DOHA: World number one Magnus Carlsen suffered a surprise defeat on Saturday as competition intensified at the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships Qatar 2025 here at the Qatar University Hall.
Carlsen, the Norwegian top seed, was beaten by Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev in the seventh round of the men’s rapid event after drawing earlier with France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The loss marked one of the standout moments of the tournament’s second day.
Artemiev capitalised on the result to move to the top of the standings on seven points, having also defeated India’s Arjun Erigaisi in round six before drawing with Vachier-Lagrave in round eight. Carlsen rebounded with a victory over Armenia’s Shant Sargsyan to reach six points after eight rounds.
Gukesh closes in, strong showing for India
India’s reigning rapid world champion Gukesh Dommaraju climbed to 6.5 points following his round-eight win over Spain’s David Anton. Host nation representative Hussein Aziz stood on 2.5 points after eight rounds.
The tournament has attracted a strong field, with 251 players competing in the men’s rapid event and 254 in the men’s blitz, while 142 players are taking part in the women’s competition. The rapid championship features 13 rounds in the open section and 11 in the women’s event, with tie-breaks to determine the champion if required.
In the women’s rapid event, India’s former world champion Koneru Humpy took the outright lead after eight rounds, recording victories over Spain’s Sarasadat Khadima, Russia’s Yana Zhabova and Armenia’s Bat Mongonzul. Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina followed closely in second place on 5.5 points.
China’s Ju Wenjun slipped down the standings to 30th after a mixed set of results, while former world champion Ju Shen enjoyed a strong day, scoring 3.5 points with wins over Norway’s Monika Machlikova and Russia’s Veronika Shapenkova, alongside a draw with Spain’s Rebeca Fernandez.
Qatar Chess Federation president Mohammed Al-Mudahka said the country was proud to host the event, citing the high organisational standards and the level of global participation. Several leading players, including Artemiev and Gukesh, praised the quality of competition and playing conditions as the championship moves toward its decisive stages.
