Carlsen will defend titles in Berlin

The Rapid and Blitz Championship

The World Chess Championship that determines the Champion is played in two categories: Rapid and Blitz. In total, the Championships will go on for 5 days. Both Rapid and Blitz Championships will be Swiss pairings tournaments and will be held over three days for Rapid and two days for Blitz. The Rapid will be fifteen rounds, with a single game for each round. The Blitz will have 21 rounds, with a single game for each round.

DATES: OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2015
CITY: BERLIN, GERMANY
VENUE: BOLLE MEIEREI (CENTRAL BERLIN) 
OPENING CEREMONY: OCTOBER 9, 2015 AT 7.30PM (Invitation Only)
LAST DAY OF PLAY: OCTOBER 14, 2015 

Berlin to host FIDE World Chess Rapid and Blitz Championship

•         Highly anticipated tournament gathers 200 top chess players

•         Games start on Saturday, October 10, with the Rapid Chess Champion crowned Monday, October 12. The Blitz Chess Champion will be decided Wednesday, October 14

•         Gala opening event includes screening of “Pawn Sacrifice,” the new movie starring Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber

October, 6 2015 – Berlin, Germany – The World Chess Federation, FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Echecs), and Agon Limited, commercial partner of FIDE, announce that 200 of the world’s best chess players will compete in the upcoming World Chess Rapid and Blitz Championships, starting on October, 10. They include a record 161 grandmasters, making it the highest-ranked FIDE rapid and blitz tournament in history.

“A record number of GMs coming to Berlin this week is yet another milestone in solidifying the strong chess foundation,” commented Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, president of FIDE. “The Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships are an annual event, gathering the world’s best fast-chess players, including reigning and past Rapid and Blitz World Champions. We’re pleased that FIDE and Agon are delivering the highest number of countries’ representatives to an official FIDE event.”

Among the players who will be competing are Magnus Carlsen of Norway, the reigning blitz and rapid champion, as well as former champions Viswanathan Anand (India), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Leinier Domínguez (Cuba), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Sergey Karjakin (Russia) and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan). In total, players from 50 countries are competing, breaking the previous record that was set in Dubai in 2014.

“We’ve chosen Berlin as the host city for the Championship, due to its modern vibe and rich history, which is what we believe chess are all about,” said Ilya Merenzon, president of Agon Limited. “Chess has evolved with the time, and now people from all over the world will be able to watch the games, which will be broadcast online at the tournament website. Moreover, chess lovers will be able to stroll around the venue and watch their favorite players battle it out on the chessboard.”

Games start on October 10, and the tournament runs until October 14. The Rapid Chess World Champion will be decided by Monday, October 12, and the Blitz World Champion will be crowned on October 14. The venue of the championships is the magnificent Bolle Meierei, located in the heart of Berlin, close to the beautiful Spree River and Kleiner Tiergarten.

The Bolle Meierei

The official press-conference, announcing the start of the tournament, will take place on October 10 at 2.30 pm, and the awards ceremony will take place on October 14 at 6 pm.

There will be a grand gala on October 9, opening the championships, at the prestigious Kino International movie cinema. The gala will include a screening of the latest chess Hollywood blockbuster, “Pawn Sacrifice” starring Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber. This movie describes the story of the 1972 World Chess Championship match between Bobby Fischer (Maguire) and Boris Spassky (Schreiber). During the gala, Mr. Spassky, 78, will appear on stage of the cinema hall and greet the audience.

In Dubai 2014 Magnus Carlsen won both titles - in rapid and in blitz.

About World Chess by Agon Limited:

Agon Limited is the official partner of World Chess Federation (FIDE) and owner of commercial rights to the World Chess Championship cycle. The company aims to develop and commercialize chess, create favorable environment for partners, players, and brands, and to significantly expand the broadcast coverage of the sport. With this in mind the company introduces World Chess brand, targeting 600+ million chess players and spectators all over the world.

Agon encourages interactivity between the spectators and the players by developing live and post-live technology, called ChessCasting that uses chess engine analysis and human commentary, transforming chess into a spectator sport.

Agon became owner of commercial rights in 2012. The company successfully managed the 2012-2013 Grand Prix cycle, and the 2014 World Championship Match. Agon’s CEO is Ilya Merenzon. For commercial and partnership opportunities, please visit www.agonlimited.com.

Tournament site