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A milestone moment for the world number one

Magnus Carlsen has added another historic achievement to his career, securing his 20th world championship title after winning the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha, Qatar.

The 35 year old Norwegian defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5–1.5 in a tense final, sealing the title with the black pieces in the fourth and deciding game. The victory also marked Carlsen’s ninth world blitz crown and completed a rare double, after he had already won the rapid championship earlier in the week.

With the win, Carlsen now holds 20 world titles across classical, rapid, and blitz formats, underlining his longevity and dominance at the very top of elite chess.

A tough road through the open blitz

Despite the headline result, Carlsen’s path to the title was far from straightforward. He entered the final day of the open blitz Swiss as one of many players clustered near the top and even suffered a painful loss early on after a clock related incident during a time scramble.

Knowing he had little margin for error, Carlsen responded in trademark fashion. He reeled off a series of crucial wins, defeating Rudik Makarian, Bu Xiangzhi, Ihor Samunenkov, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, before drawing Abdusattorov in the final Swiss round to advance safely into the knockout stage.

Indian star Arjun Erigaisi dominated the Swiss portion, finishing a full point clear at the top, while Fabiano Caruana and Abdusattorov also booked their spots in the semi finals.

Knockout drama and Carlsen’s endgame magic

The knockout rounds once again showcased why Carlsen is regarded as the greatest endgame player of his generation. In the semi final, he overcame Caruana 3–1, turning balanced positions into wins with relentless precision.

The final against Abdusattorov delivered high drama. After losing the opening game, Carlsen struck back with two wins using the black pieces, including a stunning endgame that many fans quickly labelled the game of the tournament. With the match level going into game four, Carlsen calmly converted another endgame advantage to clinch the world title.

Abdusattorov, who won the rapid world championship in 2021, earned his first ever blitz medal with silver, while Caruana and Arjun shared third and fourth place.

Rapid success and future plans

Carlsen’s blitz triumph followed his victory in the world rapid championship, where he topped the standings without the need for a knockout phase. Together, the two titles marked his fifth time achieving the rapid and blitz double.

Speaking after the event, Carlsen admitted he had not expected to go all the way, especially after his early setbacks, but said his confidence grew once he found form late in the Swiss. Looking ahead, he plans to play at least two, and possibly three, classical tournaments in 2026, before turning attention to a new world championship structure backed by FIDE.

The upcoming Total Chess World Championship Tour is set to combine classical, rapid, and blitz results into a single annual title, with a pilot season planned for next year and a full launch in 2027.

Women’s World Blitz: Assaubayeva does it again

In the women’s event, Bibisara Assaubayeva continued her remarkable rise, winning the 2025 Women’s World Blitz Championship and securing her third blitz world title at just 21 years of age.

Assaubayeva defeated two time champion Anna Muzychuk 2.5–1.5 in the final, once again leaving it until the decisive last game. Her victory earned her €40,000 and, crucially, confirmed her qualification for the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament.

Like the open event, the women’s championship featured a demanding Swiss stage followed by a knockout. Assaubayeva survived several nervy moments in the Swiss but dominated the knockout matches, including a clean 3–0 semi final win over Zhu Jiner.

Reflecting on her achievement, Assaubayeva said this was the hardest of her three blitz titles, as it was the first time she had to win through a knockout format. Unlike Carlsen, she will return straight to competition, with preparations already underway for Tata Steel Chess 2026.

A fitting end to a landmark championship

The 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships concluded with a total prize fund exceeding €1 million and delivered no shortage of drama across both sections. For Carlsen, the tournament reinforced his status as the defining player of his era, even after stepping away from the classical world title in recent years.

As chess looks ahead to new formats and a changing competitive landscape, the events in Doha served as a reminder that, when it comes to the biggest moments, Magnus Carlsen still sets the standard.