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The Katara International Ramadan Open Classical Chess Championship is set to begin today at Building 15, bringing together 86 male and female players from various age groups.The tournament is organised by the Qatar Chess Association (QCA) and will continue until March 1.The first round of the nine-round classical chess competition, played under the Swiss system (45 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move), will feature several players ranked on the International Chess Federation (FIDE) list.QCA president Mohammed al-Mudahka expressed his pleasure at the continuation of the championship, describing it as one of the most prominent events on the federation’s annual calendar.In a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), he noted that the organising committee has completed all preparations for the start of the competition.He highlighted the tournament's importance in providing participants with valuable experience, particularly given the large number of rated players competing in the international event.Al-Mudahka thanked Katara Cultural Village for its efforts in ensuring the continuity of the tournament.He emphasised the federation’s commitment to such partnerships and its keenness to institutionalise these championships within the annual calendar to further develop the skills of national team players and strengthen their presence in upcoming competitions.The total prize fund amounts to QR25,000, with QR5,000 awarded to the first-place winner.Prizes will also be given to the top 10 finishers, as well as special awards for the best Qatari players across several age categories, in addition to prizes designated for players from the Qatar Chess Association Training Centre.The Katara Classical Chess Championship is considered one of the federation’s most prominent annual events.It is held each year during the Holy Month of Ramadan and has provided significant support to national teams across all age categories. 

Grandmasters Vladislav Artemiev and Hans Niemann share the lead at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship after day two, each scoring 7.5 points from nine games at the Sports and Events Complex of Qatar University in Doha Saturday. Four rounds will be played today in the Open section before a champion is decided.A half-point behind are four players: Magnus Carlsen, who bounced back after his first loss of the tournament to Artemiev in round seven; Alexey Sarana, undefeated so far; 14-year-old GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus; and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who completed a hat-trick by defeating World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the last round Saturday.Artemiev had a remarkable day, opening with a victory over Arjun Erigaisi before inflicting Carlsen’s sole defeat in nine rounds — a tactical masterpiece that saw the World No 1 blunder.**media[398356]**Carlsen initially refused a draw offer from Artemiev but looked increasingly frustrated as his position looked worse and he eventually resigned.As he walked off Carlsen lost his cool as the Norwegian was seen shoving aside a cameraperson pursuing him to record his reaction. As soon as the match got over, Carlsen was seen shaking his opponent’s hands, grabbing his blazer, and teeing off furiously. The FIDE cameraperson walked with him for a bit, only to see Carlsen turn towards him and slap the camera away, although it didn’t stop the former from following the chess great.**media[398357]**Carlsen was the subject of hushed murmurs on day one of the competition itself when he reportedly made officials and players wait, as the start of the Championship got delayed. Meanwhile, Artemiev’s remaining two games against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Sarana lasted for a total of 38 moves and were rather uneventful games — the latter with its 10 moves, of course, far more staid as compared to the somewhat imbalanced game against Vachier-Lagrave. Niemann also impressed, scoring three wins, starting with a victory over Indian wonderkid Goutham Krishna and following with key wins against Le Quang Liem and Alexander Shimanov. His creative pawn gambit in the Scandinavian Defense almost backfired but he quickly regained his advantage, converting flawlessly in equal endgames.**media[398358]**India’s young star Gukesh, initially modest about his prospects, has impressed with his resilience so far in the tournament, staying just one point behind the leaders along with Arjun Erigaisi (6.5 points) and 12 others, even as his compatriots R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin (both on six points) dropped to joint 20th. During the sixth round, Gukesh, playing black, faced a strong challenge from Anish Giri. Despite being cornered by the Dutch Grandmaster’s superior rook formation, Gukesh managed to secure a draw in 57 moves. He then drew with former European champion Alexey Sarana before winning against Spaniard David Anton in the day’s penultimate round.Gukesh’s only defeat came when he blundered on the 34th move with white against former world rapid champion Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan.Humpy Catches Zhu in Women’s RapidIn the women’s event, reigning rapid champion Koneru Humpy of India caught up with Zhu Jiner of China, both sitting on 6.5 points after eight rounds.Humpy surged to the top after winning three games and drawing one in round eight against Aleksandra Goryachkina in what was a topsy-turvy game. Humpy was quite dangerous with the Black pieces. In round 6, she won a game in Black after Yana Zhapova had a winning advantageAfter winning a comfortable White game in round 7 against Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, Humpy almost repeated her success against Goryachkina as she was lost at some point, but found a way to keep the game going and eventually end up in a winning position. Unfortunately for Humpy, she missed multiple chances to convert and had to settle for a draw.**media[398359]**Owing to her 4/4 start, Zhu Jiner decided to play pragmatically Saturday and drew her first three games by using some very solid, if not somewhat unambitious, opening lines.By doing so, she got her games against Aleksandra Goryachkina, Nino Batsiashvili, and Mariya Muzychuk out of the way, and with some renewed energy, she was able to defeat Divya Deshmukh in an endgame.There are nine players on 6/8, just a half point behind the two leaders. These players are Aleksandra Goryachkina, Lei Tingjie, Kateryna Lagno, Harika Dronavalli, Mariya Muzychuk, Afruza Khamdamova, Nino Batsiashvili, Meri Arabidze, Bat-Erdene Mungunzul and Chen Yining. 

