The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on 25-31 December. The total prize fund is one million dollars.  

208 chess players out of 49 countries have registered to participate in the World Rapid Championship, 210 participants from 49 countries in the World Blitz Championship, while in the women's championships the according numbers are 122 and 123 participants from 31 countries. 
 
The starting lists are headed by Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Peter Svidler, Richard Rapport, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Vladislav Artemiev, Daniil Dubov and other famous grandmasters.
 
Russia will be represented at the championship by 40 chess players. In addition to Nepomniachtchi, Svidler, Artemiev and Dubov, there will be Alexander Grischuk, Andrey Esipenko, Evgeny Tomashevsky, Dmitry Andreikin, Alexander Rakhmanov, Maxim Matlakov, Aleksandr Shimanov, David Paravyan, Pavel Ponkratov, Evgeniy Najer, Aleksey Dreev, Igor Lysyi, Volodar Murzin, Mikhail Kobalia, Arseniy Nesterov, Zhamsaran Tsydypov, Dmitry Bocharov, Alexander Riazantsev, Roman Kezin, Rudik Makarian, Klementy Sychev, Ilia Iljiushenok, Vadim Zvjaginsev, Boris Savchenko, Matvey Galchenko, as well as young talents Aleksey Grebnev, Nikolay Averin, Artem Uskov, Savva Vetokhin, Lev Zverev, David Akhmedov, Roman Shogdzhiev, Nikolay Tregubenko, Artem Pingin, Sergey Sklokin, and Bogdan David. 
 
Among the favourites in the Women's Section are the World Women's Champion Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, Lei Tingjie, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno and other strong players.
 
Besides Goryachkina and Gunina, Russia will be represented by Polina Shuvalova, Daria Charochkina, Leya Garifullina, Daria Voit, Anastasia Bodnaruk, Alina Bivol, Ekaterina Ubiennykh, Olga Badelka, Mariya Yakimova, Baira Kovanova, Galina Strutinskaia, Tatiana Getman, Ekaterina Borisova, Evgenija Ovod, Anna Shukhman, Elena Semenova, and Olga Druzhinina.  
 
Tournament schedule: 
 
25 December - Arrival, Technical Meeting, Opening Ceremony
26-28 December - Rapid
29-30 December - Blitz
31 December - Departure.

Tournaments on Chess-Results

Official website