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Fast chess
Fast chess, also known as speed chess, is a type of chess in which each player is allowed significantly less time than classical chess time controls allow. Fast chess is subdivided, by decreasing time controls, into rapid chess, blitz chess, and bullet chess. Armageddon chess is a variant of fast chess with draw odds for black and unequal time controls, used as a tiebreaker of last resort.
As of January 2025, the top-ranked rapid chess player and the top-ranked blitz chess player in the open section is Magnus Carlsen from Norway, who is also the top-ranked classical chess player. The reigning World Rapid Chess Champion is Volodar Murzin of Russia. The reigning World Blitz Chess Champions are Magnus Carlsen from Norway and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia (who shared victory in 2024).
As of January 2025, Ju Wenjun of China is the women's top-ranked rapid player, who is also the reigning Women's World Chess Champion in classical chess and the reigning Women's World Blitz Chess Champion. The women's top-ranked blitz player and also the top-ranked classical chess player is Hou Yifan, also from China. The reigning Women's World Rapid Chess Champion is Koneru Humpy of India.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) divides time controls for chess into "classical" time controls, and the fast chess time controls. As of July 2014[update], for master-level players (with an Elo of 2400 or higher) the regulations state that at least 120 minutes per player (based on a 60-move game) must be allocated for a game to be rated on the "classical" list; for lower-rated players, this can be reduced to as little as 60 minutes. Games played faster than these time controls are rated for rapid and blitz if they comply with the time controls for those categories.
Players of fast and blitz chess are exempt from the requirement to record their moves onto a scoresheet (A.2). The arbiter or their assistant is responsible for the recording in competitions (A.3.1.2, B.3.1.2). Electronic recording is preferred.
A fast chess game can be further divided into several categories, which are primarily distinguished by the selection of time controls. Games may be played with or without time increments per move.
Time controls for each player in a game of rapid chess are, according to FIDE, more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes. Rapid chess can be played with or without time increments for each move. When time increments are used, a player can automatically gain, for instance, ten more seconds on the clock after each move. Rapid chess was called active chess by FIDE between 1987 and 1989.
For the FIDE World Rapid Championship, each player has 15 minutes plus 10 seconds additional time per move starting from move 1.
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Fast chess
Fast chess, also known as speed chess, is a type of chess in which each player is allowed significantly less time than classical chess time controls allow. Fast chess is subdivided, by decreasing time controls, into rapid chess, blitz chess, and bullet chess. Armageddon chess is a variant of fast chess with draw odds for black and unequal time controls, used as a tiebreaker of last resort.
As of January 2025, the top-ranked rapid chess player and the top-ranked blitz chess player in the open section is Magnus Carlsen from Norway, who is also the top-ranked classical chess player. The reigning World Rapid Chess Champion is Volodar Murzin of Russia. The reigning World Blitz Chess Champions are Magnus Carlsen from Norway and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia (who shared victory in 2024).
As of January 2025, Ju Wenjun of China is the women's top-ranked rapid player, who is also the reigning Women's World Chess Champion in classical chess and the reigning Women's World Blitz Chess Champion. The women's top-ranked blitz player and also the top-ranked classical chess player is Hou Yifan, also from China. The reigning Women's World Rapid Chess Champion is Koneru Humpy of India.
The World Chess Federation (FIDE) divides time controls for chess into "classical" time controls, and the fast chess time controls. As of July 2014[update], for master-level players (with an Elo of 2400 or higher) the regulations state that at least 120 minutes per player (based on a 60-move game) must be allocated for a game to be rated on the "classical" list; for lower-rated players, this can be reduced to as little as 60 minutes. Games played faster than these time controls are rated for rapid and blitz if they comply with the time controls for those categories.
Players of fast and blitz chess are exempt from the requirement to record their moves onto a scoresheet (A.2). The arbiter or their assistant is responsible for the recording in competitions (A.3.1.2, B.3.1.2). Electronic recording is preferred.
A fast chess game can be further divided into several categories, which are primarily distinguished by the selection of time controls. Games may be played with or without time increments per move.
Time controls for each player in a game of rapid chess are, according to FIDE, more than 10 minutes but less than 60 minutes. Rapid chess can be played with or without time increments for each move. When time increments are used, a player can automatically gain, for instance, ten more seconds on the clock after each move. Rapid chess was called active chess by FIDE between 1987 and 1989.
For the FIDE World Rapid Championship, each player has 15 minutes plus 10 seconds additional time per move starting from move 1.