View source for World Rapid Chess Championship

{{short description|Annual chess tournament}}
{{For|the most recent championship|World Rapid Chess Championship 2024}}
[[File:Murzin2022.jpg|thumb|right|[[Volodar Murzin]], the current World Rapid Champion.]]
[[File:HumpyKoneru.jpg|thumb|right|[[Koneru Humpy]], the current Women's World Rapid Champion.]]
The '''World Rapid Chess Championship''' is a [[chess tournament]] held to determine the world champion in [[chess]] played under [[fast chess|rapid time controls]]. Prior to 2012, [[FIDE]] gave such recognition to a limited number of tournaments, with non-FIDE recognized tournaments annually naming a world rapid champion of their own. Since 2012, FIDE has held an annual joint rapid and blitz chess tournament and billed it as the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships. FIDE also holds the Women's World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship. The current rapid world champion is [[Grandmaster (Chess)|grandmaster]] [[Volodar Murzin]] from Russia. [[Humpy Koneru]] from India is the current women's rapid world champion.

==Time controls==

[[File:Mazatlan 1988 Active Chess Championship.png|thumb|240px|Advertisement for 1988 World Active Chess Championship]]

The concept of rapid chess (then called "active chess") made its debut at a 1987 FIDE Congress meeting in [[Seville]], [[Spain]]. During the World Active Chess Championship the following year, time controls were set at 30 minutes per player per game.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldchess.com/2016/12/25/a-brief-history-of-fast-chess/ |title=A Brief History of Fast Chess |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103172317/https://worldchess.com/2016/12/25/a-brief-history-of-fast-chess/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1993, following his split from FIDE, world champion [[Garry Kasparov]] organized a slightly quicker version of active chess, dubbing it "rapid chess". The [[Professional Chess Association]], Kasparov's answer to FIDE, subsequently organized two Grand Prix cycles of rapid chess before folding in 1996. Under rapid chess time controls, each player was allowed 25 minutes with an additional 10 seconds after each move.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9IfLBWWNgZgC&q=%22professional+chess+association%22+%22rapid%22+%22grand+prix%22+%22kasparov%22&pg=PA276|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess|isbn=9781101221952|last1=Wolff|first1=Patrick|date=September 2001|access-date=2020-11-04|archive-date=2021-12-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228214417/https://books.google.com/books?id=9IfLBWWNgZgC&q=%22professional+chess+association%22+%22rapid%22+%22grand+prix%22+%22kasparov%22&pg=PA276|url-status=live}}</ref> FIDE would re-use these time controls and the "rapid chess" moniker for the 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, held in [[Cap d'Agde]]. During the World Cup 2013, these time controls were also used for the rapid tiebreak stages.

In 2012, FIDE inaugurated the World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships. The current time controls for the rapid championship are set at 15 minutes per player with a 10 second increment, while the blitz championship uses 3 minutes per player with a 2 second increment. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/WorldRapidBlitzChampionshipsRegulations.pdf |title=Regulations for the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2015 |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208034648/https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/WorldRapidBlitzChampionshipsRegulations.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==FIDE-recognized events==

Prior to 2012, FIDE sporadically sanctioned a world rapid chess championship. The first official high-profile rapid match took place in 1987, when then-world champion [[Garry Kasparov]] defeated [[Nigel Short]] in the "London Docklands Speed Chess Challenge" at the [[London Hippodrome]]. Kasparov won the match with 4 wins, two losses, and no draws in six games.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/4th-april-1987/52/chess |title=The Spectator: 3 APRIL 1987, Page 52 |access-date=3 January 2017 |archive-date=24 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624112519/http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/4th-april-1987/52/chess |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1988 World Active Chess Championship===

In 1988, FIDE organized the inaugural World Active Chess Championship, a 61-player rapid chess tournament in [[Mazatlan]], [[Mexico]] hosted by the Mazatlan Hoteliers Association. Notable participants included:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Mazatlan_rapid_1988/21052 |title=365Chess: Mazatlan rapid 1988 |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103235720/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Mazatlan_rapid_1988/21052 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{colbegin}}
# '''{{flagathlete|[[Anatoly Karpov]]|URS}}''', 2715
# {{flagathlete|[[Rafael Vaganian]]|URS}}, 2625
# {{flagathlete|[[Yasser Seirawan]]|USA}}, 2595
# {{flagathlete|[[Jaan Ehlvest]]|URS}}, 2585
# {{flagathlete|[[Bent Larsen]]|DEN}}, 2570
# {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Tukmakov]]|URS}}, 2570
# {{flagathlete|[[Maxim Dlugy]]|USA}}, 2550
# {{flagathlete|[[Viktor Gavrikov]]|URS}}, 2545
# {{flagathlete|[[Lev Alburt]]|USA}}, 2535
# {{flagathlete|[[Walter Browne]]|USA}}, 2530
# {{flagathlete|[[Roman Dzindzichashvili]]|ISR}}, 2530
# {{flagathlete|[[Nana Ioseliani]]|URS}}, 2455
# {{flagathlete|[[Gábor Kállai]]|HUN}}, 2450
# {{flagathlete|[[Sofia Polgar]]|HUN}}, 2320
{{colend}}

The event was won by [[Anatoly Karpov]], who edged out GM [[Viktor Gavrikov]] on tiebreak points after their 1st-place playoff ended in a 5–5 tie. Karpov was subsequently named the new "Active Chess Champion", winning a $40,000 cash prize in the process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/11/nyregion/chess-982989.html |title=Chess - NYTimes |access-date=2017-02-23 |archive-date=2016-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604231852/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/11/nyregion/chess-982989.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

{{8TeamBracket
| team-width=200
| RD3=Final
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''
| RD1-score1='''2½'''
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2={{flagicon|ISR}} [[Roman Dzindzichashvili]]
| RD1-score2=1½
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Jaan Ehlvest]]'''
| RD1-score3='''2½'''
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4={{flagicon|USA}} [[Maxim Dlugy]]
| RD1-score4=1½
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Vladimir Tukmakov]]'''
| RD1-score5='''2½'''
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6={{flagicon|URS}} [[Rafael Vaganian]]
| RD1-score6=½
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Viktor Gavrikov]]'''
| RD1-score7='''2½'''
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{flagicon|HUN}} [[Gábor Kállai]]
| RD1-score8=1½
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''
| RD2-score1='''2½'''
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2={{flagicon|URS}} [[Jaan Ehlvest]]
| RD2-score2=1½
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3={{flagicon|URS}} [[Vladimir Tukmakov]]
| RD2-score3=½
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Viktor Gavrikov]]'''
| RD2-score4='''2½'''
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1={{flagicon|URS}} '''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''
| RD3-score1='''5'''
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2={{flagicon|URS}} [[Viktor Gavrikov]]
| RD3-score2='''5'''
}}

