2021 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships (Warsaw)

[Garvinator]

I can not find a thread for this event so far, so starting this one.

Event was due to be held in Kazakhstan, but that is no more.

https://www.fide.com/news/1470

The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships will not be held in Kazakhstan in December as originally planned.

The reason is the new COVID restrictions recently enforced by the government of Kazakhstan, which impose mandatory 7 days quarantine for many potential participants, making their participation impossible.

[Adamski]

Sad news. I hope before too long an alternative venue can be found for the postponed events.

[MichaelBaron]

Should be noted, as reported by chess-news.ru - some chess players already purchases tickets to travel to Kazakhstan and now that they invested into going already - they are bitterly disappointed...

[Garvinator]

Should be noted, as reported by chess-news.ru - some chess players already purchases tickets to travel to Kazakhstan and now that they invested into going already - they are bitterly disappointed...

When I saw the information come out about this, I did wonder what Fide will do in regards to players who have already made arrangements to go to Kazakhstan and now are out cash because of this, either because they have to re-arrange their plans, or cancel them all together and make new ones for a new date in the future.

[MichaelBaron]

When I saw the information come out about this, I did wonder what Fide will do in regards to players who have already made arrangements to go to Kazakhstan and now are out cash because of this, either because they have to re-arrange their plans, or cancel them all together and make new ones for a new date in the future.

Re what Fide will do: probably as always - do nothing .

[Patrick Byrom]

Via The Guardian's report on the World Championship:

Some breaking chess news from Dubai: Fide’s general director Emil Sutovsky has just confirmed the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships, initially scheduled to take place from 25-31 December in Kazakhstan but scuttled due to the government’s new Covid restrictions, will now take place in Warsaw on the same dates.

[Metro]

The World Rapid (Open) Championship is a 13-round Swiss tournament taking place from 26-28 December 2021 in Warsaw, Poland. The prize fund is $350,000, with $60,000 for 1st place.

Players receive 15 minutes for the entire game, plus a 10-second increment starting from move one. Prize money is shared equally between players on the same number of points, with a playoff for 1st place that consists of two 3+2 games followed, if necessary, by Armageddon, where White has 5 minutes to Black's 4. Official website: worldrapidandblitz.fide.com

        Leading players:
1       Carlsen, Magnus       2842
2	Nakamura, Hikaru      2836
3	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof   2801
4	Nepomniachtchi, I     2798
5	Vachier-Lagrave, M    2773
6	Caruana, Fabiano      2770
7	Giri, Anish           2767
8	Grischuk, Alexander   2763
9	Karjakin, Sergey      2757
10	Svidler, Peter	      2752

[Desmond]

Round 1 of the Rapid is at midnight tonight, AEST.

[MichaelBaron]

Out of the last 7 rapid WWC - Carlsen won 4 and finished 2nd twice!

[Scott Colliver]

The absolute brilliance of the FIDE rapid ratings means the 33rd seed is a good chance of winning the rapid. I hate the FIDE rapid ratings, they are a ****ing joke.

[MichaelBaron]

Magnus in rd1....pressing on and finally winnig a drawn position. amazing drive!

[MichaelBaron]

And really playing with fire in rd 5 vs Shirov - Magnus's position looked bad at one stage.

[Desmond]

Ouch

[Capablanca-Fan]

As usual, Chess24 has the games and scores.

[Desmond]

As usual, Chess24 has the games and scores.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov is one to watch. The 17-year-old is currently =4th with 4/5, having beaten Caruana, and drawn Nepo & Grischuk so far.