Coming in 2027, a fourth World Championship in chess that tests players in ‘fast classic’, rapid and blitz

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FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich (left) and CEO of Norway Chess Kjell Madland sign the agreement for the Total Chess World Championship Tour. (PHOTO: Norway Chess)

From 2027, there will be a fourth World Championship in chess, one that crowns the world’s best player in all three formats as the FIDE World Combined Champion. The organisers of Norway Chess announced the Total Chess World Championship Tour on Wednesday, with the new World Championship having the approval of the global governing body of chess, FIDE.

The new Total Chess World Championship Tour, which will come into effect from 2027, will feature four events each year across various cities: three events with 24 players while the finale will have four players qualified from the three previous events. Besides the classical Norway Chess event, there will also be a pilot tournament next year to fine tune the playing format of the Total Chess World Championship Tour for 2027.

“We are looking for the ‘total chess player’ — a versatile, tactically intelligent, and technically skilled athlete who seamlessly adapts to multiple time controls,” said Kjell Madland, the CEO of Norway Chess, who is also the brains behind the new championship.

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The format used at the events will be fast classic (45-minute games with increment of 30 seconds per move), rapid, and blitz chess. While the fast classic format will be much shorter than regular classical games, games played in the format will be rated as per the classical section.

“We see this as a great addition to the traditional and prestigious World Chess Championship, where we crown the undisputed champion of classic chess. The championships will complement each other and offer even more excitement for the fans. This is not a short-term initiative, but a long-term agreement between FIDE and Norway Chess,” FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich was quoted as saying in the press release to announce the new tour.

“We are always looking for ways to innovate and push the boundaries of what chess can be. Although chess is already one of the most popular games in the world, its growth potential is still enormous. With the Total Chess World Championship Tour, we give players a new title to compete for, and the audience a faster tournament format, and we hope the tournament can captivate both the existing chess fans and new audiences”, added Dvorkovich.