On Tuesday, FIDE, the International Chess Federation, confirmed that just 100 days remain before the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships kick off in Doha, Qatar. While the Blitz tournament will follow the two-stage structure introduced last year, there’s one key adjustment: the Knockout portion will now feature four players instead of eight. FIDE’s CEO and GM Emil Sutovsky explained the reasoning behind this change.
The rapid tournaments remain untouched, with 13 rounds scheduled for the open section and 11 for the women’s. The real shake-up comes in the Blitz. Competitors will play more games in the Swiss stage – 19 in the open (up from 13) and 15 in the women’s (up from 11). Only the top four scorers advance to the Knockout semifinals, a format Sutovsky said was shaped by player feedback:
“We felt KO was a really attractive format, but last time having top-8 led to many non-games in the last round. Also starting the KO from just 4 players allows for more rounds in the Swiss – so one bad game can’t ruin your tournament, and also those who do not qualify have more chances to play – and not just one day of blitz.”
Last year’s schedule created frustration for many. The opening day of blitz decided who advanced, leaving those who missed out with nothing to do but spectate on day two. In Doha, however, every participant will be active throughout all five days. The open blitz runs 13 rounds on December 29, followed by rounds 14-19 and the Knockout on December 30. The women’s competition follows a similar pattern, with 10 rounds on day one, and the final five plus Knockout on day two.
GM Rafael Leitão, Chess.com’s Game of the Day analyst, welcomed the shift, telling Chess.com:
“I really like this new system, I think it’s better than the previous one. With more rounds to play no one can complain about the lack of luck, while keeping the attractive knockout format for the spectators. I’m looking forward to it!”
This will be just the second year that the Blitz is split into two phases. Prior to 2023, it was a straight Swiss event, with 21 rounds played in the men’s section that year. FIDE’s latest changes show a clear preference for a condensed Knockout finale, sharpening the spotlight on the closing matches.
Of course, qualification will be tougher than ever. Last year, 10 players finished with 9.5/13, and tiebreaks left GMs Daniil Dubov and Daniel Naroditsky outside the final eight. Under the 2024 rules, six of those players would have missed out. Still, with fewer Knockout spots available, the incentive for quick, cautious draws should also diminish.
One issue FIDE seems keen to avoid this year is the controversy that marred the 2023 World Blitz Championship, when Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi agreed to share the title rather than play on, against official rules. In Doha, tied Knockout matches will now be settled by a sudden-death playoff after four games, guaranteeing a decisive result.
With extra rounds, a streamlined Knockout, and stricter tiebreak procedures, the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championships promise more drama, more chess, and no shortage of decisive results.