[[Garry Kasparov]], the current world champion, declined to participate in the event and derided the concept of an active chess champion afterwards - he was quoted as saying, "Active Chess? What does that make me, the Passive World Champion?". The political controversy surrounding the event and the naming of a separate "active chess champion" led to the parallel rapid championship being dropped for future years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/garry-kasparov-a-history-of-profesional-che |title=Garry Kasparov: A History of Professional Chess |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2019-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605033254/https://en.chessbase.com/post/garry-kasparov-a-history-of-profesional-che |url-status=live }}</ref>

===2001 FIDE World Cup of Rapid Chess===

In 2001, the [[French Chess Federation]] organized the 16-player World Cup of Rapid Chess at [[Cannes]], with support from FIDE. The tournament consisted of a round-robin stage (2 groups of eight players each), followed by a set of knockout matches to determine the winner. With the [[Amber chess tournament|Melody Amber rapid chess tournament]] being held concurrently, the world's top players were split between attending both events. Nevertheless, the tournament attracted a strong field headlined by the No. 1-rated player in the world - despite the World Cup's status as an FIDE event, Kasparov's contract with the French Chess Federation led to his inclusion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic325.html#4 |title=TWIC 325: World Cup of Rapid Chess |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2016-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113182810/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic325.html#4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{colbegin}} 
# '''{{flagathlete|[[Garry Kasparov]]|RUS}}''', 2849
# {{flagathlete|[[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]|ENG}}, 2746
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Morozevich]]|RUS}}, 2745
# {{flagathlete|[[Evgeny Bareev]]|RUS}}, 2709
# {{flagathlete|[[Peter Svidler]]|RUS}}, 2695
# {{flagathlete|[[Rustam Kasimdzhanov]]|UZB}}, 2693
# {{flagathlete|[[Judit Polgár]]|HUN}}, 2676
# {{flagathlete|[[Ye Jiangchuan]]|CHN}}, 2671
# {{flagathlete|[[Mikhail Gurevich (chess player)|Mikhail Gurevich]]|BEL}}, 2663
# {{flagathlete|[[Vladislav Tkachiev]]|FRA}}, 2672
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}}, 2663
# {{flagathlete|[[Joel Lautier]]|FRA}}, 2658
# {{flagathlete|[[Boris Gulko]]|USA}}, 2622
# {{flagathlete|[[Etienne Bacrot]]|FRA}}, 2618
# {{flagathlete|[[Christian Bauer]]|FRA}}, 2618
# {{flagathlete|[[Hichem Hamdouchi]]|MAR}}, 2535
{{colend}}

In group A, Kasparov's domination of his opponents was on display: he scored 5½/7 to finish in clear 1st place, 1½ points ahead of the rest of the field. Joining him in the top 4 were Bareev, Grischuk, and Judit Polgár, who beat out Peter Svidler in tiebreaks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Cup_of_Rapid_Chess-A_2001 |title=World Cup of Rapid Chess - Group A |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103235632/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Cup_of_Rapid_Chess-A_2001 |url-status=live }}</ref> In group B, Belgian grandmaster Mikhail Gurevich got off to a fast start with 3 wins in 4 games to finish atop the group with 5/7. Following him into the knockout stage were the two Frenchmen, Bacrot and Tkachiev, and Michael Adams.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Cup_of_Rapid_Chess-B_2001 |title=World Cup of Rapid Chess - Group B |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103235759/http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/World_Cup_of_Rapid_Chess-B_2001 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket
| team-width=200
| RD3=Final
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''
| RD1-score1='''1½'''
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2={{flagicon|FRA}} [[Vladislav Tkachiev]]
| RD1-score2=½
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3={{flagicon|BEL}} [[Mikhail Gurevich (chess player)|Mikhail Gurevich]]
| RD1-score3=3
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Alexander Grischuk]]'''
| RD1-score4='''4'''
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5={{flagicon|ENG}} [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]
| RD1-score5=½
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6={{flagicon|HUN}} '''[[Judit Polgár]]'''
| RD1-score6='''1½'''
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7={{flagicon|FRA}} [[Etienne Bacrot]]
| RD1-score7=½
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Evgeny Bareev]]'''
| RD1-score8='''1½'''
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''
| RD2-score1='''3'''
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Alexander Grischuk]]
| RD2-score2=1
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3={{flagicon|HUN}} [[Judit Polgár]]
| RD2-score3=½
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Evgeny Bareev]]'''
| RD2-score4='''1½'''
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''
| RD3-score1='''1½'''
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Evgeny Bareev]]
| RD3-score2=½
}}

Kasparov defeated Bareev in Game 2 of the final match to win the tournament. In the endgame, Kasparov and Bareev were left with a seemingly closed position - four pawns and a King apiece. However, the position of Kasparov's king gave him a slight advantage, and with only two seconds left on his clock, Bareev could not find the drawing line and was forced to resign.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic333.html#2 |title=TWIC 333: 2nd World Cup of Rapid Chess |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2016-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401034148/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic333.html#2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+2001 World Cup of Rapid Chess – Final
!Name!!Rating!!1!!2!!Total
|- align=center style="background:#ccffcc;"
| align=left | {{flagathlete|'''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''|RUS}}
| '''2849'''
| style="background:black; color:white" | ½
| style="background:white; color:black" | 1
| '''1½'''
|- align=center
| align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Evgeny Bareev]]|RUS}}
| 2709
| style="background:white; color:black" | ½
| style="background:black; color:white" | 0
| ½
|}

===FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2003===

Looking to revive the World Rapid Chess Championship, FIDE gave official "world title" recognition to the 2003 rapid chess tournament held in [[Cap d'Agde]], [[France]]. Hosted by the Caisse Centrale d'Activités Sociales des Electriciens et Gaziers de France (CCAS) on the [[Mediterranean]] coast, the 2003 tournament included eleven of the world's 12 top-ranked players along with five wild-cards. With an average rating of 2726 [[Elo rating system|Elo]] points, the 2003 event was the strongest rapid chess tournament of all time up to that point.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic468.html#2 |title=TWIC 468: Cap d'Agde |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2016-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410082657/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic468.html#2 |url-status=live }}</ref> Included in the field were the reigning FIDE and Classical world chess champions, [[Ruslan Ponomariov]] and [[Vladimir Kramnik]].

