Press Release - $400,000 World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship

Dubai, 9 June 2014

The world’s top chess players gather in Dubai next month for the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, from 15-21 June 2014 at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The organizing committee of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship announced the launch of the championship at a press conference given by Organizing Committee chairman Khalid Ali Bin Zayed, member of Dubai Sports Council's Executive Office, Ibrahim Al-Bannai, Chairman of Dubai Chess Club and president of the Arab Chess Federation, Ismail al-Banna, Dubai Municipality Director of Corporate Marketing, Jamal Mohammed Abdouly of the Organizing Committee and General Coordinator Mohamed El Husseiny.

It will be the third of this format for the World Rapid and Blitz to be organized under the FIDE umbrella. The first tournament was held in 2012 in Astana, Kazakhstan and the second was in 2013 in Khanty Mansisk, Russia.

A record 124 players from 46 countries will compete for the title. World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway and his predecessor Vishwanathan Anand of India head the list of participants together with national champions from all over the world.

  

The Rapid championship will consist of 15 rounds to be held in the first three days. Games are scheduled 3pm daily on 16th, 17th and 18th June. The Blitz championship follows with 21 rounds starting 3pm on 19th and 20th June. Cash prizes totaling $400,000 shall be at stake with a top prize of $40,000 for the winner of each tournament. The championship will be broadcast live on the tournament’s official website www.dubai2014wrb.com with online games and commentary.

In the Blitz Championship, each player will have 3 minutes + 2 seconds additional time per move, starting from move 1. In the Rapid Championship, each player will have 15 minutes + 10 seconds additional time per move, starting from move 1.


Giving the press conference are, from left, Organizing Committee members Jamal Mohammed Abdouly, Deputy Chairman Ibrahim Mohammad Al Bannai, Chairman Khalid Bin Zayed, Dubai Municipality Director of Corporate Marketing Ismail al-Banna and General Coordinator Mohamed El Husseiny.