FIDE World Blitz Chmp. 2025 D1: MVL, Caruana, & Arjun in 1st; Roebers Sole Lead

Lichess Coverage

As usual, the games will be broadcast live daily on Lichess, with key updates across our social media channels, including daily interviews on YouTube with players on-site in Doha by IM Laura Unuk.

Interviews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZDeJ_6-k-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoNo4OpgPg8

Check out our other interviews from the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz 2025!

Overview

With a total prize fund of over €1 million, it’s no surprise that the best in the world will be playing. Aside from just prize money, this annual adrenaline-filled event also gives two Open & Women's World Championship titles across 5 days of high-octane play.

Format

The Rapid tournament will be played as a Swiss, with 13 rounds in the Open and 11 rounds in the Women's event. The time control is 15 minutes with a 10-second increment.

The Blitz tournament consists of two stages: a Swiss qualifier, with 19 rounds in the Open and 15 rounds in the Women's event, followed by the 4-player knockout finals to crown the new Open and Women's World Blitz Champions. The time control is 3 minutes with a 2-second increment.

Schedule

Open Overview

GM Arjun Erigaisi, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and GM Fabiano Caruana are in shared first on 10/13. Chasing close behind is a pack of six players, GM Daniil Dubov, GM Lu Shanglei, GM Yu Yangyi, GM Baadur Jobava, GM Wesley So, and GM Alexander Grischuk. Eleven players are on 9/13, including the likes of GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Praggnanadhaa R, and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Open Standings After Round 13

Open Rounds 1–10

In blitz, upsets cease being rarities and are simply much more common. The first few rounds had no shortage of upsets and amazing blitz games, some of which we note below.

Round 1

GM Levon Aronian vs. GM Faustino Oro; photo: Anna Shtourman

Rising star GM Faustino Oro was never significantly worse against his esteemed opponent, GM Levon Aronian, in the Sicilian Defense, and soon enough in the endgame his pieces started infiltrating, forcing Aronian to lose some pawns and resign in due course.

GM Sergei Lobanov played a topsy-turvy Nimzo-Indian Defense game against GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, impressively walking his king up the board to create winning chances.

Round 2

GM Vahap Şanal was narrowly close to defeating GM Alireza Firouzja, even spotting the winning 35. Ne4 after the game had finished. Instead, he played 35. Nd1 and blundered his queen.

GM Pavel Ponkratov was very much lost against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, but with the kings castled on opposite sides of the board, anything could happen, and Ponkratov was able to stay in the game and eventually managed to defeat Abdusattorov.

Round 3

GM Olexandr Bortnyk; photo: Lennart Ootes

GM Olexandr Bortnyk was significantly worse against GM Nikolas Theodorou, but the latter suddenly blundered a piece, propelling Bortnyk to 3/3.

Rounds 4–7

GM Javokhir Sindarov brilliantly defended against GM Magnus Carlsen, holding him to a draw. GM Alireza Firouzja's Dutch-esque treatment of the English Opening also worked out well for him against GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli. GM Pranav V showed that top grandmasters can blunder horribly, too, not noticing that his queen was attacked against GM Arjun Erigaisi. Meanwhile, GM Olexandr Bortnyk continued his winning ways against GM Pablo Salinas Herrera.

In round 5, GM Magnus Carlsen played a highly complicated Sicilian Defense game against GM Pranav Anand, first achieving a large positional advantage and then being forced to convert with a flurry of tactical blows. GM Alireza Firouzja succumbed to his own pet King's Indian Defense opening, which GM Jorden van Foreest played splendidly. Conversely, GM Arjun Erigaisi faced better fortunes in the King's Indian Defense against GM Salem A.R. Saleh, who found himself a pawn down against Arjun after a short sequence of moves.

