The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025
Blitz Final of the Year: Everything you need to know about the 2025 FIDE Blitz World Championship in Doha
From December 25 to 31, 2025, the world's chess elite will gather in Doha, Qatar, for the epic season finale - the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2025. While the spotlight will be on a full week of intense play, the finale of the year traditionally belongs to the fastest and most unpredictable format - blitz.
Location and Conditions
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Venue: The competition will be hosted by the state-of-the-art Sports and Events Complex, Qatar University in Doha, Qatar.
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Dates: The overall tournament will run from December 25 to 31, 2025. It is during this period that the world champions in both rapid and blitz will be determined.
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Format: The Championship consists of two separate competitions - Rapid and Blitz. Both tournaments are held in both the Open and Women's sections.
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Regulations: The World Blitz Championship is traditionally played according to the Swiss system in a large number of rounds (about 21 rounds for the Open Section) over 1–2 days, with a time control usually of 3 minutes per game plus 2 seconds per move (3+2). The exact conditions, including the system of play and time control, will be detailed in the official FIDE Regulations.
Prize Fund and Awards
The total prize fund of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 is €1,000,000 (one million euros). This amount is divided between the winners and runners-up of four tournaments (Open Rapid, Women's Rapid, Open Blitz, Women's Blitz), which emphasizes the high status of the competition and the prestige of the title of World Blitz Champion.
Participants: All-Star Lineup
The World Blitz Championship traditionally brings together the entire world chess elite. The following are expected to participate:
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The world's highest-ranked players (both men and women).
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National Champions and other qualified players.
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Specially invited athletes (Wildcards).
Historical Reference
The FIDE World Blitz Championship has a relatively recent but eventful history. The format, in which the champion is determined in a single major tournament rather than a match, has become popular with fans due to its unpredictability.
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Doha as Host: Doha's return as host of the championship comes after nine years. Qatar has previously hosted the event, demonstrating a high level of organization, which was one of the reasons why FIDE once again entrusted the country with the hosting of the tournament.
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Modern Era: In recent years, the title of World Blitz Champion has often passed from one grandmaster to another, which indicates a high level of competition. Among the most titled players in this format of the last decade are Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and a number of other leading grandmasters. Winning in blitz requires not only deep knowledge, but also phenomenal decision-making speed and resistance to stress.
Official Sources
All up-to-date information, including regulations, tournament schedule, list of participants and results, will be published on the official website of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2025:





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