World Rapid Chess Championship 2025

Last updated
FIDE World Rapid Championship
2025
Murzin2022.jpg
Volodar Murzin, reigning World Rapid Champion
Tournament information
DatesDecember 25, 2025–December 31, 2025
FormatRapid chess games (explained in page)
Host Qatar
VenueSports and Events Complex, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Current champion
Volodar Murzin
World Rapid Chess Championship 2026 

FIDE World Rapid Championship is a chess tournament to be held in Doha, Qatar. The tournament will be held along with FIDE World Women's Rapid Championship 2025, FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025 and FIDE World Women's Blitz Championship 2025. Volodar Murzin is the reigning World Rapid Champion.

Contents

Schedule

DateEventTime
AST (Local)UTC
December 25ArrivalsWhole day
Media Day
Technical MeetingTBD
December 26Opening Ceremony1:00 pm10:00 am
Round 12:00 pm11:00 am
Round 23:20 pm12:20 pm
Round 34:40 pm1:40 pm
Round 46:00 pm3:00 pm
Round 57:20 pm4:20 pm
December 27Round 62:00 pm11:00 am
Round 73:20 pm12:20 pm
Round 84:40 pm1:40 pm
Round 96:00 pm3:00 pm
December 28Round 102:00 pm11:00 am
Round 113:20 pm12:20 pm
Round 124:40 pm1:40 pm
Round 136:00 pm3:00 pm
Play-offs (if needed)7:30 pm4:30 pm
December 29No event
December 30Closing Ceremony9:00 pm6:00 pm
December 31DepartureWhole day

Players

World RankPlayerCountryFIDE Rating
StandardRapidStandardRapid
527 Anish Giri Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands 27692685
616 Arjun Erigaisi Flag of India.svg India 2708
728 R. Praggnanandhaa 27682769
818 Wesley So Flag of the United States.svg United States 27642702
922 Gukesh Dommaraju Flag of India.svg India 27632692
1212 Nodirbek Abdusattorov Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan 27502717
1419 Shakriyar Mamedyarov Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 27422701
168 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Flag of France.svg France 27402741
193 Ian Nepomniachtchi FIDE flag icon.png FIDE

[From Flag of Russia.svg Russia Playing independently]

27322762
235 Levon Aronian Flag of the United States.svg United States 27282756
6447 Volodar Murzin FIDE flag icon.png FIDE

[From Flag of Russia.svg Russia Playing independently]

26552642
16065 Vasyl Ivanchuk Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 26162630

Format

There will be 13 rounds according to the Swiss system. Time controls will be as follows -

Players are given points according to their performance in the tournament. Points are awarded as follows -

At the end, the players are ranked according to the total points they scored in the tournament in descending order.

When 2 or more players are tied for the same rank but not rank 1, the tie should be broken without any tie-breaker by Buchholz System. If there is still a tie, their average FIDE rating for Rapid games shall be taken into account, the player with higher rating shall receive a higher rank. If there is still a tie, the players shall, via a direct encounter in tie-breaker, end the tie. If even that game ends in a draw, drawing of lots shall remain the final solution to break the tie. [1]

When 2 are tied for the first place, no method mentioned above shall be used. In such a case, a Blitz chess match shall be played with time control 3 minutes default clock time + Increment of 2 seconds per move to determine the winner. If it ends in a draw, one sudden death game shall determine the winner.

When more than 2 are tied for the first place, no method mentioned above shall be used. In such a case, a single elimination knockout tournament shall be played between all the players tied for the first position, which means each player has to play any other and the person who loses the game will be eliminated. For example, if 4 players are tied, there are 2 games played between 2 players, the losers of each game shall be eliminated and the winners of each game shall play another knockout. The process shall continue until all but 1 player is left, and the player is awarded rank 1. All other players are awarded rank as per the criteria mentioned above for 2 or more players tied for the same rank but not rank 1.

Finally, the person who scored rank 1 is given the title World Rapid Chess Champion.

Results

To be declared on December 30, 2025

References

  1. "Regulations for FIDE Rapid and Blitz Championships" (PDF). FIDE.