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The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has approved a new global competition set up by Norway Chess that will crown a “World Combined Champion” across three time formats – Fast Classic, Rapid and Blitz, organisers said Wednesday.The tournament series, called the Total Chess World Championship Tour, will feature four events a year in cities around the world, with the overall winner taking the FIDE title.A one-off pilot event is scheduled for late 2026 before the full championship season begins in 2027.“We are looking for the total chess player – a versatile, tactically intelligent and technically skilled athlete who adapts to multiple time controls,” Norway Chess CEO Kjell Madland said. “It will be a game-changer, both for the players and the fans.”“We expect this (Total Chess World Championship Tour), to become one of the most prestigious events in the entire chess calendar,” said Madland.He said that the World Championships, which is held in the Classical format, and the newly-conceptualised Total Chess World Championship Tour will complement each other as it had been officially approved by FIDE.“The new championship will not replace or affect any existing FIDE World Championship titles,” he said.GAMES SHORTENED TO 45 MINUTESThe Fast Classic format shortens traditional games to 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move – part of an effort to make chess more appealing for broadcasters and online audiences.The launch comes months after former world champion Magnus Carlsen, also Norwegian, unveiled a separate “Freestyle Chess” tour, which uses a randomised starting position inspired by Fischer Random chess.That tour has not been sanctioned by FIDE, highlighting tensions between the world governing body and independent organisers seeking to modernise the sport. World number one Carlsen, the undisputed world champion from 2013-23, opted out of defending his title citing a lack of motivation and focused more on Freestyle chess and faster time controls, winning the Esports World Cup title this year.FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich welcomed the initiative.“We are always looking for ways to innovate and push the boundaries of what chess can be,” he said Wednesday.“This new tour complements the traditional World Chess Championship and will attract both existing fans and new audiences.”Carlsen also reacted positively to the move.“This seems like a well-thought-out step to further develop chess. Bringing multiple formats together under a single title will provide a more complete view of the players’ strengths, while the time controls suit today’s players and audience,” he said.Norway Chess said it was inviting potential host cities, investors and partners to join what it called a long-term collaboration with FIDE.The Total Chess World Championship Tour will offer a prize pool of a minimum of $750,000 for each of the first three locations while the fourth event will award at least $450,000 to a four-player field.

The University Rapid Chess Championship, organised by the Qatar University Sports Federation in collaboration with the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), concluded at the Community College gymnasium.Mahjoub Mohammed of Doha University of Science and Technology claimed first place in the men’s individual competition with nine points, ahead of teammate Muhannad Hussein Mohammed in second, while Qatar University’s Yousef al-Janahi finished third.In the women’s individual category, Qatar University’s Sana Nour Kartel emerged champion. Victoria Honordez of Doha University of Science and Technology secured second place, with her colleague Ghalia al-Naimi completing the podium.Doha University of Science and Technology also dominated the team events, taking first place in both the men’s and women’s team championships. Qatar University placed second in both categories, while Community College finished third in the men’s event and Hamad Bin Khalifa University claimed third in the women’s.Mohammed al-Mudhahka, President of the QCA, praised the high level of participation, noting that the rapid chess format showcased students’ mental and cognitive abilities. He stressed the Federation’s commitment to promoting chess culture in universities and strengthening cooperation with sports federations across the country.

The second annual Qatar Classic Chess Cup is underway, bringing together 30 of Qatar's top male and female chess players. The tournament, which runs until September 13th at the Qatar Training Center, will be a seven-round Swiss system event.The opening match featured a face-off between Al-Ustad Hussain Aziz and his opponent, Ali Al-Nuaimi, presided over by Muhammad al-Mudahka, president of Qatar Chess Association (QCA). Leading the men's division is the top-ranked player, Al-Kabeer Al-Kawari, alongside fellow national team members like Irfan Muhammad and Hamad al-Kuwari. The women's tournament features eight players, including Salama al-Khalifi and Ayesha al-Khalifi.Al-Mudahka told Qatar News Agency that he was thrilled about the tournament, which is using the new International Chess Federation law for the first time. He said the event is a key part of the federation's annual calendar and a way to identify the best players to represent Qatar in future international competitions. Hamad Al-Tamimi, the Executive Director of the federation, echoed this, noting that the tournament offers national team players a crucial chance to prepare for upcoming events and to hone their skills in a competitive setting.

The Qatar chess team is competing in the 1st Fujairah Global Chess Championship, which runs until September 2, with approximately 600 players from both genders, hailing from 75 countries, competing across three main categories.With a total prize fund of $125,000, the contests feature the superstar division for players rated 2560 and above, including 44 grandmasters within the FIDE circuit, the world’s strongest ranked events, the master division for players rated above 2200, with around 330 participants, as well as the open division for players rated below 2200.The Qatar team includes International Master (IM) Hussein Aziz, Khaled al-Jumaat, Hamad al-Kuwari, Turki al-Kuwari, Fahad al-Mansouri, Ibrahim al-Janahi, Saif Ahmed, Layan al-Qassabi, and Rawda al-Qassabi.In addition, International Arbiter (IA) Sara al-Mahmadi is set to participate in the International Fair Play Seminar on the margins of the tournament from August 28-31.The Qatar News Agency (QNA) spoke with Qatar Chess Association (QCA) president Mohammed al-Mudahka, who asserted that hopes are high for the national team to achieve incredible results throughout this participation, which is set to yield significant gains amid the presence of a contingent of players ranked among the world’s top 100 in chess.Al-Mudahka further indicated that all preparations are fully primed for those players, describing the tournament as one of the most powerful globally in terms of the average rating of the participating players, with some 600 players coming from a wide swath of countries.He noted that these competitions receive tremendous global interest and are directly broadcast on FIDE’s website, as well as other renowned global platforms.