Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen clinched his sixth world rapid championship title at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar. He finished with 10.5 points out of 13, edging out Russia's Vladislav Artemiev by one point. This victory marks Carlsen's 19th world championship title overall.
Magnus Carlsen, the former classical world champion from 2013 to 2023, triumphed in the rapid section of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships held in Doha, Qatar. The event concluded on Sunday, with Carlsen amassing 10.5 points from 13 rounds, securing sole first place ahead of Vladislav Artemiev's 9.5 points.
Carlsen's path to victory was not without hurdles. On the second day of the rapid tournament, earlier Saturday, he drew against France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and then suffered a loss to Artemiev. Frustrated, Carlsen pushed away a camera as he left the venue. Reflecting on those setbacks, he later told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: "When I look back on it now, I am just glad that I managed to turn it around."
He described the poor performances as outliers: "Those two games were so different from everything else I did in the tournament. They were so disconnected from reality that it was completely embarrassing."
Despite the emotional dip, Carlsen approached the win pragmatically. "I am not here filled with emotion or relief. I see it more as a job well done," he said post-victory. This rapid title adds to his impressive tally, bringing his total world championships to 19.