{{colbegin}}
# {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}}, 2777
# '''{{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|IND}}''', 2766
# {{flagathlete|[[Evgeny Bareev]]|RUS}}, 2739
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexei Shirov]]|ESP}}, 2737
# {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|BUL}}, 2735
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}}, 2732
# {{flagathlete|[[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]|ENG}}, 2725
# {{flagathlete|[[Peter Svidler]]|RUS}}, 2723
# {{flagathlete|[[Peter Leko]]|HUN}}, 2722
# {{flagathlete|[[Judit Polgár]]|HUN}}, 2722
# {{flagathlete|[[Ruslan Ponomariov]]|UKR}}, 2718
# {{flagathlete|[[Boris Gelfand]]|ISR}}, 2703
# {{flagathlete|[[Zurab Azmaiparashvili]]|GEO}}, 2693
# {{flagathlete|[[Anatoly Karpov]]|RUS}}, 2693
# {{flagathlete|[[Joel Lautier]]|FRA}}, 2666
# {{flagathlete|[[Etienne Bacrot]]|FRA}}, 2664
{{colend}}

The field was divided into two groups of eight players each, from which eight players total would progress to the knockout stages; ties in standings were resolved by a sudden-death playoff. [[Vladimir Kramnik]], [[Ruslan Ponomariov]], and [[Etienne Bacrot]] scored 4½/7 to progress from Group A. Taking the final spot was [[Veselin Topalov]], who defeated [[Boris Gelfand]] in a sudden-death playoff.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Cap_d'Agde-A_2003/1140 |title=365Chess: Cap d'Agde 2003, Group A |access-date=2022-03-20 |archive-date=2021-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228214427/https://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Cap_d%27Agde-A_2003/1140 |url-status=live }}</ref> In group B, [[Peter Svidler]] finished clear of the field with 5/7 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals; joining him were [[Alexander Grischuk]], [[Viswanathan Anand]], and [[Judit Polgar]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Cap_d'Agde-B_2003 |title=365Chess: Cap d'Agde 2003, Group B |access-date=2022-03-20 |archive-date=2021-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228214425/https://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Cap_d%27Agde-B_2003 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket
| team-width=200
| RD3=Final
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Vladimir Kramnik]]'''
| RD1-score1='''1½'''
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2={{flagicon|HUN}} [[Judit Polgár]]
| RD1-score2=½
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3={{flagicon|FRA}} [[Etienne Bacrot]]
| RD1-score3=1
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Alexander Grischuk]]'''
| RD1-score4='''3'''
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5={{flagicon|UKR}} [[Ruslan Ponomariov]]
| RD1-score5=½
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD1-score6='''1½'''
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Peter Svidler]]'''
| RD1-score7='''1½'''
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{flagicon|BUL}} [[Veselin Topalov]]
| RD1-score8=½
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Vladimir Kramnik]]'''
| RD2-score1='''2'''
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Alexander Grischuk]]
| RD2-score2=0
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD2-score3='''2½'''
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Peter Svidler]]
| RD2-score4=1½
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Vladimir Kramnik]]
| RD3-score1=½
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD3-score2='''1½'''
}}

Kramnik, the reigning classical world champion and tournament's No. 1 seed, dispatched Polgár and Grischuk with little difficulty to reach the final. In the other half of the bracket, [[Viswanathan Anand]] defeated Peter Svidler in a sudden-death blitz game after three drawn games to join him. After Game 1 ended in a quiet 19-move draw, Anand chose to play for complications in Game 2 in the white side of a Sveshnikov Sicilian. Following an inaccuracy from Kramnik (17... a5? 18. Na3), Anand was able to use his two knights to infiltrate Kramnik's defence, eventually forcing a queen sac to win the game and the match.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic469.html#2 |title=TWIC 469: Cap d'Agde |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305095534/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic469.html#2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+World Rapid Chess Championship 2003 – Final
!Name!!Rating!!1!!2!!Total
|- align=center
| align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}}
| 2777
| style="background:white; color:black" | ½
| style="background:black; color:white" | 0
| ½
|- align=center style="background:#ccffcc;"
| align=left | {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}}
| '''2766'''
| style="background:black; color:white" | ½
| style="background:white; color:black" | 1
| '''1½'''
|}

===World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships (since 2012)===