Vladislav Artemiev (right) defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen Saturday to move joint top of the standings with Hans Niemann at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship after day two at the Sports and Events Complex of Qatar University in Doha. Both Grandmasters are on 7.5 points from nine games, with four rounds remaining Sunday before the champion is decided. 

World Champion Gukesh D and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen are among more than 360 players who have confirmed their participation in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship in Doha. The event, scheduled from December 25 to 30, brings together a field featuring multiple world champions, many of the sport’s top-rated competitors, and a strong group of rising stars.A total of 233 players have registered for the Blitz Open and 230 for the Rapid. After missing out on the Rapid crown and sharing gold in the Blitz at last year's edition in New York, Carlsen – who also became a father this year – returns to the World Rapid & Blitz looking to reclaim both titles. He will attempt to dethrone the reigning World Rapid champion, Volodar Murzin, who has enjoyed consistently strong results throughout 2024.Gukesh has likewise confirmed his attendance, and his participation is expected to generate significant public interest among large Indian expatriates in Qatar. His outstanding performance in Zagreb earlier in the year has positioned him as one of the leading contenders in the Rapid discipline.**media[384164]**Many seasoned elite players – including 2024 World Blitz co-champion Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Wesley So and Levon Aronian – have also confirmed their entry. They will be challenged by a new wave of ambitious talents aiming to shake up the established order, such as Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Praggnanandhaa R, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and Ediz Gurel, among others.Qatar’s chess enthusiasts will also be pleased to see legendary figures like Alexander Grischuk and Vasyl Ivanchuk – who won the World Rapid in Doha in 2016 – returning to compete. The Women’s Rapid and Blitz tournaments will likewise feature the world’s best. Headlined by Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun, the competition includes 130 participants, with top names such as Zhu Jiner, Lei Tingjie, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru. Anna Muzychuk, who won both the Women’s Rapid and Blitz titles in Doha in 2016, will also compete alongside her sister, Mariya.“The lineup shows the immense strength and magnetism of the World Rapid & Blitz,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “We are pleased to see so many strong players in both the Open and the Women’s competition confirming their participation. The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz is traditionally one of the most exciting and most watched chess events of the year, and we expect that tradition to continue. I’d like to thank the local organizing committee for sparing no effort in making it a great event,” he added.“The field is tremendously strong, and it is going to be a real chess feast. Once again, FIDE has managed to gather nearly all the world’s best players, and I am looking forward to great sporting drama, both in my FIDE capacity and as a lifelong chess fan,” said FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky.“Doha is now the only city to host the World Rapid & Blitz Championship twice, a milestone for chess and for sports in Qatar. It reflects our deep passion for the game and our commitment to delivering excellence. We are proud to welcome the world’s greatest players back to Doha, where ambition, tradition and the future of our sport meet,” said Mohammed al-Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Federation.The championship will take place at the Sports and Events Complex at Qatar University and offers a prize fund of more than €1mn across both the Open and Women’s competitions. Doha previously hosted the event in 2016, when Ivanchuk won the Rapid title and Karjakin captured the Blitz crown. The event returns to Qatar after nine years, underscoring the country’s growing stature in the global chess community.

The inaugural edition of the Qatar Rapid Team Chess Championship 2025 will kick off Thursday at the Qatar Chess Training Centre, with 24 teams in action over two days.Organised by the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), the tournament is open to all FIDE-rated players and will follow the Swiss system format over seven rounds, with each game timed at 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. The first three rounds are scheduled for Thursday, while the final rounds will take place Friday.A total prize pool of QR21,000 will be awarded to top-performing teams.The championship features a mixed-gender team format, requiring each team to field four players – three men on the open boards and one woman on a designated board. Notably, only titled players (FM, IM, GM) are allowed to play on Board 1, although female players holding these titles may also compete on either Board 1 or the women’s board.Ahead of the launch, the organising committee concluded preparations. A technical meeting with team representatives and the referee panel was held to review tournament regulations. The referees’ briefing was led by Dr Yousef al-Muhasna, Head of the Referees Committee, along with International Arbiters Sara al-Mohannadi and Hussein al-Haddad.

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 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.