Wild card for Alekseenko or MVL for Candidates 2020 - we ask the FIDE President Dvorkovich

https://youtu.be/Xe2_5MhOITE

BREAKING NEWS: Firouzja Seeks Nationality Change After World Rapid & Blitz Ban By Iranian Federation

https://www.chess.com/news/view/firouzja-seeks-nationality-change-after-world-rapid-blitz-ban-by-iranian-fed

FIDE: Our warmest wishes to everyone for a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year!

At this special time of year, we give thanks to all our partners, chess players, and chess fans around the Globe. Let your 2020 be full of success!

The poster of the first-ever world rapid championship in Mazatlan, Mexico, "where every day is a Sunday".
⠀
It was held in 1988 following the rise of popularity of chess with shorter time controls and was won by Karpov on a better tiebreak over Gavrikov. #rapidblitz

https://wrbc2019.com/history/2

World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov in Mazatlan, Mexico in 1988.

@UnityChess

In 1988, FIDE organized the inaugural World Active Chess Championship, a 61-player rapid chess tournament in Mazatlan, Mexico hosted by the Mazatlan Hoteliers Association. Notable participants included:[5]

Anatoly Karpov (URS), 2715
Rafael Vaganian (URS), 2625
Yasser Seirawan (USA), 2595
Jaan Ehlvest (URS), 2585
Bent Larsen (DEN), 2570
Vladimir Tukmakov (URS), 2570
Maxim Dlugy (USA), 2550
Viktor Gavrikov (URS), 2545
Lev Alburt (USA), 2535

https://www.365chess.com/tournaments/Mazatlan_rapid_1988/21052
Walter Browne (USA), 2530
Roman Dzindzichashvili (GEO), 2530
Nana Ioseliani (URS), 2455
Gábor Kállai (HUN), 2450
Sofia Polgar (HUN), 2320
The event was won by Anatoly Karpov, who edged out GM Viktor Gavrikov on tiebreak points after their 1st-place playoff ended in a 5-5 tie. Karpov was subsequently named the new "Active Chess Champion", winning a $40,000 cash prize in the process.[6] Garry Kasparov, the current world champion, declined to participate in the event and derided the concept of an active chess champion afterwards - he was quoted as saying, "Active Chess? What does that make me, the Passive World Champion?". The political controversy surrounding the event and the naming of a separate "active chess champion" led to the parallel rapid championship being dropped for future years.

http://www.anatolykarpovchessschool.org/home/hollywoodchess.html

Arbiters getting prepared for the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championships

https://fide.com/news/289

Vote: The player of the year 2019

https://en.chessbase.com/post/player-of-the-year-2019

King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championships Opens in Moscow

https://wrbc2019.com/tpost/i19acir9g6-the-king-salman-world-rapid-and-blitz-ch

Bent Larsen on exibition in New Jersey.
Larsen has defeated 7 world champions from Botvinnik to Karpov and has even made a draw with Kasparov.

@UnityChess

"...The intelligent perusal of fine games cannot fail to make the reader a better player and a better judge of the play of others."

🔸 Emanuel Lasker

@UnityChess

Wijk aan Zee, January 1970 - at the board, Mark Taimanov (white) & Igor Platonov (both - USSR), as the 19-year-old Ulf Andersson (Sweden) looks on. Already nearly 50 years ago...

@UnityChess

Lugano-68. Today, this team would have looked like a veteran. Petrosyan - 39, Spassky - 31, Geller - 43, Smyslov - 47. And in those years, it was believed that chess players were in their prime! How time has changed ...

@UnityChess

🔴LIVE WRC 2019 Day 1

King Salman World Rapid Championship 2019. Rounds 1-5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u373NQmV0Eo

King Salman World Rapid Championship is off to a great start in Moscow.

15 rounds are spread over 3 days. 2019 rapid champions will be crowned on Dec 28. The combined prize fund of open & women's events is half a million US dollars.

https://wrbc2019.com/ #rapidblitz