Doha: Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was crowned champion of the Qatar 2025 Rapid Chess World Cup after finishing first with 10 points at the conclusion of the 13th and final round of the global competition, hosted by Qatar University at the Sports and Events Complex.

According to Qatar News Agency, Carlsen, the world's top-ranked player, secured the title after drawing his decisive final round encounter against Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, who was seeded third in the tournament. The draw lifted Carlsen's total to 10 points, allowing him to capitalize on a setback by former leader Vladislav Artemiev of Russia, who was held to a draw by American Wesley So. Giri ultimately finished 11th with 8.5 points.

The Norwegian world champion rebounded strongly on the third and final day of competition, overcoming his loss a day earlier to Artemiev, who was seeded seventh and won both the European and World Championships in 2019. Carlsen's late surge propelled him to the top of the standings on the final day.

Carlsen had also faced difficulties earlier in the tournament, including a draw in the sixth round against France's top-ranked player Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. However, he regained momentum in the eighth round with a victory over Armenian player Shant Sargsyan.

On the opening day, Carlsen defeated Italy's Lorenzo Lodici in the first round, followed by wins over Russia's David Paravyan and Spain's Eduardo Iturrizaga, before drawing against India's Arjun Erigaisi.

Artemiev finished second overall with nine points, while American Niemann Hans placed third with the same total, trailing on tiebreaks. Vachier-Lagrave secured fourth place with 8.5 points, followed by India's Arjun Erigaisi, also on 8.5 points, but behind on tiebreak criteria.

The men's Rapid Chess tournament featured 251 players, while the men's Blitz Chess competition includes 254 participants. The Rapid Chess format consisted of 13 rounds in the open category and 11 rounds in the women's event.

Reigning Indian Rapid Chess world champion Gukesh Dommaraju finished 31st with 7.5 points.

Among Qatari players, International Master Hussein Aziz placed 212th with 4.5 points. National team player Khaled Al Jamaat collected three points, while Hamad Al Kuwari and Ibrahim Al Janahi each finished with 2.5 points.

At the Arab level, Emirati grandmaster Salem Abdulrahman scored six points to place 106th. Syrian player Mazen Fandi finished 163rd with six points, while compatriot Rami Taleb placed 191st with 5.5 points.

In the women's competition, Russian grandmaster Aleksandra Goryachkina, seeded third, claimed the title with 9.5 points after winning a playoff tie-break against China's Zhu Chen'er. Former world champion Koneru Humpy of India, seeded eighth, finished third with 8.5 points.

Five-time world champion Ju Wenjun of China, the world's top-ranked player, placed 37th with 6.5 points, while former women's world champion and world No. 2 Tan Zhongyi of China finished seventh with 7.5 points.

Among Qatari women players, former world champion Zhu Chen placed 112th with 4.5 points, while national team player Ghada Al-Khalifi collected 2.5 points.

FIDE Secretary-General Lukas Turle described the Qatar 2025 Rapid and Blitz Chess World Cup as a standout global event, highlighting the participation of approximately 400 players and praising the exceptional competitive atmosphere.

Turle noted that the tournament had reached its decisive phase, with the Blitz Chess rounds set to determine the next titleholder following Carlsen's triumph in the Rapid Chess event. He added that the closely matched performances seen in the rapid competition suggested an open contest in the blitz category.

He also expressed strong confidence in the efforts of the Qatar Chess Federation to develop the game regionally, commending the high level of competition and the presence of elite, top-ranked players. Turle praised the tournament's organization and said it had attracted significant local and international attention, describing it as one of the most prominent editions of the World Cup, supported by excellent playing conditions. He extended his thanks to Qatar for hosting the event and emphasized the tournament's importance in promoting chess culture across the region.

For his part, Carlsen said he was delighted to claim the Qatar 2025 Rapid Chess World Cup title, stressing that the task was far from easy given the strength of the field. He acknowledged experiencing difficulties in the early rounds and a slower-than-expected start, but said he was able to quickly regain his balance and deliver decisive performances in the closing stages.

The 35-year-old added that he was pleased to win the title in Qatar, thanked those who supported him, and said he would seek to maintain his form in the upcoming Blitz Chess competition.

Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, seeded ninth, expressed disappointment at missing out on the title, noting that he had entered the tournament as the top seed. He said he attempted to challenge for the lead in the 10th round but was unable to do so after suffering a critical loss to Turkish player Yagiz Kaan.

Erigaisi, who recently became the 16th player in history to surpass the 2800 rating mark, praised the tournament's organization and thanked the Qatar Chess Federation for its efforts.

Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, seeded third, said he was pleased to contest the final round match against world champion Carlsen, despite finishing 11th overall.

He noted the intensity of the competition and said he had hoped to defeat Carlsen in the final round to secure second place. Giri also praised the organizational standards and playing conditions, expressing hope of reaching the podium in the Blitz Chess competition, which begins on Monday.

Qatar national team player Ibrahim Al Janahi said he was pleased to participate in the event after competing in last year's Qatar Masters, noting the excellent organizational and technical standards of the tournament. He said the experience of facing both elite and rising international players was invaluable and would contribute significantly to his development.

Al Janahi concluded by expressing his ambition to deliver a strong performance in the Blitz Chess competition, emphasizing the importance of such tournaments in enhancing players' technical and mental capabilities.