On May 31, 2012, FIDE announced the inaugural World Rapid & Blitz Championships, set to take place in [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]] from July 1 to 11. The 2012 tournament consisted of a qualifying round, followed by the rapid and blitz events held consecutively over 5 days. In order to promote viewership, time controls were set at 15 minutes per player, rather than the pre-2012 standard of 25 minutes. The championship was originally structured as a 16-player [[round-robin tournament]], set to coincide with the first release of FIDE's rapid and blitz ratings in July 2012; invited were the top 10 players in the FIDE ratings list, the three medalists of the qualification competition, and three wild-card nominees by the organization committee and FIDE.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Regulations_World_Rapid_2012.pdf |title=Regulations for the World Rapid Chess Championship 2012 |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2013-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308224127/http://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Regulations_World_Rapid_2012.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The style has since been changed to a [[Swiss tournament]] with a field of over 100 grandmasters. The top three finishers in the standings are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively. Various methods of resolving [[Tie-breaking in Swiss-system tournaments|ties]] have been used and the 2016 edition resulted in all three medallists tied on 11/15 points with the champion being determined by comparing the average rating of each player's opponents. From 2017 onwards, a tie-breaker match has been played in the event of two or more players being tied on points for first place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/wrbc_regulations_2017_open.pdf |title=Regulations for the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2017 |access-date=2021-12-28 |archive-date=2021-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229154450/https://www.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/wrbc_regulations_2017_open.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Only two players may participate in this match, even where three or more players are tied for first place on points. This caused some controversy in the 2021 edition where four players finished at the top of the tournament each with a score of 9.5/13. A tie-break match for the gold and silver medals was held between [[Nodirbek Abdusattorov]] and [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]] due to having the highest Buchholz (Cut 1) scores of the four players. [[Magnus Carlsen]], the defending champion, and [[Fabiano Caruana]] were therefore unable to participate in the tie-break match despite having the same score as the champion. Carlsen criticised this result as 'idiotic' and called for changes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/carlsen-mener-vm-regel-er-_idiotisk__-tapte-gullet-i-siste-parti-1.15788525 |title=Carlsen thinks World Cup rule is 'idiotic': Lost gold in last game |access-date=2021-12-28 |archive-date=2021-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228205458/https://www.nrk.no/sport/carlsen-mener-vm-regel-er-_idiotisk__-tapte-gullet-i-siste-parti-1.15788525 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Editions and medallists===
====Open====
{| class="wikitable"
|+ World Rapid Chess Championships (since 2012)
|-
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Year
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Host city
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Champion
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Runner-up
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Third place 
|-
| 2012 || {{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Astana]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Sergey Karjakin]]'''|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Magnus Carlsen]]|NOR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|BUL}} 
|-
| 2013 || {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Khanty-Mansiysk]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]]'''|AZE}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}}
|-
| 2014 || {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Dubai]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Fabiano Caruana]]|ITA}} || {{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|IND}}
|-
| 2015 || {{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Teimour Radjabov]]|AZE}}
|-
| 2016 || {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Doha]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/9975-fide-world-rapid-a-blitz-championships-winners-of-rapid.html |title=The winners of FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2020-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101093356/https://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/9975-fide-world-rapid-a-blitz-championships-winners-of-rapid.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]'''|UKR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Magnus Carlsen]]|NOR}}
|-
| 2017 || {{flagicon|SAU}} [[Riyadh]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-ban-on-israeli-chess-players-underscores-limits-of-gulf-relations/ |title=Saudi ban on Israeli chess players underscores limits of Gulf relations |date=27 December 2017 |access-date=27 December 2017 |archive-date=1 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101154203/https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-ban-on-israeli-chess-players-underscores-limits-of-gulf-relations/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/world-chess-champions-anna-muzychuk-saudi-arabia-rapid-blitz-inequality-a8128751.html0 |title='I am ready to stand for my principles': Double world chess champion says she won't defend titles in Saudi Arabia because of kingdom's inequality |date=27 December 2017 |access-date=29 January 2018 |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320114356/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/world-chess-champions-anna-muzychuk-saudi-arabia-rapid-blitz-inequality-a8128751.html |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Fedoseev]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]|RUS}}
|-
| 2018 || {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=ChessBase staff |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/rapid-world-championship-2018-st-petersburg-live |title=FIDE World Rapid Champions: Dubov and Ju |publisher=ChessBase |access-date=28 December 2018 |date=28 December 2018 |archive-date=9 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109143518/https://en.chessbase.com/post/rapid-world-championship-2018-st-petersburg-live |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Daniil Dubov]]'''|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]]|AZE}} || {{flagathlete|[[Hikaru Nakamura]]|USA}} 
|-
|[[World Rapid Chess Championship 2019|2019]]
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Moscow]]
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}} || {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} [[Alireza Firouzja]]{{refn|group=n|name=firouzja|Alireza Firouzja competed under the flag of FIDE in the 2019 tournament after the Iranian federation withdrew all Iranian players so that they would not have to face players from Israel.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/firouzja-seeks-nationality-change-after-world-rapid-blitz-ban-by-iranian-fed|title=Firouzja Seeks Nationality Change After World Rapid & Blitz Ban By Iranian Federation|website=[[chess.com]]|date=25 December 2019|access-date=29 December 2019|archive-date=12 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212221730/https://www.chess.com/news/view/firouzja-seeks-nationality-change-after-world-rapid-blitz-ban-by-iranian-fed|url-status=live}}</ref>}} {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}} || {{flagathlete|[[Hikaru Nakamura]]|USA}} 
|-
| 2020 || colspan=4 align=center| Not held due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name = "COVID">{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/news/773 |title=World Rapid and Blitz Championship postponed to 2021 |access-date=2021-12-27 |archive-date=2021-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227233417/https://www.fide.com/news/773 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|[[World Rapid Chess Championship 2021|2021]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Warsaw]]
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Nodirbek Abdusattorov]]'''|UZB}} || {{flagicon image|CFR Russia chess simplified flag infobox.svg}} [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]<ref name="CFR1" group="n">Nepomniachtchi, Kosteniuk and Gunina are Russians, but they competed under the [[Chess Federation of Russia]] flag, due to [[World Anti-Doping Agency|WADA]] sanctions against Russia.</ref> {{Font|{{abbr|(CFR)|Chess Federation of Russia}}|size=90%}}||{{flagathlete|[[Magnus Carlsen]]|NOR}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2022|2022]] || {{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Almaty]]||{{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}} ||{{flagathlete|[[Vincent Keymer]]|GER}}||{{flagathlete|[[Fabiano Caruana]]|USA}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2023|2023]] || {{flagicon|UZB}} [[Samarkand]]||{{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}} ||{{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Fedoseev]]|SLO}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Yu Yangyi]]|CHN}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2024|2024]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City|New York]]<ref name="ny2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-fide-world-rapid-blitz-chess-championships-held-in-new-york#:~:text=The%202024%20FIDE%20World%20Rapid,over%2Dthe%2Dboard%20annually.|title=2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships To Be Held In New York|date=June 17, 2024}}</ref> ||  {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} '''[[Volodar Murzin]]'''<ref name="CFR2" group="n">Murzin, Grischuk, Nepomniachtchi, Bodnaruk and Lagno are Russians but competed under [[FIDE]] flag due to the organization's ban of the Russian and Belarusian flags as part of its response to the 2022 [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].</ref>}} {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}} || {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} [[Alexander Grischuk]]<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/>}} {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}} || {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/>}} {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2025|2025]] || {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Doha]]<ref name="doha2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.fide.com/fide-world-r-b-championships-2025-to-be-held-in-doha-qatar/|title=FIDE World R & B Championships 2025 to be Held in Doha, Qatar|date=23 January 2025}}</ref> || || ||
|}

