DOHA: The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship – Qatar 2025 officially began today at Qatar University’s Sports and Events Complex, with competitions running through 30 December as reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen opened the tournament in commanding fashion with three consecutive victories.
The prestigious event brings together the world’s elite chess players to contest four world titles in Rapid and Blitz formats across the Open and Women’s categories.
The opening ceremony blended tradition and art, featuring the Qatari Ardah dance and a theatrical performance symbolizing the struggle between black and white pieces on the chessboard. Senior officials from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) attended the ceremony.
Proceedings began with the national anthems of the State of Qatar and FIDE, followed by the official declaration of the championship by Mohammed Al-Mudhakha, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, alongside FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, marked by a symbolic first chess move.
Ahmed Mohammed Al-Harmi, Assistant Undersecretary for Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, played the ceremonial first move on board one of the Open Rapid Championship, featuring Magnus Carlsen (Norway) against Lorenzo Lodici (Italy).
Unstoppable Carlsen
World champion Magnus Carlsen opened the tournament in commanding fashion with three consecutive victories:
- Round 1: defeated Lorenzo Lodici (Italy)
- Round 2: defeated David Paravyan (Russia)
- Round 3: defeated Eduardo Iturrizaga (Spain)
Carlsen is aiming to defend his title after winning gold at the World Blitz Chess Championship in the previous edition held in New York.
Notable Early Results
- Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia), the 2024 World Blitz Champion, defeated Iran’s Parham Daneshvar and Georgia’s Giga Kobaradze before drawing with Greece’s Theodoros Nikolaidis.
- The field also includes Gukesh Dommaraju, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa R, Alexander Grischuk, and Vasyl Ivanchuk, the 2016 World Rapid Champion in Doha.
Women’s Competition Highlights
- Hou Yifan (China), five-time world champion, drew with Umida Omonova (Uzbekistan) and Govhar Beydullayeva (Azerbaijan), and defeated Russia’s Alina Bivol.
- Tan Zhongyi (China), world No. 2 and former Women’s World Champion, lost in round three to India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu after two earlier victories.
- Qatari national team player Jou Shen rebounded from two losses to earn a win against Monaco’s Maria Zvereva.
Qatari Players’ Performances
- IM Hussein Aziz lost his first two rounds before securing a third-round victory over Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Al-Khanji.
- Khaled Al-Jamaat was defeated by Turkey’s Koral Eydiz and Iran’s Parham Daneshvar.
- Hamad Al-Kuwari lost his opening matches to Greece’s Alexis Dimitris and Serbia’s Armin Musovic.