GM Alireza Firouzja; photo: Lennart Ootes

Perhaps the bombshell of the tournament was GM Oleksandr Bortnyk's valiant 1. a3 against GM Magnus Carlsen, who himself has trotted out Anderssen's Opening on multiple occasions in blitz chess. Both players were better at multiple points in the game, so a draw was the fair result. In other one-move piece blunder news, GM Jorden van Foreest profited from yet another backward move, picking up GM Arjun Erigaisi's rook, which was exposed to van Foreest's bishop.

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov won against the tournament's then leader, GM Jorden van Foreest, after the latter decided to go for a study-like endgame draw, which unfortunately for him, did not work. GM Alireza Firouzja won in style in the Italian Game against GM Teimour Radjabov, while GM Magnus Carlsen also defeated GM Salem A.R. Saleh in a Ruy Lopez-esque Sicilian Defense.

Round 8

With eight draws on the top eight boards in round eight, it was only GM Fabiano Caruana (game) and GM Daniil Dubov (game) who defeated GM Eltaj Safarli and GM Jules Moussard, respectively.

Round 9

GM Magnus Carlsen looks at the big screen; photo: Lennart Ootes

GM Magnus Carlsen was worse out of the opening against GM Arjun Erigaisi, who made great use of his advantage, gradually improving his position and forcing Carlsen into time pressure. Carlsen had some chances to get back into the game, but he ultimately lost on time after his queen flew off the board — yes, physically — with just a couple of seconds on the clock.

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov also won against GM Alireza Firouzja in a Bogo-Indian Defense where Firouzja's king made the journey to h3, a safe square at some point, but a dangerous one at a later one.

Round 10

GM Arjun Erigaisi continued surging, winning against GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a rare line of the Ruy Lopez. GM Fabiano Caruana also rose up the ranks with a topsy-turvy win against GM Aleksandar Indjic, while GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's favorite Grünfeld Defense bestowed upon him a winning endgame position. GM Magnus Carlsen survived a scare against GM Alexander Grischuk, and so too did GM Lu Shanglei against GM Yu Yangyi.

Open Round 11

With two draws on the top five boards — between GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Fabiano Caruana (game) and GM S. L. Narayanan and GM Bu Xiangzhi (game) — it was GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and GM Daniil Dubov who won against GM Volodar Murzin, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and GM Lu Shanglei, respectively.

Standings after round 11

Open Round 12

GM Magnus Carlsen's uncharacteristic time pressure once again caught up to him as he blundered an entire rook against GM Fabiano Caruana.

With quick draws between GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (game), GM Daniil Dubov and GM Yu Yangyi (game), and GM Bu Xiangzhi and GM Baadur Jobava (game), it was GM Alexander Grischuk who defeated GM Alireza Firouzja in a messy, unconventional Caro-Kann Defense game.

Standings after round 12

Open Round 13

Perhaps inspired by GM Baadur Jobava on board 7 and GM Richárd Rapport on board 26, GM Magnus Carslen's Rapport-Jobava London system worked to perfection against GM Teimour Radjabov, who was worse early on and had little chances to come back into the game.

GM Lu Shanglei recovered well from his round 11 loss against GM Daniil Dubov, winning in the Prins Variation of the Sicilian Defense against GM S. L. Narayanan.

GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played an exciting draw against GM Fabiano Caruana, where Caruana was in fact lost at a few different points in the game.

GM Daniil Dubov's draw against GM Arjun Erigaisi was less thrilling, and similarly was GM Yu Yangyi's draw against GM Alexander Grischuk.

Women's Overview

IM Eline Roebers is in the sole lead with 8.5/10, with GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, WIM Umida Omonova, and GM Antoaneta Stefanova in shared second on 8/10. Hot on the heels are GM Bibisara Assaubayeva and IM Song Yuxin on 7.5/10.

Women's Standings After Round 10

Women's Rounds 1–8

Round 1

Stalemate tricks can be absolutely shocking news for the winning side, and it was indeed a huge surprise for GM Ju Wenjun to see WGM Lương Phương Hạnh brilliant stalemate trap.

