Hosted at Qatar University’s Sport and Events Complex from December 26 to 30, the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship promises thrilling encounters as elite players from across the world descend on the Qatari capital.
Doha is once again set to become the global chess hub as preparations for the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship reach their final stage.
The Organising Committee held a press conference today, Thursday, at the Rosewood Hotel in Lusail, where officials and top players highlighted the scale and significance of this year’s championship.
During the press conference, Mohammed Al-Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, welcomed the gathering of media and chess enthusiasts, emphasising the event’s record-breaking participation.
“The 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship is truly special, featuring participants from several countries. This championship has set a world record for participation. We have almost 300 players competing across all formats. Among the players are reigning world champions, particularly in the women’s category,” he stated.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his gratitude to the hosts and highlighted the growing excitement around chess in Qatar. He stressed that “from FIDE side I can only say that we expect a real fight, a lot of fun for spectators, and coming forward to next years we will see more and more faster formats in chess, a combination of those, which is going to be great excitement for all players and fans”.
The championship carries a total prize fund of approximately EUR 1 million, with EUR 700,000 allocated to the Open category and EUR 300,000 for the Women’s category, evenly split between the Rapid and Blitz competitions.
This year, the Blitz format will follow a knockout system for both categories, with the top four players from the Swiss rounds advancing directly to the semifinals. Meanwhile, the Rapid Chess Championship will follow its traditional format, consisting of 13 rounds in the Open section and 11 in the Women’s section, with a playoff in case of a tie for first place.
The roster of participants is exceptional, including reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, 2024 World Blitz Champion Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu of India, among others.
During today’s press conference, Gukesh, reflecting on his approach, said, “playing well in any format is important to me. I have been taking Rapid and Blitz more seriously this year, though classical events remain my main priorities. I don’t have high expectations for this event; I am here to play, experiment, enjoy, and have fun”.
Magnus Carlsen, the world No.1, added a personal note, sharing that being a husband and father has been a fantastic experience this year. “Neither my wife nor my son are much help with chess advice yet, but I am here to win, as always. It doesn’t change,” he said.
The women’s category features an equally impressive lineup, with five-time World Champion Ju Wenjun of China, Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan, Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, and Kateryna Lagno among the 130 female participants. Ju Wenjun herself was present at the conference to discuss her preparation and expectations for the championship.
Doha previously hosted the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in 2016, when Vasyl Ivanchuk of Ukraine claimed the Rapid title, while Sergey Karjakin of Russia took home the Blitz crown.
The 2025 edition promises to build on this legacy, combining high-level competition with an international showcase of strategic brilliance, offering fans both in Qatar and worldwide an unforgettable spectacle of chess mastery.
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