From Dusseldorf in 2023, to Astana in 2024 and now London – the event has grown in scale, passion and energy. I am sure this event will also be a great success story.
Arkady Dvorkovich
President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE)
The World Teams is the first major FIDE event since the Candidates in 2013.
Dominic Lawson
President of the English Chess Federation
Key Facts
- London will host the third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships from 10 to 16 June 2025, featuring 55 teams and top grandmasters.
- The event format includes 12 rounds of Rapid Chess played over the first three days using the Swiss system, followed by a Blitz tournament with group preliminaries and knockout finals over the next two days.
- Each of the 54-55 teams consists of nine players, including one female player and one amateur player with a FIDE rating under 2000 ELO, competing on six boards per match.
- The prize fund has been increased by 24% for Rapid to €310,000 and by 90% for Blitz to €190,000 compared to previous editions.
- The lineup features 116 Grandmasters, led by the WR Chess Team, reigning champions of the 2023 Rapid and 2024 Blitz Championships.
- After four rounds of Rapid, India’s MGD1 team leads undefeated, having won all four matches.
Key Stats at a Glance
Number of teams participating
55 teams
Number of Rapid Chess rounds
12 rounds
Duration of Blitz tournament
2 days
Players per team
9 players
Prize fund for Rapid Chess
€310000
Percentage increase in Rapid prize fund
24%
Prize fund for Blitz Chess
€190000
Percentage increase in Blitz prize fund
90%
Number of Grandmasters participating
116 grandmasters
Number of rounds India’s MGD1 team won
4 rounds
Number of matches won by India’s MGD1 team
4 matches