FIDE World Rapid & Blitz 2023: Registration deadline extended

The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from December 25-31 at the Congress Centre. This high-tech venue has hosted many international events, conferences, exhibitions, and shows. The registration deadline has been extended to December 11, 2023, 12:00 CET.

Eligible players, accompanying persons, FIDE Principals and arbiters are invited to register via the following link: worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/registration/ 

The five-day tournament will bring together the world’s top chess players, vying for the title of the World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across the Open and Women’s categories. 

Photo: Lennart Ootes

Among those already registered for the open event are Gukesh Dommaraju (India), Vincent Keymer (Germany), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland), Yu Yangyi (China), Levon Aronian (USA), former champions Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France, Blitz – 2021; pictured above), Daniil Dubov (FIDE, Rapid – 2018), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, Rapid – 2021), alongside many other well-known chess players from all over the world.

The women’s section of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will feature all three reigning world champions Ju Wenjun (China, Classical chess), Tan Zhongyi (China, Rapid; pictured below) and Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan, Blitz), Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE), Kateryna Lagno (FIDE), Humpy Koneru (India), Harika Dronavalli (India), Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland), as well as many other chess stars.

Photo: Lennart Ootes

The final lists of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship will be published after the end of the registration process (December 11, 12:00 CET).

Schedule:

December 25 — Opening Ceremony
December 26-28 — Rapid tournament
December 29-30 — Blitz tournament and Closing Ceremony

Official website of the tournament: https://worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/ 

About the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship

The World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship and the Women’s World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship have been held annually since 2012.

In rapid chess, each player begins the game with 15 minutes, and 10 seconds are added to their clock after each move. In blitz chess, each player begins the game with 3 minutes, and 2 seconds are added to their clock after each move.

The reigning World Champions of the event:

Rapid:

Open – Magnus Carlsen (Norway)

Women – Tan Zhongyi (China, Rapid)

Blitz:

Open – Magnus Carlsen (Norway)

Women – Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan)

The total prize fund is 1 million USD dollars, with USD 700,000 going to the open championships and USD 300,000 to the women’s championships.