Doha awaits FIDE Rapid & Blitz 2025 bonanza

Posted on December 25, 2025 BY R.R. Vasudevan

The most awaited year end chess bonanza the Euros 1 million FIDE Rapid & Blitz Championships 2025 is scheduled to take place at Doha, Qatar between 26th to 30th December, 2025. This prestigious event returns to Qatar after nine years and both the Open & women events shall be held at the Sports and Events Complex, Qatar University, Doha.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who loves speed chess, will be seen in action for the first time in a while in a FIDE event. The multiple times world rapid and blitz champion from Norway will be the favorite but will be facing stiff challenge from several speed demons viz., Firouzja, MVL, Nepo, Erigaisi, Sindarov, Nihal, Duda, Dubov, Mamedyarov, Grischuk, Bortnyk, Niemann to name a few.

Magnus, a five time rapid winner viz., 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023 and eight times world blitz champion viz., 2009, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 (joint champion with Ian Nepomniachtchi) would be the man to beat. And we have many a hungry lion around to give the Norwegian a run for the money. A good mix of young and experienced Grandmasters make this one of the strongest world rapid and blitz championships in recent memory.

The top ten confirmed participants include GM Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Levon Aronian, Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Vladislav Artemiev, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Erigaisi Arjun and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov along with the cream of top players make it one of the most interesting and challenging events to compete and succeed.

An year has passed in a jiffy between the exciting and controversial Rapid & Blitz edition held at Wall Street, New York last year. Everyone remembers the split world blitz title and the “jeans-gate” both of which have a common denominator – Magnus Carlsen.

The prize fund for the Open event is Euros 700,000 split equally between Rapid and Blitz (Euros 350,000 each). The winner of the Open Rapid and the Open Blitz will get Euros 70,000 each.

The Women’s event features a total prize fund of Euros 300,000 (being Euros 150,000 each for the Rapid and the Blitz). The winner of the Women’s Rapid and the Women’s Blitz will get Euros 40,000 each.

The top ten in the women comprises of GMs Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Lei Tingjie, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Koneru Humpy, Zhu Jiner and Dronavalli Harika. It is likely to be a close affair as the seeds are packed along with each other and the title contest in both sections might go up to the wire.

Post World Rapid & Blitz New York 2024 the players dress code became a big point of discussion. This time around FIDE has come up with an elaborate dress code:

Clothing allowed for men:

  • Suit
  • ⁠Dark business casual trousers, including classic, non-distressed jeans (blue, black, and grey)
  • ⁠Unicoloured shirt (with minor deviations allowed, e.g. checkered or striped)
  • Dress shoes and loafers with closed toes
  • ⁠Unicoloured sneakers (soles can be a different colour)

Clothing allowed for women:

  • Skirt suit, pantsuit, dress suit
  • Dress
  • Dark business casual trousers, including classic, non-distressed jeans (dark blue, black and grey)
  • Shirt/blouse
  • ⁠Dress shoes and loafers
  • ⁠Unicoloured sneakers (soles can be a different colour)

The clothes and shoes shall be neat and free of offensive slogans, tears, or rips. No players with t-shirts, shorts, baseball caps or inappropriate dress are allowed in the playing venue. Any requests to wear national or traditional dress shall be approved by GSC.

All the players are expected to adhere to the newly defined dress code. Minor and major infringements are those demonstrating disregard for or denial of the dress code rules as a whole, or showing disrespect toward FIDE, the opponent, or their countries or national symbols and may result in appropriate action.

Images courtesy: FIDE (International Chess Federation)

Dress Code

Tournament Schedule

Open Rapid List: https://worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-open/

Women’s Rapid list: https://worldrapidandblitz2025.fide.com/participants-rapid-women/

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