In this episode of The Chess News Podcast I discuss the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Global Chess League, and more.

It was the last week of the year and so we had the traditional World Rapid and Blitz, the favorite event of the year for many chess fans. It took place in Doha, Qatar and Magnus Carlsen took both titles once again. Alexandra Goryachkina won the women's rapid event and Bibisara Assaubayeva the blitz.

The episode also covers the last two days of the Global Chess League, won by the Alpine SG Pipers. They beat the team that had dominated the round-robin stage and the winners of both 2023 and 2024, the Triveni Continental Kings.

In other news, there’s another update to the news of two weeks ago that the FIDE General Assembly voted in favor of lifting sactions on Russia and Belarus and allowing teams from those countries back into official FIDE events. The Ukraine Chess Federation has now decided to challenge this decision at the Sports Court of Arbitration (CAS). 

Related to this is an interview that Ruslan Ponomariov gave to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo this week. Ponomariov was also of the opinion that Russians shouldn’t be allowed back into tournaments. 

Speaking of former world champions, there was a bit of news about Garry Kasparov, who has been put on a wanted list for arrest in absentia by a Russian court. The court followed an indictment against Kasparov on charges of justifying terrorism and planning a coup. The 13th world champion has been placed on an international wanted list.

I further speak about the Sunway Sitges Chess Festival, the reopening of London's Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, the passing of Jonathan Hawkins and Vladimir Kramnik filing a lawsuit against the International Chess Federation before a Swiss civil court.

SOURCES

World Rapid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN0r6h5nrhw

World Blitz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrS1rWDIdEQ 

GCL, Last day round-robin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQJjS7Z13BQ 

GCL, finals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsTFcudXBhY

Ukrainian Chess Federation statement

https://www.facebook.com/UkrainianChessFederation/posts/pfbid028vUrPMc4cK7UM16qQFqQHn9FYZeBze75AabMmJ6kj12C3FTNq8sHw8jAVkQnziuZl 

Ponomariov interview

https://www.elmundo.es/deportes/mas-deporte/2025/12/22/6949809be4d4d869378b458f.html 

Simpsons

https://en.chessbase.com/post/chess-tradition-returns-to-simpson-s 

Hawkins obituary

https://www.chess.com/news/view/jonathan-hawkins-obituary

Kramnik lawsuit

https://en.chessbase.com/post/kramnik-files-lawsuit-against-fide

Thanks for listening and please spread the word that this podcast exists! :-)

You might also be interested in my other podcast Masters and Matches which I co-host with Arne Moll.

https://peterdoggers.com/masters-and-matches-podcast/

Also, check out my book The Chess Revolution at

https://peterdoggers.com/book/