New York World Rapid and Blitz Championship Starts Today - A Great Way to Cap Chess in 2024
The World Rapid and Blitz starts today until December 31, 2024, capping a successful year for chess. After the World Championship event this year won by 18 year old Gukesh Dommaraju of India, next and final major chess event will be the World Rapid and Blitz championships in New York.
Over three hundred players will join the tournament including Magnus Carlsen who is the defending champion for Rapid and Blitz titles, former world championship candidate Fabiano Caruana, world women's champion Ju Wenjun and Hikaru Nakamura, one of the best if not the best blitz player today. Other participants are the best and the brightest chess players today including Alireza Firouza, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So and Levon Aronian.
The total prize fund is a whopping $1.5 million, divided between the rapid and blitz. The rapid event will be from December 26-29. Players will have 15 minutes and 10 seconds increment per move. The blitz event will be from December 30 and 31. The time control is 3 minutes and 2 seconds increment per move.
As usual there will be a live coverage and commentary of the games on youtube. I'll be watching the games and will be cheering for my favorite player, Wesley So to win.