Magnus Carlsen Confirms Entry for Doha Rapid and Blitz Event

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has officially announced that Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will take part in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. The major global event will be hosted at Qatar University’s Sports and Events Complex from December 25 to 31. Carlsen’s confirmation has brought great excitement among chess fans as he remains one of the strongest and most followed players in the world.

FIDE revealed that more than 360 players have confirmed their participation across the different events. Carlsen, a former World Champion and one of the greatest chess players in history, has now been added to this impressive list. FIDE highlighted that Carlsen competed in last year’s edition in New York, where he won the gold medal in the World Blitz Championship. His return for the Doha event is seen as a major boost for this year’s tournament.

More details shared by FIDE show that the Open Blitz Championship will include 233 players, while the Rapid Championship will feature 230 players. This strong turnout reflects the rising global interest in both formats and the importance of this championship in the chess calendar.

Several world-class players have also confirmed their participation. These include India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning World Rapid Champion; Ian Nepomniachtchi, the 2024 World Blitz Champion; Fabiano Caruana; Anish Giri; Wesley So; Levon Aronian; Vincent Keymer; Arjun Erigaisi; Nodirbek Abdusattorov; and Praggnanandhaa R. Promising young players like Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus and Ediiz Gurel will also take part. In addition, Russian Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk and Ukraine’s Vasyl Ivanchuk, who won the World Rapid Championship in Doha in 2016, have confirmed their attendance.

The women's competition is equally strong. China’s current World Champion Ju Wenjun will compete, along with 130 female players. Other top competitors include Zhu Jiner, Lei Tingjie, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and India’s Humpy Koneru. Anna Muzychuk, who won both the Rapid and Blitz titles in Doha in 2016, will also return, once again competing alongside her sister Maria.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his satisfaction with the high level of participation this year. He said that the World Rapid and Blitz Championships are among the most exciting events on the annual chess schedule. He praised the local organizing committee for their work and noted that the strength of this year's player list makes the tournament feel like a true celebration of chess. He added that FIDE is proud to bring many of the world’s best players together for such a major event.

Mohammed Al Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation, said that Magnus Carlsen’s participation is extremely valuable and adds great prestige to the tournament. He explained that the federation made a strong effort to encourage Carlsen to return, especially after the issues surrounding last year’s championship in New York, which caused Carlsen to withdraw from the Rapid section.

Al Mudahka also highlighted that Doha is now the only city to host the World Rapid and Blitz Championships twice. The first hosting was in 2016, making this a significant achievement for Qatar’s sports history. He added that Qatar's return as host after nine years demonstrates the country's growing influence and respect in international chess.

When Doha last hosted the championships in 2016, Vasyl Ivanchuk won the Rapid title and Russia’s Sergey Karjakin won the Blitz event. The upcoming edition is expected to be even stronger, with a prize fund exceeding one million euros. The prize money will be shared across the open and women’s categories, making this one of the most rewarding events of the year.

With Magnus Carlsen’s participation, an exceptional list of world-class players, and a strong prize fund, the Doha championship, Rapid event, Blitz championship, Magnus Carlsen, and FIDE bring together all the elements of a thrilling global chess festival. Fans can expect an intense week of competition featuring the world’s best talent.