====Women====
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Women's World Rapid Chess Championships (since 2012)
|-
! style="background:#fcc5cb"| Year
! style="background:#fcc5cb"| Host city
! style="background:#fcc5cb"| Champion
! style="background:#fcc5cb"| Runner-up
! style="background:#fcc5cb"| Third place
|-
| 2012 || {{flagicon|GEO}} [[Batumi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/index.php?option=com_fidecalendar&view=archiveview&aid=926 |title=Women's World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2012 |website=World Chess Federation |publisher=FIDE |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=2 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102002300/https://www.fide.com/index.php?option=com_fidecalendar&view=archiveview&aid=926 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Antoaneta Stefanova is Women World Rapid Champion |url=http://www.chessdom.com/antoaneta-stefanova-is-women-world-rapid-champion/ |website=Chessdom |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=28 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728160759/http://www.chessdom.com/antoaneta-stefanova-is-women-world-rapid-champion/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Stefanova and Gunina winners at World Rapid and Blitz Championships |url=http://www.chessvibes.com/?q=reports/stefanova-and-gunina-winners-at-world-rapid-and-blitz-championships |website=Chessvibes |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=2 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102050621/http://www.chessvibes.com/?q=reports%2Fstefanova-and-gunina-winners-at-world-rapid-and-blitz-championships |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Antoaneta Stefanova]]'''|BUL}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Koneru Humpy]]|IND}} 
|-
| 2013 || colspan=4 align=center| Not held<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/index.php?option=com_fidecalendar&view=fidearchive&ny=2013 |title=FIDE Archive: 2013 |work=World Chess Federation |access-date=2018-12-30 |archive-date=2018-12-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231092519/https://www.fide.com/index.php?option=com_fidecalendar&view=fidearchive&ny=2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 2014 || {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Khanty-Mansiysk]]<ref>{{cite web |title=FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2014 |url=https://www.fide.com/images/stories/final_standings/2014/FIDE_World_Womens_Rapid_Chess_Championship_2014.pdf |website=FIDE |publisher=FIDE |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=4 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200504203043/https://www.fide.com/images/stories/final_standings/2014/FIDE_World_Womens_Rapid_Chess_Championship_2014.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Kateryna Lagno]]'''|UKR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Olga Girya]]|RUS}} 
|-
| 2015 || colspan=4 align=center| Not held
|-
| 2016 || {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Doha]]<ref name="women2016rapid">{{cite web |url=http://chess-results.com/tnr255542.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=12&turdet=YES&flag=30&wi=984 |title=FIDE "Women" World Rapid Ch. 2016 Final Ranking after 12 Rounds |access-date=2018-12-30 |archive-date=2020-01-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111083033/http://chess-results.com/tnr255542.aspx?lan=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="2016rapid">{{cite web |url=http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/9975-fide-world-rapid-a-blitz-championships-winners-of-rapid.html |title=Double gold for Ukraine in FIDE World Rapid Championship |access-date=2018-12-31 |archive-date=2020-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101093356/https://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/9975-fide-world-rapid-a-blitz-championships-winners-of-rapid.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Anna Muzychuk]]'''|UKR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Nana Dzagnidze]]|GEO}} 
|-
| 2017 || {{flagicon|SAU}} [[Riyadh]]<ref>{{cite web |title=King Salman World Rapid Championship 2017 Women |url=http://chess-results.com/tnr323007.aspx?lan=1&art=4 |website=Chess-Results |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=13 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513080719/http://chess-results.com/tnr323007.aspx?lan=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Ju Wenjun]]'''|CHN}} || {{flagathlete|[[Lei Tingjie]]|CHN}} || {{flagathlete|[[Elisabeth Pähtz]]|GER}}
|-
| 2018 || {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]]<ref>{{cite web |title=King Salman World Rapid Championship 2018 Open |url=http://chess-results.com/tnr399596.aspx?lan=1&art=4&turdet=NO&flag=30&css=1 |website=Chess-Results Server |access-date=1 January 2019 |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229080219/http://chess-results.com/tnr399596.aspx?lan=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Ju Wenjun]]'''|CHN}} || {{flagathlete|[[Sarasadat Khademalsharieh]]|IRI}} || {{flagathlete|[[Aleksandra Goryachkina]]|RUS}} 
|-
|[[World Rapid Chess Championship 2019|2019]]
|{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Moscow]]
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Koneru Humpy]]'''|IND}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Lei Tingjie]]|CHN}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Ekaterina Atalik]]|TUR}}
|-
| 2020 || colspan=4 align=center| Not held due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name = "COVID" />
|-
||[[World Rapid Chess Championship 2021|2021]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Warsaw]]<ref name="warsaw">{{cite web |title=World Rapid & Blitz 2021 to be held in Warsaw, Poland |url=https://www.fide.com/news/1473 |website=World Chess Federation |publisher=FIDE |date=10 December 2021 |access-date=10 December 2021 |archive-date=10 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210142753/https://www.fide.com/news/1473 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|{{flagicon image|CFR Russia chess simplified flag infobox.svg}} '''[[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]'''<ref name="CFR1" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(CFR)|Chess Federation of Russia}}|size=90%}} || {{flagathlete|[[Bibisara Assaubayeva]]|KAZ}} ||{{flagicon image|CFR Russia chess simplified flag infobox.svg}} [[Valentina Gunina]]<ref name="CFR1" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(CFR)|Chess Federation of Russia}}|size=90%}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2022|2022]] || {{flagicon|KAZ}} [[Almaty]]
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Tan Zhongyi]]'''|CHN}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Dinara Saduakassova]]|KAZ}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Savitha Shri B]]|IND}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2023|2023]] || {{flagicon|UZB}} [[Samarkand]]||{{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} '''[[Anastasia Bodnaruk]]'''<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE}}|size=90%}} || {{flagathlete|[[Koneru Humpy]]|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Lei Tingjie]]|CHN}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2024|2024]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City|New York]]<ref name="ny2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-fide-world-rapid-blitz-chess-championships-held-in-new-york#:~:text=The%202024%20FIDE%20World%20Rapid,over%2Dthe%2Dboard%20annually.|title=2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships To Be Held In New York|date=June 17, 2024}}</ref> || {{flagathlete|'''[[Koneru Humpy]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ju Wenjun]]|CHN}} || {{nowrap|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} [[Kateryna Lagno]]<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE}}|size=90%}}
|-
| [[World Rapid Chess Championship 2025|2025]] || {{flagicon|QAT}} [[Doha]]<ref name="doha2025" /> || || ||
|}

