CHESS: Norway's Carlsen claims sixth world rapid chess title in Qatar

Magnus Carlsen claimed his sixth FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship title in Qatar, finishing with 10.5/13 points and securing his 19th world championship overall. Despite a rocky second day, the Norwegian described the victory as “a job well done.”

REUTERS

December 29, 2025

FILE PHOTO: Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen competes during the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Paris, France, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Magnus Carlsen secured his sixth world rapid championship title at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar on Sunday.

The Norwegian finished the tournament with 10.5 points out of a possible 13, earning his 19th world championship title overall. He finished ahead of Russia’s Vladislav Artemiev, who ended one point behind.

"I am not here filled with emotion or relief. I see it more as a job well done," Carlsen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK after clinching the title.

Carlsen, who held the world championship from 2013 to 2023, experienced a challenging second day in Doha on Saturday. He drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before losing to Artemiev, and he was seen pushing away a camera as he left the venue.

"Looking back on it now, I am just glad that I managed to turn it around," Carlsen said. "Those two games were so different from everything else I did in the tournament. They were so disconnected from reality that it was completely embarrassing."

-Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by William Maclean/Reuters