FIDE Circuit 2025: Ding Liren still leads, Praggnanandhaa closes in
Ding Liren continues to lead the FIDE Circuit 2025 with 40.64 points earned in the title match. However, his lead is no longer secure, as his competitors are closing in. Praggnanandhaa R gained 11.06 points by tying for second place in the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 – Masters, reducing the gap to just 4.5 points. Among other competitors, six tournaments counted toward the FIDE Circuit 2025 in February, brought a few new names into the top ten rankings. Photo: Petr Vrabec Aravindh Chithambaram emerged victorious in the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 – Masters, jumping to the third place in the circuit standings. The winner of the Djerba International Masters, Marc’Andria Maurizzi, earned 16.04 circuit points, then added another 5.88 points for his third-place finish in the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 – Challengers, climbing to fifth position. Ian Nepomniachtchi demonstrated his determination in the FIDE Circuit 2025 campaign by triumphing in a highly competitive Aeroflot Open, earning 18 points and rising to seventh place. Photo: Aeroflot Open Meanwhile, Anish Giri and Wei Yi, who shared second place with Praggnanandhaa R in the Prague International Chess Festival 2025 – Masters, each collected 11.06 points, securing their spots in the top ten. Just outside the top ten are the winner of Prague International Chess Festival 2025 – Challengers Nodirbek Yakubboev, Aydin Suleymanli, Mukhiddin Madaminov who caused a minor sensation by taking the Al-Beruniy Masters, Daniel Dardha and the newly crowned Azerbaijani Champion Rauf Mamedov. We maintain a dedicated page on our website for the FIDE Circuit 2025, offering the latest information on eligible tournaments, the current standings, and regulations. Visit: FIDE Circuit 2025
World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships return with record prize fund and new format
The World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships are back—bigger, bolder, and with a record-breaking €500,000 prize fund. After thrilling editions in Düsseldorf (2023) and Astana (2024), the event heads to London from June 10–16, introducing a new knockout stage in the Blitz Following the addition of the Blitz format in Astana 2024, this year’s edition introduces further improvements – a significantly increased prize fund and an extra day for the Blitz competition for the knock-outs. The total prize pool for 2025 jumps to €500,000, a significant increase from last year’s €350,000. The Rapid event will distribute €310,000, while the Blitz tournament’s prize fund rises to €190,000. Here’s how the prize money is allocated: Another notable change for this year is the addition of the second day of the Blitz. After a successful run of the Blitz in 2024, FIDE has decided to expand the competition and feature a knock-out system. Blitz games will follow the standard time control of three minutes plus two seconds per move, but the competition will now feature two distinct stages instead of one. In the first stage, teams will be grouped into pools of similar strength. Each pool will compete in a round-robin tournament, with a maximum of 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage. On the second day of the Blitz, the qualifiers from stage one will play a knock-out tournament, determining the winner. The rising interest in chess globally and in the UK Chess has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, both globally but also in the UK, where in recent years the government has also provided funding for the sport. For the first time in 30 years, the public broadcaster BBC will air a TV program dedicated to chess. The show will follow 12 of Britain’s rising stars of chess as they play against one another and explore the beauty of the game. “The growing popularity of chess in the UK and the global appeal of London as an international hub is one of the key reasons why we decided to bring the event here. The addition of another day for the Blitz competition and this substantial increase in the prize fund reflects the growing prestige of the competition and the continuing global interest in chess,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. Team composition The event is open to any team that meets the official requirements, which have been designed to ensure there is an inclusive, level-playing field. Each team must have at least six and no more than nine players. This has to include at least one female player. Additionally, each team has to have one recreational player—defined as a participant who has never achieved a FIDE Standard, Rapid, or Blitz rating of 2000 Elo (or an equivalent national rating, as determined by FIDE’s Global Strategy Commission) up to and including the March 2025 rating lists. This rule is designed to encourage broader participation and give aspiring players a chance to compete alongside seasoned professionals. Additionally, each team must have a captain, who may also be one of the players. How to register for the event The forthcoming event in London is open to all and will see 60 teams take part – 10 based on their highest ratings and 45 based on earliest registration, with five wild card teams provided by the organizers. Teams wishing to participate need to apply by filling in a REGISTRATION FORM by May 10. Teams are required to register at least six players. Full event regulations and team participation requirements are available here:handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/WRTC2025Regulations.pdf The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships have a prominent place in the chess calendar and will offer a chance for top-tier Grandmasters and chess enthusiasts to play together, giving the public a chance to see the world’s best players in action. Official website: https://worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/