FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship: Full list of winners
(Courtesy : Michał Walusza/FIDE Chess/Twitter)
India’s Koneru Humpy won her second title in 2024.
The FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship is one of the most prestigious events in the chess calendar, showcasing the incredible speed and skill of the world’s top players. Held annually since 2012, the inaugural edition of the championship was claimed by Russian Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Unlike classical chess, where players have hours to ponder their moves, rapid chess typically allows just 15 minutes per game with a 10-second increment per move. The tournament has long been dominated by Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the five-time Classical World Champion, who has also won the World Rapid Chess Championship five times.
Established alongside the open format in 2012, the women’s category of the championship has seen its own thrilling battles. Antoaneta Stefanova won the inaugural edition in Batumi, Georgia. China’s Ju Wenjun is the only player to have won the title twice, in 2017 and 2018. She is also a four-time Women’s World Chess Champion.
In the initial years, the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship for men and women were often held in different locations, such as Astana for the men and Batumi for the women in 2012. However, since 2016, the events have been unified, taking place in the same city, fostering greater inclusivity and organizational efficiency.
Here is the complete list of players who have previously triumphed in the tournament:
World Rapid Chess Championship (since 2012)
| Order | Champion | Years Reigned | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergey Karjakin (RUS) | 2012 | Won the first World Rapid Chess Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. |
| 2 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) | 2013 | Won the title in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, ahead of Ian Nepomniachtchi. |
| 3 | Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2014 | Claimed his first title in Dubai, UAE. |
| 4 | Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2015 | Secured back-to-back titles in Berlin, Germany, ahead of Ian Nepomniachtchi. |
| 5 | Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR) | 2016 | Won in Doha, Qatar, defeating top players like Grischuk and Carlsen. |
| 6 | Viswanathan Anand (IND) | 2017 | Claimed the title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. |
| 7 | Daniil Dubov (RUS) | 2018 | Won the championship in Saint Petersburg, Russia. |
| 8 | Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2019 | Claimed his third title in Moscow, Russia. |
| 9 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) | 2021 | Became the youngest champion in Warsaw, Poland. |
| 10 | Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2022 | Secured his fourth title in Almaty, Kazakhstan. |
| 11 | Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2023 | Won his fifth title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. |
| 12 | Volodar Murzin (RUS) | 2024 | At 18, became the second -youngest Rapid World Champion in history. |
Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship (since 2012)
| Order | Champion | Years Reigned |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) | 2012 |
| 2 | Kateryna Lagno (UKR) | 2014 |
| 3 | Anna Muzychuk (UKR) | 2016 |
| 4 | Ju Wenjun (CHN) | 2017, 2018 |
| 5 | Koneru Humpy (IND) | 2019 |
| 6 | Alexandra Kosteniuk (CFR) | 2021 |
| 7 | Tan Zhongyi (CHN) | 2022 |
| 8 | Anastasia Bodnaruk (FIDE) | 2023 |
| 9 | Koneru Humpy | 2024 |
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