Carlsen wins blitz crown to complete Doha double

Doha, Qatar: Norway s Magnus Carlsen completed a dominant double at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships Qatar 2025, adding the Blitz world ti...

Doha, Qatar: Norway’s Magnus Carlsen completed a dominant double at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships Qatar 2025, adding the Blitz world title to his rapid crown at the Qatar University Sports and Events Complex yesterday.

Carlsen defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov in a tense blitz final, winning the second and fourth games after Abdusattorov took the opener and the third ended in a draw.

Earlier, in the semi-finals, Carlsen overcame American Fabiano Caruana after two draws, winning the final two games, while Abdusattorov advanced by beating India’s Arjun Erigaisi in the first and third games.

While Carlsen clinched his ninth FIDE World Blitz Chess title, along with a prize cheque worth €70,000, he also sealed his 20th world championship title across all three formats. It was also the fifth time (2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025) he has won the Rapid and Blitz titles in the same year.

Carlsen said winning both titles in Doha was a special achievement.