The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 will begin on December 26 at the Sports and Events Complex, Qatar University, bringing together the world’s elite chess players for a high-octane end-of-year showdown. Featuring Open and Women’s events in both Rapid and Blitz formats, the tournament offers a total prize fund of €1 million, with Qatar returning as host after nine years.
For India, this is a golden opportunity to showcase its growing chess clout. World champion D Gukesh, after a season of mixed results, will look to end the year on a high, while Koneru Humpy aims to defend her Women’s Rapid title.
Other notable Indian contenders include R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, and two-time world rapid champion Divya Deshmukh. In total, a record 28 Indian players are competing in the Open section and 13 in the Women’s section.
The Open section features a star-studded lineup, including five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Gukesh himself. Gukesh, who clinched the world title after defeating Ding Liren in 2024, has struggled in 2025, including a loss to compatriot Praggnanandhaa at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Doha offers him the perfect stage to regain confidence ahead of next year’s World Championship.
Arjun Erigaisi, at 22, also seeks to challenge the likes of Carlsen and Caruana, motivated by his recent near-miss for a Candidates berth at the FIDE World Cup in Goa. India’s rising influence is clear as multiple young stars compete alongside established global names.
Carlsen, who arrives in Doha as the top seed in both Open Rapid and Blitz, remains the figurehead of modern chess.
The Norwegian, a five-time world rapid and eight-time world blitz champion, is known as much for his casual attire as his dominance on the board—his influence even led FIDE to relax the ‘no-jeans’ rule after the 2024 World Championship controversy in New York.
The tournament format is punishing: Rapid consists of 13 rounds in the Open and 11 in the Women’s section, with a time control of 15 minutes plus 10-second increment. The Blitz features a Swiss format (19 rounds Open, 15 rounds Women), with the top four advancing to a 4-game knockout. Top prizes are €70,000 for Open Rapid and Blitz and €40,000 for Women’s events, ensuring that every round carries high stakes.
Among other contenders, Wesley So, rated 2790 in blitz, is a proven threat with multiple international titles, including the 2025 Sinquefield Cup. Oleksandr Bortnyk, with a blitz rating of 2748, is an underdog whose online and over-the-board successes make him one to watch, though the tournament arena will be a new challenge.
With elite talent, massive prizes, and high stakes, Doha promises a thrilling chess spectacle, as Gukesh, Humpy, and India’s young stars aim to leave a mark on the global stage.
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