World Blitz in Doha: Tight race in Open as Eline Roebers leads Women’s event
After 13 rounds, Arjun Erigaisi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Fabiano Caruana share the lead in the Open section of the FIDE World Blitz Championship with 10 points each. In the Women’s Blitz, the Netherlands’ Eline Roebers emerged as the sole leader with 8.5/10. The 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championships started in Doha on Monday, December 29. Day one featured 13 rounds in the Open and ten in the Women’s competition. A trio of players tops the Open standings. Arjun Erigaisi, who moved into first place in Round 11, has enjoyed a stellar run, including a dramatic win over Magnus Carlsen when the Norwegian’s piece flew off the board and his time expired. Erigaisi’s only defeat came at the hands of Jorden van Foreest. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave recovered from an early setback in Round 2 to join the leaders by Round 12. Finally, Fabiano Caruana surged to the top with a strong finish, including a lucky victory over Carlsen, who blundered a rook. The leaders are chased by six players on 9.5 points. The co-champions from 2024, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, sit on 9/13. In the Women’s event, Eline Roebers defeated Aleksandra Goryachkina in Round 9 to tie for the lead, then outplayed Argentina’s Candela Francisco Guecamburu with Black in Round 10, securing the sole lead. Goryachkina, Umida Omonova (the sole leader after Round 6), and former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova trail by half a point with 8/10. The Open Blitz The first sole leader in the Open emerged after Round 6 – Jorden van Foreest was the only player with a 100% score. The 26-year-old Dutchman, who won the Dutch championship this year, defeated the likes of Firouzja and Erigaisi. In Round 7, van Foreest fell to Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who briefly joined a six-way tie for the lead at 6/7. Things didn’t go well for them after that, and both finished the day on 8/13. By the end of Round 10, Arjun Erigaisi stood alone at the top with 8.5/10, having drawn only once (with Firouzja) and lost once (to van Foreest). Entering the final round of the day, three players were tied at 9.5/12: Erigaisi, Vachier-Lagrave, and Caruana (who joined the lead by beating Carlsen). All three drew their final games: MVL with Caruana and Erigaisi with Daniil Dubov. With other games on top boards ending in draws, the trio remains at the top after day one. Magnus Carlsen finished on 9/13. He suffered two big setbacks – losing to Erigaisi on time and overlooking a rook against Fabiano Caruana. Magnus also drew four games – with Javokhir Sindarov, Oleksandr Bortnyk, Jorden van Foreest, and Alexander Grischuk. With six rounds remaining, Carlsen will need to sharpen his game if he wants to reach the top four. Top 10 after Day 1 – Blitz Open The Blitz drama: When pieces fly off the board The moment that captured the full drama of the World Blitz event happened in Round 9. Magnus Carlsen was fighting a tense endgame with India’s top player Arjun Erigaisi. The Indian had nine seconds on his clock while Carlsen was down to three. Just as Carlsen was about to make a queen move, his queen slipped off his hand flew off the table. Alexander Grischuk, who happened to be passing by at that moment, jumped and tried to move out of the way quickly. By the time Carlsen picked up his queen and put it back on the board, his time had already run out. The Norwegian couldn’t hide his anger, slamming his fist on the table. The Women’s Blitz As in the Open, the first sole leader in the Women’s Blitz emerged after Round 6. Uzbekistan’s Umida Omonova defeated a whole field of strong players, including Koneru, Danielian, Lagno, and Yip, to reach the top. In Round 7, Omonova lost to Aleksandra Goryachkina, who took the lead and held it for the next three rounds (despite losing as Black to Eline Roebers in round nine). In the final round of the day, Goryachkina drew as White on board one with former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova, putting them both on eight points. Meanwhile, on board two, Eline Roebers defeated Candela Francisco Guecamburu with the black pieces. With 8.5/10, Roebers ended the day as the sole leader. Behind her are Goryachkina, Omonova, and Stefanova, all on eight points. The defending Women’s World Champion in the Blitz Ju Wenjun finished the day on 5.5 points, just above 50%. With five more rounds to go in the Women’s Blitz, Ju has almost no chance of reaching the knockouts. Top 10 after Day 1 – Blitz Women From knockouts to “sudden death” games: The rules of the Blitz format The World Blitz Championships are made up of two stages. The first is a large Swiss tournament (19 rounds in the Open, 15 in the Women’s event). The top four players then advance to the knockout stage, which consists of four-game matches. The knockout format in the Blitz was first introduced in the 2024 event, when it featured eight players. The change from last year is that the number of players who qualify for the knockouts is four instead of eight. If the score is even after four blitz games, one sudden death game shall be played to determine the winner of the match. In the previous edition in New York, Ju Wenjun won the Blitz crown. In the Open, the title was shared jointly by Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi after the two ended up in a series of hard-fought draws. The two-day event features 150 players in the Open and 140 in the Women’s competition, fighting for the prize fund worth just over half a million euros (nearly 600,000 USD). With the time control of three minutes plus a two-second increment per move, starting from move one, this tournament is traditionally the sharpest and most electrifying chess event of the year, with surprises and setbacks in almost every round. The standings after Day 1 of the
Tsephe Lebajoa and Boitumelo Sethabathaba crowned champions at 2025 Lesotho Championship
CM Tsephe Lebajoa, the reigning Lesotho Junior Male Sports Person of the Year, concluded a remarkable season by winning the Open title at the 2025 National Chess Championship. He secured victory with a round to spare after a commanding and consistent performance. This win crowns an outstanding year for the young star, marking his fifth major title in 2025 and cementing his status as one of the nation’s leading players. Lebajoa was in scintillating form throughout the championship, recording impressive victories against several top contenders, including former national champion Lihleola Motlomelo, third seed Karabo Mokete, and fourth-ranked George Mohamed. His only loss came in the final round against Khama Letsatsi, after the title was already decided. Alongside the national crown, Lebajoa earned a M5,500 first prize. Katleho Phakisi claimed silver after producing one of the tournament’s standout performances. Entering as the 24th seed and missing the opening round, Phakisi exceeded expectations with a superb run that echoed the promise he showed as a 15-year-old two years ago. His strong performance resulted in a gain of over 100 rating points, signaling a major return to form. Third place went to Khama Letsatsi, who rose to the occasion in the final round with a composed and disciplined victory over the champion. The Best Junior Award was claimed by Tumelo Putsoa, who continued his impressive run following his recent national junior title. Putsoa defeated several higher-rated opponents, reaffirming his status as one of Lesotho’s brightest prospects. He finished level on points with Batloung Lesela, one of the country’s top performers. Honours for Best Female Player were awarded to Boitumelo Sethabathaba, who delivered a strong and determined performance in a highly competitive field. Bonolo Ntsielo secured the prize for Second Best Female Player, highlighting the growing depth of women’s chess in Lesotho. The 2025 edition was the largest National Chess Championship to date, attracting a record 62 players, including 12 under-16 competitors and 10 women. The event was further enhanced by an increased prize fund, with the champion receiving double the amount awarded to the previous winner – reflecting the growing stature and ambition of the championship. Complete final standings The organizers extend their sincere appreciation to all players, coaches, parents, and officials for their support and contribution, and look forward to welcoming the chess community again at the next edition.