World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2025
The World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships are back with exciting updates! This year, the event moves to London from June 10–16, featuring a record-breaking €500,000 prize fund and a brand-new knockout stage in the Blitz competition.
Bigger Prize Fund and New Blitz Format
In 2024, FIDE introduced the Blitz format, and now in 2025, the event is expanding even further. The total prize pool has jumped from €350,000 to €500,000! Here’s how the prize money is divided:
- Rapid Tournament – €310,000
- Blitz Tournament – €190,000
For the first time, the Blitz event will have a knockout stage. It will start with teams competing in pools of similar strength in a round-robin format. The top 16 teams will then advance to the knockout stage on the second day.
Blitz games will follow the classic time control of three minutes plus two seconds per move.
Chess is Booming in the UK!
Chess is gaining massive popularity worldwide, and the UK is no exception. The British government has provided funding for the game, and for the first time in 30 years, the BBC will air a TV show about chess. This show will follow 12 of Britain’s rising chess stars as they compete and explore the game’s beauty.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said, “London’s international appeal and the rising popularity of chess in the UK make it the perfect location for this year’s event. The increased prize fund and extended Blitz format reflect chess’s growing prestige.”
Team Composition and Participation
The event is open to all teams that meet the official requirements. Here’s what you need to know:
- Teams must have 6 to 9 players (including at least one female player).
- Each team must include one recreational player—someone who has never had a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher.
- Each team must have a captain, who can also be a player.
How to Register
- 60 teams will participate: 10 teams based on rating, 45 based on early registration, and 5 wild card teams selected by organizers.
- Deadline to register: May 10
- Minimum players per team: 6
To sign up, teams must fill out the registration form before the deadline.
Full event rules and participation details are available here.
Watch the World’s Best in Action
The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships are a major event in the chess calendar. This competition gives fans a unique chance to see top Grandmasters and rising stars play side by side. Don’t miss it!
Official website: https://worldrapidblitzteams.fide.com/
Photos: FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
