London to host FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2025
The 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships will take place in London, United Kingdom, between June 10 and 16, 2025. With the prize fund amounting to $500,000 (a substantial increase from 2024 edition) the competition is expected to attract world’s top players. Thus, the event is set to deliver an unforgettable week of high-level chess action. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships have quickly became one of the highlights on the chess calendar. Now in its third edition (and second for the blitz format), the event brings together players from around the world. Competing in mixed teams, they create an exciting blend of top-level competition and team camaraderie. Fans can expect to see some of the biggest names in chess battling it out alongside emerging talents and even amateur players, thanks to the event’s inclusive format. The 2023 FIDE World Rapid Team Championship, the very first edition of the event, saw WR Chess Team clinch the title with a dominant performance. In 2024, the rapid title was secured by Al-Ain ACMG UAE, while WR Chess Team, led by Magnus Carlsen, triumphed in the Blitz portion. London has previously hosted major chess events, including the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League 2024, its annual London Chess Classic, and of course the historic 2018 World Chess Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. The return of a premier FIDE championship to London highlights the city’s growing role in the global chess boom. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky commented: “FIDE is proud to bring one of the most exciting events of our Calendar to London. World Rapid Teams is a mix of a top-level chess and fun. We expect the World’s best players to take part – but also the format of the event will allow many English club players to face the biggest stars of the game. The event has a record prize fund, and in addition to awarding the top, we will introduce significant prizes for non-professional clubs and teams. Top FIDE competition comes to London after a long break, and it reflects the ongoing chess boom in England. I am certain, that this event will further boost the public and media attention for our game.” This year, the event is supported by the Scheinberg family, long-term partners of FIDE. Their contributions have elevated top-level chess through events like the FIDE Grand Swiss (2019, 2021, 2023), Women’s Grand Swiss (2021, 2023), the FIDE Candidates Tournament (2022, 2024), and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2024. By partnering with FIDE for the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, the Scheinberg family continues to promote chess worldwide, ensuring this event in London reaches new heights. The tournament regulations will be finalized and published in early February 2025, with more details on team composition and qualifications to follow. FIDE looks forward to welcoming players, teams, and fans from around the world to London for this exciting chess spectacle.
FIDE World R & B Championships 2025 to be Held in Doha, Qatar
Following the resounding success of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York City, FIDE is excited to announce that the 2025 edition of these landmark tournaments will return to Doha, Qatar. The event is scheduled from December 25 to December 31, 2025, with the Rapid Championships taking place from December 26 to 28, followed by the Blitz Championships on December 29 and 30. This marks the second time Qatar will host the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, having previously done so in 2016. In the Open section, Vassily Ivanchuk clinched the Rapid title, while Sergey Karjakin secured the Blitz title. In the Women’s section, Anna Muzychuk delivered an outstanding performance and achieved victories in both the Women’s Rapid and Blitz categories. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships are among the most exciting and popular events in the chess calendar, attracting top players and fans worldwide. The faster time controls and dynamic gameplay lead to thrilling and unpredictable matches, captivating audiences and keeping them on the edge of their seats. The 2024 edition in New York City, for instance, drew millions of online viewers, underscoring the event’s global appeal. Qatar’s commitment to chess is further exemplified by its experience in organizing major chess events, most notably the Qatar Masters Open in 2014, 2015, 2023, and 2024. The nation’s dedication to attracting top-tier talent makes it a fitting venue for the upcoming championships. FIDE looks forward to collaborating with the Qatar Chess Association to deliver an exceptional event for players and fans worldwide.
