The Qatar Chess Association concluded the first edition of the Qatar Team Rapid Chess Championship 2025, which was held at the Qatar Chess Training Center, with the participation of 96 male and female players representing 24 teams.
According to the tournament regulations, participation was restricted to players holding an official FIDE rating. Each team was required to include four players: three on the open boards and one on the women’s board.
The regulations also allowed players holding the FM, IM, or GM titles to compete only on Board 1, while female players holding these titles were permitted to play on either Board 1 or Board 4.
The championship was played using the Swiss system. This widely used tournament format ensures players are paired with opponents of similar skill levels, consisting of 7 rounds, with a time control of 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. The total prize fund for the event was 21,000 Qatari Riyals.
The first place was claimed by the team consisting of Grandmaster Victor Bologan, former Women’s World Champion Zhu Chen, along with Qatar National Team players Khaled Al Jamaat and Mohamad Djerbi, after scoring six points.
The second place went to the team of Hicham Hamdouchi, Maria Sergeeva, Riola Rollinson, and Adam Hamdouchi, with a total of five points.
The third place was secured by the team comprising Narayanan Ashwath, Krishnakumar Mithran, Amina Natasha, and Sahail Prashnat, with four points.
Mohammed Al-Mudhahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association, expressed his great satisfaction with organizing the first team edition of the championship, noting the impressive level demonstrated by all participating teams.
He further emphasized that the Association aims to bring about a significant qualitative leap in the sport by organizing several new tournaments as part of the preparations for hosting the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships, which Qatar will host this upcoming December.
