FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship 2025

Stage 1: Swiss System (19 Rounds)

• Time Control: 3 minutes per player, with a 2-second increment per move starting from move 1.

• Qualification: The top 4 players with the highest total points will advance to the Knockout Stage.

Tie-Break Criteria

If two or more players finish with the same number of points, the tie will be broken using the following criteria, applied in order of priority:

1. Buchholz Cut 1

2. Buchholz

3. Average Blitz Rating of Opponents Cut 1

4. Direct Encounter (Head-to-head result between the tied players)

5. Drawing of Lots

Stage 2: Knockout Stage

• Seeding: Pairings and seeding will be strictly determined by the final standings of Stage 1.

• Match Format: Each matchup will consist of a 4-game match.

• Time Control: The same time control from Stage 1 applies (3+2).

Knockout Tie-Breaks

In the event of a tie after 4 games, the following procedure will determine the winner:

1. Sudden Death Games: A single game will be played under the same time control.

2. Alternating Colors: If that game ends in a draw, another game will be played with reversed colors.

3. Resolution: This process will be repeated until a decisive result is reached (the first player to win a game wins the match).