(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The inaugural edition of the Qatar Rapid Team Chess Championship 2025 will kick off Thursday at the Qatar Chess Training Centre, with 24 teams in action over two days.
Organised by the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), the tournament is open to all FIDE-rated players and will follow the Swiss system format over seven rounds, with each game timed at 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. The first three rounds are scheduled for Thursday, while the final rounds will take place Friday.
A total prize pool of QR21,000 will be awarded to top-performing teams.
The championship features a mixed-gender team format, requiring each team to field four players – three men on the open boards and one woman on a designated board. Notably, only titled players (FM, IM, GM) are allowed to play on Board 1, although female players holding these titles may also compete on either Board 1 or the women's board.
Ahead of the launch, the organising committee concluded preparations. A technical meeting with team representatives and the referee panel was held to review tournament regulations. The referees' briefing was led by Dr Yousef al-Muhasna, Head of the Referees Committee, along with International Arbiters Sara al-Mohannadi and Hussein al-Haddad Rapid Team Chess Championship 2025

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