DOHA: Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen has officially confirmed his participation in the Qatar 2025 Rapid and Blitz Chess World Cup, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced today. The championship will be hosted by Qatar University at the Sports and Events Complex from December 25 to 31.
According to FIDE, Carlsen joins more than 360 confirmed participants in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Doha. The Norwegian grandmaster returns to the event after competing in the previous edition in New York City, where he won gold in the World Blitz Chess Championship.
FIDE reported that the World Blitz Championship will feature 233 players, while the Rapid Championship will include 230 players.
Mohammed Al-Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, emphasized that Carlsen’s participation represents a major achievement and will significantly elevate the tournament.
He highlighted the federation’s key role in convincing Carlsen to join, especially following the circumstances surrounding last year’s World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York, which led to Carlsen’s withdrawal from the Rapid event.
Al-Mudahka added: “Doha is now the only city to have hosted the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships twice, after first hosting them in 2016. This is a landmark achievement for Qatar and a testament to the country’s growing stature in the world of chess. We are proud to welcome this elite group of world-class players back to Doha.
A number of elite players have also confirmed their participation, including India’s rapid world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, 2024 World Blitz Champion Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Yagiz Can Erdogmus, and Ediz Gürel.
Russian grandmaster Alexander Grischuk and Ukrainian legend Vasyl Ivanchuk, winner of the 2016 World Rapid Championship in Doha, will also participate.
On the women’s side, Chinese world champion Ju Wenjun has officially confirmed her participation. The women’s tournament will feature 130 players, including top competitors Zhu Jiner, Lei Tingjie, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and Humpy Koneru. Sisters Anna and Mariya Muzychuk, with Anna having won the 2016 World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, are also set to compete.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his satisfaction with the high level of participation, noting:
“The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are among the most exciting and widely followed chess events of the year. I would like to thank the local organizing committee for their dedication to making this a remarkable event. The competition will be extremely strong—truly a chess festival. Once again, FIDE has succeeded in bringing together the world’s best players, and we eagerly anticipate this fantastic tournament.”
