2024 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship: Carlsen And Nepomniachtchi AGREE To Share World Blitz Title, Ju Wins Women’s

GMs Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi have agreed to share the 2024 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship title after Carlsen’s suggestion seven games into their finals match.

After sensationally U-turning on his decision to withdraw from the event, Carlsen won his eighth world blitz title, while Nepomniachtchi deservedly picked up his first. This is the first chess world championship title that has ever been shared.

GM Ju Wenjun won an all-Chinese, 2023 Women’s World Championship rematch final against GM Lei Tingjie 3.5-2.5 in the wake of indomitable performances in her quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

This is a flash report. The full report featuring analysis, videos, and tweets will be added soon.

Open Knockout Bracket

Women’s Knockout Bracket

---

Open: Carlsen And Nepomniachtchi Agree To Share World Blitz Title

History has been written today! #RapidBlitz

We have two 2024 FIDE World Blitz Champions! Congratulations 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/nFFslLaYM9

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) January 1, 2025

Magnus Carlsen suggested to Ian Nepomniachtchi to share the first place! #RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/GILoLJai58

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 31, 2024

Our Game of the Day was the first sudden-death game between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi which will be analyzed by GM Dejan Bojkov and added shortly.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Carlsen has offered peace rather than playing out a tiebreaker. At the 2018 Sinquefield Cup he split first place with GMs Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana.

Women’s: Ju Undefeated In Knockout

Congratulations to Ju Wenjun for winning the FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship!🙌

Another trophy for Ju Wenjun with wins over Valentina Gunina, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Lei Tingjie! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WdYUWiIQhi

— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 31, 2024

World Champion Ju Wenjun is now the women’s blitz world champion as well, after winning game SIX!#RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/vDIncI3Ure

— chess24 (@chess24com) December 31, 2024

How to watch?

The 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships decide the world champions of rapid and blitz chess in Open and Women’s sections. For the rapid championships, the Open was a 13-round Swiss; the Women’s was an 11-round Swiss. The time control for both tournaments was 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment. The Blitz championships are the same number of rounds followed by a Knockout played by the top-eight finishers, with a time control of 3+2 for all games. The prize fund is $1.5 million.

---

Previous Coverage

• Day 4: Carlsen To Play Niemann In 4-Game Quarterfinals Match
• Day 3: Murzin Wins Rapid World Championship, Humpy Earns 2nd Title In Women’s
• Day 2: Carlsen Quits Rapid World Championship; Murzin, Duda, Arjun, Grischuk Lead Open
• Day 1: Lazavik Beats Carlsen; Murzin, Sargsyan, Dominguez, Naroditsky Lead Open
• New Format, New Year: FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships Come To Wall Street
• Wall Street Gambit: $5,000 Tickets, Chess Legends, Financial Elite
• FIDE Breaks From World Rapid & Blitz Tradition, Introduces Rest Day
• 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships To Be Held In New York