in Doha in 2016.
The competition features a diverse field of grandmasters, including reigning world champions and rising stars, all vying for a share of the nearly €1 million prize fund. The event is expected to boost the profile of chess in Qatar and provide valuable experience for local players.
Elite Players Compete for World Rapid and Blitz Titles
Among the headline competitors is India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, the current classical world champion. He is joined by world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who is looking to defend his rapid and blitz titles, and Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, the 2024 world blitz champion. Additionally, prominent grandmasters such as Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, and Alexander Grischuk are participating.
The tournament also showcases emerging talent. Fifteen-year-old Russian grandmaster Ivan Zemlyanskii and 14-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who recently achieved a 2600 rating, are among the youngest players in the field. Their participation highlights the growing depth of talent in the world of competitive chess.
Qatar’s Representation and Tournament Organization
Qatar is represented by a team of four players: international master Hussein Aziz, alongside Khaled Al Jamaat, Hamad Al Kuwari, and Ibrahim Al Janahi. The Qatar Chess Federation, under the leadership of president Mohammed Al Mudahka, has worked to attract a record number of participants to this year’s event. According to Al Mudahka, the tournament will help elevate the standard of chess within the country.
The event is being organized by FIDE, the International Chess Federation, and benefits from Qatar’s established experience in hosting major sporting events, including the Qatar Masters chess tournament. FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his delight at the scale of participation, calling it one of the most exciting events on the global chess calendar.
Women’s Championship Highlights
The women’s competition is led by Ju Wenjun of China, the five-time world champion and reigning women’s blitz world titleholder. She faces strong competition from former world champions Tan Zhongyi and Anna Muzychuk, as well as Alexandra Goryachkina and Bibisara Assaubayeva, a two-time women’s blitz world champion. Kateryna Lagno, another former champion, is also a contender.
The total prize fund is divided, with €700,000 allocated to the open competitions and €300,000 to the women’s events, split evenly between the rapid and blitz championships. This substantial prize pool is expected to further incentivize competitive play.
Magnus Carlsen expressed his readiness to defend his titles, emphasizing his enthusiasm for competing in Qatar. The Norwegian grandmaster, who relinquished his classical world championship in 2023, remains a dominant force in faster time control formats. The competition builds on momentum from recent major events like the Chess World Cup and the Global Chess League, with many of the same top players participating.
Following the conclusion of the blitz competition on Friday, the rapid championships will begin on Saturday. The results of the tournament will likely influence player rankings and seedings for future events. Observers will be watching to see if any new stars emerge and whether established champions can maintain their dominance in these fast-paced formats of the game. The final standings and any potential upsets will be closely analyzed by the chess community in the coming days.
FIDE’s official website will provide ongoing coverage and results throughout the championships. The Peninsula Qatar is also providing local coverage of the event.