While the international sports season has come to an end in many disciplines, there are still 11 days left for chess. The New Year will coincide with the arrival of many grandmasters in New York. From December 26 to 31, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, with a total prize fund of $1.5 million, will take place.
The World Chess Championships are traditionally held at the end of the year. However, for the first time, New York will host this prestigious event, offering a truly unforgettable experience for the participants, Idman.biz reports.
This event, however, will not solely focus on chess—it will take place at Wall Street, one of the world’s financial capitals.
The tournament will be held at the Cipriani Wall Street, a historical landmark located in the heart of New York’s financial district. The Women’s tournament will be hosted just across the street at 48 Wall Street, a site once home to the New York Bank and the American Financial Museum.
FIDE announced in mid-June that New York would host the World Championship, which received mixed reactions from some grandmasters.
"I don’t understand why these tournaments need to be held at the end of December. This is the most challenging time for any chess player. FIDE doesn’t organize many events for elite players throughout the year. It would have been possible to allocate five days to play at a more convenient time for everyone. There are many factors to consider. For some, it takes about 24 hours to return home; others want to celebrate New Year with their families. Some celebrate Christmas and are not ready to play during these dates," commented Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimour Radjabov on FIDE’s decision.
The World Championship will bring together nearly 300 chess players, with 180 participants in the men’s event and 109 in the women’s competition.
Among them, 15 representatives from Azerbaijan will participate: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Eltaj Safarli, Aydin Suleymanli, Vasif Durarbayli, Mohammad Muradli, Vugar Rasulov, Riad Samadov, Vugar Manafov, Gunay Mammadzada, Gulnar Mammadova, Khanim Balajayeva, Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Govhar Beydullayeva, Zeynab Mammadyarova, and Turkan Mammadyarova.
As for the prestige of the tournament, it is expected that nearly all the top players will be competing. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) will lead the World Championship rankings, with Fabiano Caruana (USA) and Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) also securing spots in the top three. In the women’s division, Chinese players Ju Wenjun, Lei Tingjie, and Tan Zhongyi lead the rankings.
To increase the intrigue, FIDE has modified the World Championship format. The Blitz championship will be structured differently from the traditional format and will be held in two stages. The first stage will feature the open tournament with 13 rounds and 11 rounds for the women’s tournament, using the Swiss system with a time control of three minutes plus two seconds per move. The top eight players will qualify for the knockout stage, consisting of four games.
The event will also include a media day and the prestigious "Chess Davos" conference, which brings together the worlds of chess and finance.
According to the schedule, the Rapid tournament will take place from December 26 to 28, followed by a rest day. The Blitz competition will take place on December 30-31.
The World Championship starts in 6 days...
Zaki Feyzullayev
Idman.biz
