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Year 2003
Viswanathan Anand
India
Won the first FIDE World Rapid title and established the championship's early benchmark.
Rapid champions
Chess World Rapid Championship
This World Rapid Chess Championship guide covers the modern FIDE title from 2003 to 2025, including every champion, the years when the event was not held, country labels, title counts, and the records that define elite rapid chess.
Last reviewed: May 30, 2026.
NH2004-2011
Year 2004-2011
Not held
-
FIDE did not hold the World Rapid Championship in these years.
Year 2012
Sergey Karjakin
Russia
Won as FIDE relaunched the modern annual Rapid and Blitz festival format.
Year 2013
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Azerbaijan
Converted his sharp calculation and dynamic style into a World Rapid crown.
Year 2014
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
The dominant World Rapid Champion, combining clean technique with practical pressure at fast time controls.
Year 2015
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
Defended the rapid title and reinforced his status across classical, rapid, and blitz chess.
Year 2016
Vasyl Ivanchuk
Ukraine
Produced a beloved late-career triumph with imaginative, highly practical rapid chess.
Year 2017
Viswanathan Anand
India
Won the first FIDE World Rapid title and later reclaimed the crown in 2017, showing rare longevity in rapid chess.
Year 2018
Daniil Dubov
Russia
Won with creative opening choices and tactical fluency in St. Petersburg.
Year 2019
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
Returned to the top of the rapid standings before the 2020 championship gap.
NH2020
Year 2020
Not held
-
FIDE did not hold the World Rapid Championship in 2020.
Year 2021
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Uzbekistan
Scored a breakthrough victory and became one of the youngest World Rapid Champions.
Year 2022
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
Regained the title and began another rapid championship run.
Year 2023
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
Defended the World Rapid title during a double-gold Rapid and Blitz performance.
Year 2024
Volodar Murzin
Russia
Became World Rapid Champion in 2024, one of the youngest winners in the event's modern history.
Year 2025
Magnus Carlsen
Norway
Won in Doha with 10.5/13 and extended his record title count.
Current World Rapid Champion
Magnus Carlsen is the current World Rapid Chess Champion after winning the 2025 title in Doha.
Most World Rapid Titles
Magnus Carlsen leads the modern championship list with 6 titles, including wins in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
Two-Time Champion
Viswanathan Anand won in 2003, 2017, giving the first FIDE rapid champion one of the event's longest title spans.
World Rapid Champions by Player
Country labels follow the event summaries used on this page.
Magnus Carlsen
6 titles
2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025
Viswanathan Anand
2 titles
2003, 2017
Daniil Dubov
1 title
2018
Nodirbek Abdusattorov
1 title
2021
Sergey Karjakin
1 title
2012
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
1 title
2013
Vasyl Ivanchuk
1 title
2016
Volodar Murzin
1 title
2024
Champion Timeline
| Year | Champion | Country | Title # | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 1 | First FIDE World Rapid title. |
| 2004-2011 | Not held | - | - | FIDE did not hold the World Rapid Championship in these years. |
| 2012 | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 1 | Won as FIDE relaunched the modern annual Rapid and Blitz festival format. |
| 2013 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | Azerbaijan | 1 | Converted his sharp calculation and dynamic style into a World Rapid crown. |
| 2014 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 1 | The dominant World Rapid Champion, combining clean technique with practical pressure at fast time controls. |
| 2015 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2 | Defended the rapid title and reinforced his status across classical, rapid, and blitz chess. |
| 2016 | Vasyl Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 1 | Produced a beloved late-career triumph with imaginative, highly practical rapid chess. |
| 2017 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2 | Won the first FIDE World Rapid title and later reclaimed the crown in 2017, showing rare longevity in rapid chess. |
| 2018 | Daniil Dubov | Russia | 1 | Won with creative opening choices and tactical fluency in St. Petersburg. |
| 2019 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 3 | Returned to the top of the rapid standings before the 2020 championship gap. |
| 2020 | Not held | - | - | Cancelled during the pandemic year. |
| 2021 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Uzbekistan | 1 | Scored a breakthrough victory and became one of the youngest World Rapid Champions. |
| 2022 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 4 | Regained the title and began another rapid championship run. |
| 2023 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 5 | Defended the World Rapid title during a double-gold Rapid and Blitz performance. |
| 2024 | Volodar Murzin | Russia | 1 | Became World Rapid Champion in 2024, one of the youngest winners in the event's modern history. |
| 2025 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 6 | Won in Doha with 10.5/13. |