The World Rapid Chess Championship, also known as the World Rapid Championship, is a chess tournament that is held annually to determine the world champion in rapid chess. The 2016 World Rapid Chess Championship was held in Doha, Qatar, from December 26 to 28. The tournament was organized by the Qatar Chess Association and was attended by some of the world's best chess players.
Format
The tournament was a 15-round Swiss system event. Players had 15 minutes per game with an additional 10 seconds per move starting from move one. There were no adjournments, and players were not allowed to offer draws before move 30.
Participants
The tournament featured 120 players from around the world, including the reigning World Rapid Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen. Other notable participants included former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, as well as top players such as Hikaru Nakamura, Levon Aronian, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Results
The tournament was won by Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine with a score of 11.5/15. He was followed by a group of players with 11 points each, including reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen, former world champion Vishy Anand, and Russian grandmasters Ian Nepomniachtchi and Sergey Karjakin. The tiebreaks favored Carlsen, who was awarded second place.
Notable Games
One of the most impressive games of the tournament was played by Magnus Carlsen in the seventh round against Indian grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna. In a sharp and complicated game, Carlsen sacrificed a piece to launch a devastating attack on Harikrishna's king. The game ended in a spectacular checkmate.
Another interesting game was played by Vassily Ivanchuk in the final round against Russian grandmaster Peter Svidler. Ivanchuk played the unusual move 1.b3, which is known as the Nimzo-Larsen Attack. The game quickly became complex, with both sides launching attacks against each other's king. In the end, Ivanchuk emerged victorious.
Conclusion
The 2016 World Rapid Chess Championship was a thrilling event that showcased some of the world's best chess players. The tournament was won by Vassily Ivanchuk, who played an impressive series of games to claim the title. Magnus Carlsen also had a strong showing, finishing in second place. The tournament demonstrated the excitement and drama that can be found in rapid chess, and it will undoubtedly inspire chess fans and players around the world.