==== Records ====
===== Titles (open) =====

{| class="wikitable"
|+Most Times Champion
(including 1988, 2001 and 2003 events)
!Titles won
!Player
!Year(s)
|-
!5
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''|NOR}}
|2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023
|-
!2
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}}
|2003, 2017
|-
! rowspan="8" |1
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''|USSR}}
|1988
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''|RUS}}
|2001
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Sergey Karjakin]]'''|RUS}}
|2012
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]]'''|AZE}}
|2013
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]'''|UKR}}
|2016
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Daniil Dubov]]'''|RUS}}
|2018
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Nodirbek Abdusattorov]]'''|UZB}}
|2021
|-
|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} '''[[Volodar Murzin]]'''<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}}
|2024
|}

===== Titles (women) =====

{| class="wikitable"
|+Most Times Champion
(including 1992 event)
!Titles won
!Player
!Year(s)
|-
! rowspan="2" |2
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Ju Wenjun]]'''|CHN}}
|2017, 2018
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Koneru Humpy]]'''|IND}}
|2019, 2024
|-
! rowspan="7" |1
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Susan Polgar|Zsuzsa Polgár]]'''|HUN}}
|1992
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Antoaneta Stefanova]]'''|BUL}}
|2012
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Kateryna Lagno]]'''|UKR}}
|2014
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Anna Muzychuk]]'''|UKR}}
|2016
|-
|{{flagicon image|CFR Russia chess simplified flag infobox.svg}} '''[[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]'''<ref name="CFR1" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(CFR)|Chess Federation of Russia}}|size=90%}}
|2021
|-
|{{flagathlete|'''[[Tan Zhongyi]]'''|CHN}}
|2022
|-
|{{flagicon image|FIDE flag icon.png}} '''[[Anastasia Bodnaruk]]'''<ref name="CFR2" group="n"/> {{Font|{{abbr|(FIDE)|FIDE flag player}}|size=90%}}
|2023
|}

==Other events==

===Frankfurt/Mainz World Rapid Chess Championship===

[[Image:Anand-Kasparov 2000-06-24 Frankfurt.jpg|thumb|Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov face off in the 2000 edition of the championship]]

Starting in 1994, the Chess Classic was an annual series of tournaments hosted by the ''Chess Tigers'' in [[Mainz]], [[Germany]]. The brainchild of Hans-Walter Schmitt, the Chess Classic featured top-ranked players playing rapid and FischeRandom chess games against computers as well as each other. The main event of the classic was the '''Grenkeleasing Rapid World Championship''' (formerly Fujitsu-Siemens), a tournament generally considered as the traditional rapid chess championship in the absence of an annual FIDE-recognized championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/anand-wins-rapid-championship-at-mainz-navara-wins-open/?_r=0 |title=NYTimes.com - Anand Wins Rapid Championship at Mainz; Navara Wins Open}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/uk/news/aronian-wins-rapid-world-championship-8519 |title=Chess.com - Aronian Wins Rapid World Championship |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103170652/https://www.chess.com/uk/news/aronian-wins-rapid-world-championship-8519 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chesstigers.de/alte_daten/chesstigers_alt/ChessClassic/ChessClassic2000e/Home/preview.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118135135/http://www.chesstigers.de/alte_daten/chesstigers_alt/ChessClassic/ChessClassic2000e/Home/preview.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-01-18 |title=Preview: Frankfurt Chess Classic 2000}}</ref> Indian grandmaster [[Viswanathan Anand]] holds the record for most championship wins, having won the event 11 times in 15 years.

From 1996 to 1998, the Rapid Chess Championship at [[Frankfurt]] was organized as a double-round robin, followed by a match between the 1st and 2nd-place finishers for the championship. With the addition of Karpov to the field in 1999, the format was temporarily changed to a pure round-robin, with the 1st-place finisher winning the championship. The following year the field was expanded further to include all ten of the top 10-rated Grandmasters in the world, and was dubbed a Category 21 tournament with an average Elo rating of 2767.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/mainz-2009-schmitt-i-suffer-vicariously-with-anand- |title=CB News: Mainz 2009 – Schmitt: 'I suffer vicariously with Anand' |access-date=2017-01-07 |archive-date=2017-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108190233/https://en.chessbase.com/post/mainz-2009-schmitt-i-suffer-vicariously-with-anand- |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2001 the event moved to [[Mainz]], and shifted from a round-robin to a matchplay format - the defending champion Viswanathan Anand defended his title in an eight-game match against the winner of the previous year's Ordix Open, the open rapid tournament. In 2007, with Anand still the rapid champion after six successful title defenses, the event reverted to a double-round robin tournament, with the top two finishers in the semi-finals advancing to the finals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mark-weeks.com/aboutcom/mw01a01.htm |title=Viswanathan Anand's Tournament, Match, and Exhibition Record (1983-) |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2017-01-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104000143/http://www.mark-weeks.com/aboutcom/mw01a01.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In a homage to the [[Masters Tournament]], the winner of the championship is traditionally awarded a winner's black jacket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scrkuppenheim.de/meko/frankfurt.html |title=Frankfurt puts everything which has gone before in the shade |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2013-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205011825/http://www.scrkuppenheim.de/meko/frankfurt.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2010, the event's final year, the Open GRENKE Rapid Championship featured a field of over 700 players. Shortly afterwards, the ''Chess Tigers'' withdrew financial backing for the event, due in part to the effects of the [[2008 financial crisis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-claic-mainz-end-of-an-era |title=CB News: Chess Classic Mainz – End of an Era |access-date=2017-01-03 |archive-date=2019-05-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504094509/https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-claic-mainz-end-of-an-era |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-----
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Year
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Format
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Champion
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Runner-up
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Score
|-----
| 1996 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Alexei Shirov]]'''|ESP}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}} || 1½–½
|-----
| 1997 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Anatoly Karpov]]|RUS}} || 3–1
|-----
| 1998 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}} || 4–3<sup>1</sup>
|-----
| 1999 || Quadruple [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Garry Kasparov]]'''|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|IND}} || N/A
|-----
| 2000 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Garry Kasparov]]|RUS}} || N/A
|-----
| 2001 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (10 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}} || 6½–5½<sup>1</sup>
|-----
| 2002 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (8 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ruslan Ponomariov]]|UKR}} || 4½–3½
|-----
| 2003 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (8 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Judit Polgar]]|HUN}} || 5–3
|-----
| 2004 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (8 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexei Shirov]]|ESP}} || 5–3
|-----
| 2005 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (8 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}} || 5–3
|-----
| 2006 || [[Match play|Matchplay]] (8 games) || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Teimour Radjabov]]|AZE}} || 5–3
|-----
| 2007 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Levon Aronian]]|ARM}} || 2½–1½
|-----
| 2008 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}} || {{flagathlete|[[Magnus Carlsen]]|NOR}} || 3–1
|-----
| 2009 || Double [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]]/final || {{flagathlete|'''[[Levon Aronian]]'''|ARM}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]|RUS}} || 3–1
|-----
| 2010 || [[Swiss-system tournament]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Gata Kamsky]]'''|USA}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vugar Gashimov]]|AZE}} || N/A
|}

