The World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will be held from December 26 to 30 in Samarkand. This was announced by Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
This five-day tournament will gather the world’s top chess players, vying for the title of the World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across the Open and Women’s categories," the report read.
“FIDE recognizes Uzbekistan’s rich chess tradition and its recent emergence as a chess superpower. This dedication and investment in chess led us to entrust the hosting of this prestigious event to Uzbekistan,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said.
According to the chess federation, Uzbekistan will be hosting the 2026 Chess Olympiad.
The head of FIDE noted Uzbekistan’s rapid growth in the world of chess. In the recently concluded FIDE Grand Swiss 2023 tournament, three Uzbekistanis got into the top 15. Last year, the country won the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai among 188 competing teams and finished second in the World Team Championship following China. Uzbekistan has four players ranked among the world’s top 100, including Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In 2021, he became the youngest chess player to win the title of the World Rapid Champion at the age of 17.
