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The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are prestigious international chess tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). These championships feature some of the world’s best chess players competing in fast-paced and exciting formats. This years championships are being help at Samarkand, Uzbekistan from 26 December to 30 December 2023.
1. About World Rapid Chess Championship and its rules
The World Rapid Chess Championship is a chess tournament where players have limited time on their clocks to make their moves. Unlike classical chess, where each player typically has more time, rapid chess imposes a faster time control. Players usually have 15 minutes or less per game, with an increment added after each move. This faster pace adds intensity and requires players to think quickly and make decisions rapidly.
2. About World Blitz Chess Championship and its rules
The World Blitz Chess Championship is an even faster version of chess, with an even more rapid time control. In blitz chess, players have extremely limited time for each move, often ranging from 3 to 5 minutes per game. The fast-paced nature of blitz chess leads to highly tactical and dynamic games, as players need to rely on intuition and quick calculations.
Schedule of World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2023 ( All times UTC +5 )
| Date of event | OPEN EVENT | WOMEN EVENT |
| DECEMBER 26 | RAPID, DAY 1 | RAPID, DAY 1 |
| Round | Round 1-5 | Round 1-4 |
| 15:00 ROUND 1 | 15:00 ROUND 1 | |
| 16:15 ROUND 2 | 16:15 ROUND 2 | |
| 17:30 ROUND 3 | 17:30 ROUND 3 | |
| 18:45 ROUND 4 | 18:45 ROUND 4 | |
| 20:00 ROUND 5 | ||
| DECEMBER 27 | RAPID, DAY 2 | RAPID, DAY 2 |
| Round | Round 6-9 | Round 5-8 |
| 15:00 ROUND 6 | 15:00 ROUND 5 | |
| 16:15 ROUND 7 | 16:15 ROUND 6 | |
| 17:30 ROUND 8 | 17:30 ROUND 7 | |
| 18:45 ROUND 9 | 18:45 ROUND 8 | |
| DECEMBER 28 | RAPID, DAY 3 | RAPID, DAY 3 |
| Round | Round 10-13 | Round 9-11 |
| 15:00 ROUND 10 | 15:00 ROUND 9 | |
| 16:15 ROUND 11 | 16:15 ROUND 10 | |
| 17:30 ROUND 12 | 17:30 ROUND 11 | |
| 18:45 ROUND 13 | ||
| DECEMBER 29 | BLITZ, DAY 1 | BLITZ, DAY 1 |
| Round | Round 1-12 | Round 1-9 |
| 15:00 ROUND 1 | 15:00 ROUND 1 | |
| 15:30 ROUND 2 | 15:30 ROUND 2 | |
| 16:00 ROUND 3 | 16:00 ROUND 3 | |
| 16:30 ROUND 4 | 16:30 ROUND 4 | |
| 17:00 ROUND 5 | 17:00 ROUND 5 | |
| 17:30 ROUND 6 | 17:30 ROUND 6 | |
| 18:00 ROUND 7 | 18:00 ROUND 7 | |
| 18:30 ROUND 8 | 18:30 ROUND 8 | |
| 19:00 ROUND 9 | 19:00 ROUND 9 | |
| 19:30 ROUND 10 | ||
| 20:00 ROUND 11 | ||
| 20:30 ROUND 12 | ||
| DECEMBER 30 | BLITZ, DAY 2 | BLITZ, DAY 2 |
| Round | Round 13-21 | Round 10-17 |
| 14:00 ROUND 13 | 14:00 ROUND 10 | |
| 14:30 ROUND 14 | 14:30 ROUND 11 | |
| 15:00 ROUND 15 | 15:00 ROUND 12 | |
| 15:30 ROUND 16 | 15:30 ROUND 13 | |
| 16:00 ROUND 17 | 16:00 ROUND 14 | |
| 16:30 ROUND 18 | 16:30 ROUND 15 | |
| 17:00 ROUND 19 | 17:00 ROUND 16 | |
| 17:30 ROUND 20 | 17:30 ROUND 17 | |
| 18:00 ROUND 21 | ||
With today’s Rapid tournament, the competition officially started, drawing in about 270 players eager to claim the sought-after title of world champion in both the Open and Women’s sections.
The event is broadcast live on FIDE’s YouTube channel. Former world Champion Vishi Anand and WIM and chess journalist Anastasiya Karlovich are providing the live commentary. It is the first time Anand is commenting on the WRB.