<sup>1</sup> Blitz tiebreaks used to settle the outcome.

===2002 Eurotel World Chess Trophy===

Presented under the auspices of ''Online World Chess'', the 2002 EuroTel Knockout Tournament was a 32-player [[single-elimination tournament]] hosted in [[Prague]] from 27 April to 5 May 2002. 14 of the world's top 15 players were in attendance, including the reigning [[World Chess Championship|world champion]] [[Vladimir Kramnik]] and the world's No. 1-ranked player [[Garry Kasparov]]. A notable omission from the field was reigning FIDE World Champion [[Ruslan Ponomariov]]. At stake was a share of the €500,000 prize fund, the largest for any chess event hosted in the [[Czech Republic]], and the EuroTel Trophy. The finalists of the tournament were determined by a series of knock-out matches, with each match consisting of two games played at rapid time controls (25 minutes per player). Ties were broken by two blitz games, followed by a sudden-death Armageddon game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chess.gr/tourn/2002/eurotel2002/ |title=The Eurotel World Chess Trophy |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116183404/http://www.chess.gr/tourn/2002/eurotel2002/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic388.html |title=TWIC 388: Eurotel KO Details |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=2016-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409191445/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic388.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{colbegin}}
# {{flagathlete|[[Garry Kasparov]]|RUS}}, 2838
# {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|RUS}}, 2809
# {{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|IND}}, 2752
# {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|BUL}}, 2745
# {{flagathlete|[[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]|ENG}}, 2744
# {{flagathlete|[[Evgeny Bareev]]|RUS}}, 2724
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Morozevich]]|RUS}}, 2718
# {{flagathlete|[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]|UKR}}, 2711
# {{flagathlete|[[Boris Gelfand]]|ISR}}, 2710
# {{flagathlete|[[Peter Leko]]|HUN}}, 2707
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexei Shirov]]|ESP}}, 2704
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}}, 2702
# {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Khalifman]]|RUS}}, 2698
# {{flagathlete|[[Anatoly Karpov]]|RUS}}, 2690
# {{flagathlete|[[Peter Svidler]]|RUS}}, 2688
# {{flagathlete|[[Judit Polgar]]|HUN}}, 2677
# {{flagathlete|[[Ye Jiangchuan]]|CHN}}, 2676
# {{flagathlete|[[Nigel Short]]|ENG}}, 2673
# {{flagathlete|[[Jeroen Piket]]|NED}}, 2659
# {{flagathlete|[[Viktor Bologan]]|MDA}}, 2652
# {{flagathlete|[[Ivan Sokolov (chess player)|Ivan Sokolov]]|BIH}}, 2647
# {{flagathlete|[[Loek van Wely]]|NED}}, 2642
# {{flagathlete|[[Mikhail Gurevich (chess player)|Mikhail Gurevich]]|BEL}}, 2641
# {{flagathlete|[[Vladislav Tkachiev]]|FRA}}, 2633
# {{flagathlete|[[Yasser Seirawan]]|USA}}, 2631
# {{flagathlete|[[Sergei Movsesian]]|CZE}}, 2624
# {{flagathlete|[[Artur Jussupow]]|GER}}, 2618
# {{flagathlete|[[Jan Timman]]|NED}}, 2616
# {{flagathlete|[[Teimour Radjabov]]|AZE}}, 2610
# {{flagathlete|[[Vadim Milov]]|SUI}}, 2606
# {{flagathlete|[[Zbyněk Hráček]]|CZE}}, 2596
# {{flagathlete|[[Gilberto Milos]]|BRA}}, 2594
{{colend}}

The surprise of the tournament was [[Anatoly Karpov]], who put together an impressive run with wins against [[Nigel Short|Short]], [[Vladimir Kramnik|Kramnik]], [[Alexander Morozevich|Morozevich]], and [[Alexei Shirov|Shirov]] to reach the finals. In the other half of the bracket, the No. 1 seed [[Garry Kasparov|Kasparov]] was upset by [[Vasyl Ivanchuk]] in a sudden-death game after the rapid and blitz games did not produce a winner; Ivanchuk would subsequently lose to [[India]]n grandmaster [[Viswanathan Anand]] in the semifinals, bowing out with a loss in the second blitz tiebreak game after both rapid games ended in a draw.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic391.html#3 |title=TWIC 391: Eurotel KO Prague |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=2017-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628151740/http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic391.html#3 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket
| team-width=200
| RD3=Final
| RD1-seed1=
| RD1-team1={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Garry Kasparov]]
| RD1-score1=2
| RD1-seed2=
| RD1-team2={{flagicon|UKR}} '''[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]'''
| RD1-score2='''3'''
| RD1-seed3=
| RD1-team3={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD1-score3='''1½'''
| RD1-seed4=
| RD1-team4={{flagicon|NED}} [[Ivan Sokolov (chess player)|Ivan Sokolov]]
| RD1-score4=½
| RD1-seed5=
| RD1-team5={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''
| RD1-score5='''1½'''
| RD1-seed6=
| RD1-team6={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Alexander Morozevich]]
| RD1-score6=½
| RD1-seed7=
| RD1-team7={{flagicon|BUL}} [[Veselin Topalov]]
| RD1-score7=½
| RD1-seed8=
| RD1-team8={{flagicon|ESP}} '''[[Alexei Shirov]]'''
| RD1-score8='''1½'''
| RD2-seed1=
| RD2-team1={{flagicon|UKR}} [[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]
| RD2-score1=1½
| RD2-seed2=
| RD2-team2={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD2-score2='''2½'''
| RD2-seed3=
| RD2-team3={{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Anatoly Karpov]]'''
| RD2-score3='''3'''
| RD2-seed4=
| RD2-team4={{flagicon|ESP}} [[Alexei Shirov]]
| RD2-score4=1
| RD3-seed1=
| RD3-team1={{flagicon|IND}} '''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''
| RD3-score1='''1½'''
| RD3-seed2=
| RD3-team2={{flagicon|RUS}} [[Anatoly Karpov]]
| RD3-score2=½
}}