Armenian Championship 2025: Hovhannisyan and Gaboyan defend titles
GM Robert Hovhannisyan and WIM Susanna Gaboyan successfully defended their titles, emerging as the 2025 Armenian Champions. Hovhannisyan claimed his third national title, while Gaboyan secured her fourth. The 85th Armenian Championship and the 80th Women’s Armenian Championship took place simultaneously in Yerevan from January 14-22. Traditionally, both events, 10-player round robins with classical time control, were hosted by the Tigran Petrosian Chess House in the Armenian capital. The 85th Armenian Championship missed the top five Armenian players, but still attracted seven grandmasters. The defending champion and top seed Robert Hovhannisyan confirmed his status as a pre-tournament favorite, delivering a very solid performance. Robert took the lead in Round 6 and finished strong with 6.5/9, a full point ahead of IM Artur Davtyan and Sargis Sargsyan who tied for second place. Although the top five Armenian players were absent, the tournament featured a competitive field, including seven grandmasters. Defending champion and top seed Robert Hovhannisyan lived up to expectations, delivering a consistent performance throughout. Hovhannisyan took the lead in Round 6 and finished convincingly with 6.5/9, a full point ahead of his closest competitors. IM Artur Davtyan and FM Sargis Sargsyan tied for second place with 5.5/9, but Davtyan claimed silver on tiebreaks, leaving Sargsyan with the bronze. Notably, Sargsyan overcame a rough start after losing his first two games. 85th Armenian Championship final standings: 1 GM Hovhannisyan, Robert 2626 6½ 2 IM Davtyan, Artur 2458 5½ 3 FM Sargsyan, Sargis 2370 5½ 4 GM Andriasian, Zaven 2554 4½ 5 GM Petrosyan, Manuel 2590 4½ 6 FM Agasarov, Benik 2387 4½ 7 GM Harutyunyan, Tigran 2513 4½ 8 GM Grigoryan, Karen H. 2572 4½ 9 GM Gharibyan, Mamikon 2486 3 10 GM Hayrapetyan, Hovik 2462 2 The 80th Women’s Armenian Championship was a close race between the defending champion WIM Susanna Gaboyan and WFM Anna Khachatryan. Going into the final round a half-point ahead of her main rival, Susanna defeated the lowest rated participant Llia Danielyan and clinched the title with 7/9. Anna also secured a victory in Round 9 game and finished second on 6.5/9. Three players tied for third place, with WFM Marian Avetisyan claiming bronze thanks to a superior Sonneborn Berger tiebreak. 80th Women’s Armenian Championship final standings: 1 WIM Gaboyan, Susanna 2202 7 2 WFM Khachatryan, Anna 2076 6½ 3 WFM Avetisyan, Mariam 2067 6 4 Gasparyan, Milena 1949 6 5 Hayrapetyan, Nvard 2014 6 6 WFM Kobak, Polina 2071 4 7 Danielyan, Lilia 1712 3 8 Harutyunyan, Meline 1919 2½ 9 Arakelyan, Syuzanna 1903 2½ 10 Khachatryan, Mariam 1842 1½ Photos: Armenian Chess Federation Facebook Official website: chessfed.am/en
Tata Steel Masters 2025: Two share the lead after Round 5
Praggnanandhaa R and Nodirbek Abdusattorov share the lead with 4/5 as the Tata Steel Masters 2025 heads into the rest day. Reigning World Champion Gukesh D and Vladimir Fedoseev notched up crucial victories in Round 5, trailing the leaders by just half a point. Pentala Harikrishna follows in fifth place with 3/5. Round 5 highlights The game between Vladimir Fedoseev and Fabiano Caruana featured a topical line of the Ragozin Defence, in which Black comfortably equalized and transitioned into a minor piece endgame. The position remained balanced until Caruana made a critical error after reaching time control. Instead of the natural 41…Kb6, Fabiano played 41…Bg2?, apparently missing a very strong response 42.e5! After 42…fxe5 43.fxe5 b4 (43…Bxf3?? 44.Nd4+) 44.Nd4 Kc5 45.e6 Kd6 46.axb4 axb4 47.Bxd5! White won a pawn and converted it into a full point twelve moves later. 1-0 The encounter Gukesh D – Vincent Keymer saw very interesting complications in the center right after the opening. As a result, White exerted heavy pressure along the d-file and won a pawn. The German GM could have defended resiliently, but instead he opted to trade most of the pieces liquidating into in a rook + bishop vs. rook + knight endgame. Despite some inaccuracies in conversion, Gukesh eventually forced resignation on move 72. Facing Jorden Van Foreest with the black pieces, Nodirbek Absusattorov drew fire on himself in Caro-Kann Advance Variation and got an inferior but very complicated position. After the Dutchman prematurely pushed his b-pawn on move 17, Black’s king found safety on the queenside and the game was on. White pushed hard and temporarily sacrificed a piece, only to land in a worse position as Abdusattorov seized control over the d-file. Attempting to complicate matters, Jorden sacrificed a pawn on the queenside but overlooked a nice tactical shot. 32…Rxf4! 33.Rxf4 Qxe5! 34.Qa2 Qe3+! 35.Rf2 Bg3! Nodirbek precisely calculated that White had just several checks. Twelve moves later, Van Foreest threw in the towel. 0-1 Tata Steel Masters standings after Round 5 In the Challengers event, home player Erwin L’Ami leads the standings with 4/5, followed closely by his compatriot Benjamin Bok and Thai Dai Van Nguyen (Czech Republic), both on 3.5/5. Tata Steel Challengers standings after Round 5 Photos: Tata Steel Chess, Lennart Ootes Official website: tatasteelchess.com