2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships: Complete Guide

Following the recent FIDE World Championship that saw D. Gukesh crowned classical chess champion, the chess world now turns its attention to the faster formats with the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships.

The 2024 event will take place from December 26-31 in New York City. Here’s everything you need to know about this prestigious tournament:

Tournament Format

Both the Rapid and Blitz Championships will use a Swiss system format. Players are not eliminated after losses but are paired against opponents with similar scores in each round. The Rapid event features 13 rounds in the open section and 11 in the women’s section. The player with the highest score at the end is declared the winner.

The Blitz tournament has an additional twist. After the initial Swiss rounds, the top 8 players advance to a knockout stage to determine the champion.

Time Controls

• Rapid: 15 minutes per player, with a 10-second increment added after each move
• Blitz: 3 minutes per player, with a 2-second increment added after each move

Top Contenders

Open Section: Magnus Carlsen is the clear favorite, having won multiple titles in both formats. Other top challengers include Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

Women’s Section: Look out for strong performances from Chinese players like Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun, and Lei Tingjie. Other contenders include Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and India’s Koneru Humpy.

Notable Indian Participants

Open: Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Raunak Sadhwani

Women: Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh

Schedule Highlights (IST)

Rapid: December 27-29, rounds starting at 12:30 AM, 1:50 AM, 3:10 AM, 4:30 AM daily

Blitz: December 31, rounds every 30 minutes from 12:30 AM to 6:30 AM
January 1, Quarterfinals at 12:30 AM, Semifinals at 2:00 AM, Final at 3:30 AM

How to Watch

The official FIDE YouTube channel will livestream the entire tournament.