Doha, December 24 (QNA) - Preparations are afoot for the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship (Qatar 2025), set to be hosted by Qatar University's Sports and Events Complex from Dec. 26 to 30, 2025.

The Organizing Committee will hold a press conference on Thursday at the Rosewood Hotel in Lusail, attended by the President of the Qatar Chess Association and Vice-President of the Arab Chess Federation, Mohammed Al Mudahka, and President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, alongside Gukesh Dommaraju, the Indian World Chess Champion and the youngest player to reach a 2750 rating.

Also attending will be Ju Wenjun, the reigning Women's World Champion from China and the world's top-ranked female player, to discuss a variety of matters related to the championship.

The total prize fund of the championship amounts to approximately EUR1 million, with EUR700,000 allocated by FIDE to the Open category, equally distributed between the Rapid and Blitz contests, and EUR300,000 for the Women's category, also equally divided.

FIDE has established a knockout format for the Blitz Chess Championship in both the Open and Women's categories, under which the top four players from the Swiss rounds advance directly to the semifinals.

Chief Executive Officer of FIDE, Emil Sutovsky, asserted that the new system represents a balanced combination of the Swiss and knockout formats, ensuring an increased number of rounds in the preliminary stage and the advancement of the strongest players to the knockout phase.

The format for the World Rapid Chess Championship remains consistent with previous iterations, comprising 13 rounds in the Open section and 11 rounds in the Women's section, with a playoff match conducted in the event of a tie for first place.

This year's iteration will feature the participation of the world's elite players, including the reigning World Champions, namely Gukesh Dommaraju of India, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, the 2024 World Blitz Champion, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri of the Netherlands, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu of India, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus of Turkiye, as well as Alexander Grischuk of Russia and Vasyl Ivanchuk of Ukraine, the winner of the 2016 World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha.

In the Women's category, five-time World Champion Ju Wenjun of China will participate, alongside her compatriot Tan Zhongyi, the world No. 2, Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan, Anna Muzychuk, the winner of the 2016 World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, and her sister Mariya Muzychuk, in addition to Kateryna Lagno of Russia.

The event will feature a total of 130 female players.

Doha last hosted the championship in 2016, when Vasyl Ivanchuk of Ukraine won the World Rapid Chess Championship, and Sergey Karjakin of Russia clinched the World Blitz Chess Championship title. (QNA)