Round 3

After having lost her advantage against IM Nataliya Buksa, GM Tan Zhongyi found her equal position quickly turn into a loss after she had allowed a knight incursion.

WIM Umida Omonova was better for much of the game against GM Humpy Koneru, but she had to win again after Humpy managed to equalize at some point.

Rounds 4–6

WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva crushed GM Antoaneta Stefanova's Caro-Kann Defense in a very one-sided game, while GM Mariya Muzychuk similarly destroyed GM Ju Wenjun's French Defense.

In round 5, WIM Umida Omonova outplayed GM Kateryna Lagno in a positionally-minded Italian Game; GM Aleksandra Goryachkina also played the Itlaian Game, but from the Black side, and managed to create a swift attack against WGM Elvira Berend's king. IM Carissa Yip was also able to win with the Modern Defense against WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva, while WGM Anna Shukhman's Vienna Game, which she played against IM Polina Shuvalova, worked out well for her.

Round 6 also saw WIM Umida Omonova win a near-miniature against IM Carissa Yip; Omonova was by that point on a stunning 6/6. GM Aleksandra Goryachkina also defeated WGM Anna Shukhman in a strong and unorthodox Sicilian Defense game, while GM Mariya Muzychuk won as Black in the Sicilian Defense against GM Kateryna Lagno after the latter could not bring back her wayward queen in time to defend her kingside.

Round 7

WIM Umida Omonova saw her streak end after facing GM Aleksandra Goryachkina after Omonova was actually winning at two different junctures: on move 27 with 27. Nf5+ and again on move 28 with 28. Nf5+. WGM Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu kept rising through the ranks as she won against GM Elina Danielian, whose Alekhine Defense in fact worked out very well for her, but she ended up losing on time in an equal position. GM Mariya Muzychuk played a model Italian Game against IM Carissa Yip, while her sister, GM Anna Muzychuk, was less fortunate in the Sicilian Defense against WGM Alua Nurman.

Round 8

GM Aleksandra Goryachkina continued her success, defeating GM Mariya Muzychuk after she had allowed Muzychuk multiple chances to come back into the game. WIM Umida Omonova recovered well from her round 7 loss by defeating WGM Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu in an Italian Game where she achieved a large queenside space advantage. IM Eline Roebers won a topsy-turvy game against IM Nataliya Buksa, who was in fact completely winning, but lost after Roebers found precise tactical shots.

Women's Round 9

IM Eline Roebers with Lichess's on-site interviewer, IM Laura Unuk; photo: Lennart Ootes

The key matchup of the day was the game between IM Eline Roebers and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, which was important for the standings and absolutely delivered in terms of excitement. Roebers played the swashbuckling and near-extinct King's Gambit, attaining an almost winning position right out of the opening. Goryachkina had once chance to come back into the game, with the "cemento" move, 24...Ne3, but after she missed said move, it was all Roebers.

GM Antoaneta Stefanova played with great precision against WIM Umida Omonva, playing a textbook King's Indian Attack pawn-roller of a game. Meanwhile, WGM Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu outcalculated GM Lei Tingjie, winning a piece after Lei initiated a typical French Defense tactic, which did not work in that specific position.

Women's Round 10

IM Eline Roebers continued showing great form as she got the best of WGM Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu, who faced a long, complicated line, which Roebers had brilliantly calculated, allowing her to achieve equality. From an equal position, Roebers proceeded to outplay Francisco Guecamburu, winning on the 43rd move.

WIM Umida Omonova surged to the top three in the standings once again with an impressive initiative-driven victory against WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva.

WIM Umida Omonova vs. WIM Zarina Nurgaliyeva; photo: Lennart Ootes

With a peaceful result between GM Aleksandra Goryachkina and GM Antoaneta Stefanova, GM Bibisara Assaubayeva also moved up the ladder after IM Nurgyul Salimova lost a piece to a tempo tactic.