In the final, Anand defeated Karpov in Game 1 with White to take a 1–0 lead; Anand maneuvered his light-squared bishop to slowly gain an advantage throughout the game, before 54... a5? gave the Indian a winning advantage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250561 |title=Viswanathan Anand vs Anatoly Karpov - Eurotel Trophy (2002) - Russian Game: Classical Attack. Jaenisch Variation (C42) - 1-0 |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116180855/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250561 |url-status=live }}</ref> In Game 2, Karpov pressed but was unable to crack Anand's [[Semi-Slav Defence]], leading to a 34-move draw.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250562 |title=Anatoly Karpov vs Viswanathan Anand - Eurotel Trophy (2002) - Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (D45) - ½-½ |access-date=2017-01-14 |archive-date=2017-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116180438/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250562 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+2002 EuroTel Knockout Tournament – Final
!Name!!Rating!!1!!2!!Total
|- align=center style="background:#ccffcc;"
| align=left | {{flagathlete|'''[[Viswanathan Anand]]'''|IND}}
| '''2752'''
| style="background:white; color:black" | 1
| style="background:black; color:white" | ½
| '''1½'''
|- align=center 
| align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Anatoly Karpov]]|RUS}}
| 2690
| style="background:black; color:white" | 0
| style="background:white; color:black" | ½
| ½
|}

===ACP World Rapid Cup===

Starting in 2007, the [[Association of Chess Professionals]] (ACP) sponsored an annual event billed as the '''ACP World Rapid Cup'''. The 1st edition of the event was a 16-player [[Single-elimination tournament|knockout tournament]], jointly organized by the Pivdenny Bank of [[Ukraine]] and the ACP and held in [[Odesa]], [[Ukraine]] at the Hotel Londonskaya from 4 January to 8 January 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/first-acp-world-rapid-in-odea |title=First ACP World Rapid in Odessa |access-date=2018-01-31 |archive-date=2018-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201194529/https://en.chessbase.com/post/first-acp-world-rapid-in-odea |url-status=live }}</ref> The brainchild of Pivdenny Bank chairman and ACP president Vadim Morokhovsky,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/3rd-acp-world-rapid-cup-in-odea |title=ChessBase News - 3rd ACP World Rapid Cup in Odessa |access-date=2018-01-31 |archive-date=2018-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201192948/https://en.chessbase.com/post/3rd-acp-world-rapid-cup-in-odea |url-status=live }}</ref> the tournament included the top finishers in each year's ACP Tour, a system in which participating players were ranked based on their performances in several chess tournaments held around the world. The remaining participants were chosen on a wild-card basis at the organizers' discretion. From 2007 to 2010, the tournament was held on an annual basis, with the 5th edition of the cup held in 2013. Despite the ACP Cup's status as a non-FIDE event, FIDE President [[Kirsan Ilyumzhinov]] was present at the inaugural edition of the tournament and took part in the opening ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/1892-383-peter-leko-of-hungary-wins-the-1st-acp-world-rapid-cup.html |title=FIDE Report - Peter Leko of Hungary wins the 1st ACP World Rapid Cup |access-date=2018-01-31 |archive-date=2018-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201075552/https://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/1892-383-peter-leko-of-hungary-wins-the-1st-acp-world-rapid-cup.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A subsequent agreement between FIDE and the ACP ensured that ACP would be able to use the title "World" when promoting and referring to the tournament.

Time controls were set at 20 minutes per player, with an increment of five seconds. Each match consisted of two rapid games, with the winner progressing to the next round. Ties were resolved by two blitz games, followed by a sudden-death Armageddon game. The final match initially consisted of four rapid games, with the same tiebreaks; in 2013, the final was shortened back to two rapid games.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/(X(1)S(llg5s3n25xhqbvopexo5w3mx))/post/acp-03-grischuk-prevails-170913 |title=ChessBase News - ACP 2003: Grischuk prevails |access-date=2018-01-31 |archive-date=2018-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201193008/https://en.chessbase.com/(X(1)S(llg5s3n25xhqbvopexo5w3mx))/post/acp-03-grischuk-prevails-170913 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-----
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Year
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Host city
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Champion
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Runner-up
! style="background:#C0C0C0"| Score
|-----
| 2007|| {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Odesa]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Peter Leko]]'''|HUN}} || {{flagathlete|[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]|UKR}} || 2½–1½
|-----
| 2008|| {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Odesa]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Teimour Radjabov]]'''|AZE}} || {{flagathlete|[[Alexander Grischuk]]|RUS}} || 2½–1½
|-----
| 2009|| {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Odesa]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Boris Gelfand]]'''|ISR}} || {{flagathlete|[[Peter Svidler]]|RUS}} || 3–1
|-----
| 2010|| {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Odesa]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Sergey Karjakin]]'''|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Dmitry Andreikin]]|RUS}} || 3–3<sup>1</sup>
|-----
| 2013|| {{flagicon|LAT}} [[Riga]] || {{flagathlete|'''[[Alexander Grischuk]]'''|RUS}} || {{flagathlete|[[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]|RUS}} || 2–2<sup>1</sup>
|}

<sup>1</sup> Armageddon game used to settle the outcome.

==See also==
* [[World Blitz Chess Championship]]
* [[Fast chess]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=n}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Chess international championships}}
{{World Chess Championships}}
{{Chess}}

[[Category:World championships in chess|Rapid]]
[[Category:World Rapid Chess Championship| ]]
[[Category:Fast chess competitions|rapid]]
[[Category:FIDE competitions]]