DOHA: Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, the world’s number one chess player, on Tuesday won the World Blitz Championship in Doha, days after victory in the slightly longer ‘rapid’ format, to secure his 20th world title.

The 35-year-old Carlsen’s domination of chess showed no sign of weakening as he beat Uzbek youngster Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the final, securing victory with black in the fourth and final game.

Carlsen lost the first game but bounced back brilliantly with two wins using the black pieces, including a stunning endgame that many fans quickly labelled the game of the tournament.

Blitz games are played with three minutes at the start for both players, plus an additional two seconds per move.

Carlsen almost failed to reach the semi-finals after suffering three defeats in the 19 qualifying games, finishing third in the standings.

He beat the former world championship challenger Fabiano Caruana of the US in the semi-finals to take on Abdusattorov, rapid world champion in 2021.

On Sunday, Carlsen was crowned rapid world champion, where players have 15 minutes and 10 seconds added per move, finishing first in the regular standings, with the competition taking place without a final phase.

The Nordic grandmaster now has nine blitz titles, six in rapid and five in the most prestigious longer format, which involves more than 10 games between the world champion and a challenger.

Carlsen relinquished his long-format crown in 2023, citing lack of motivation. It is now held by India’s Dommaraju Gukesh.

In October, he and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) backed a new world championship format that sets the stage for his return.

The new “Total Chess World Championship Tour” will consist of four events a year and will crown one combined champion for three disciplines: fast classic, rapid and blitz.

A pilot version of the competition will be tested in the autumn of next year, with the first full season set for 2027.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2026