Berlin to Host World Chess Rapid and Blitz Championship

World Chess Federation, FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Echecs) announced today that 200 of the world’s best chess players will compete in the upcoming World Chess Rapid and Blitz Championships, starting on October, 10. They include a record 161 grandmasters, making it the highest-ranked FIDE rapid and blitz tournament in history.

Among the players who will be competing are Magnus Carlsen of Norway, the reigning blitz and rapid champion, as well as former champions Viswanathan Anand (India), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Leinier Domínguez (Cuba), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Sergey Karjakin (Russia) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan). In total, players from 50 countries are competing, breaking the previous record that was set in Dubai in 2014.

Games start on October 10, and the tournament runs until October 14. The Rapid Chess World Champion will be decided by Monday, October 12, and the Blitz World Champion will be crowned on October 14.

The World Blitz Championship was first played in 1970. Past champions include Bobby Fischer (1970), Mikhail Tal (1988), Viswanathan Anand (2000), Alexander Grischuk (2006), Vassily Ivanchuk (2007), Leinier Dominguez (2008), Magnus Carlsen (2009), Levon Aronian (2010), Grischuk (2012), Le Quang Liem (2013), and Carlsen (2014), who is the defending champion.

The World Rapid Championship was first played in 2001. Past champions have been Garry Kasparov (2001), Anand (2003), Aronian (2009), Gata Kamsky (2010), Sergey Karjakin (2012), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2013), and Carlsen (2014), who is once again the defending champion.

The Rapid and Blitz Championships will be broadcast on Worldchess.com