The 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships are scheduled to take place in the last week of December in New York, FIDE announced on Monday. The two championships, traditionally held over five days between Christmas and the New Year, are the most prestigious speed-chess tournaments held over-the-board annually.

Taking place for the first time in the U.S., the event is expected to include GMs Magnus Carlsen (defending champion of both rapid and blitz), Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun, GM Irina Krush, and other top grandmasters. IM Anastasia Bodnaruk is the women’s world rapid champion, and GM Valentina Gunina is the reigning women’s world blitz champion.

Last year’s championships brought in over 250 million views globally, according to FIDE, a record they expect to break this year. CEO of FIDE Emil Sutovsky said:

It has long been a dream of FIDE to have such a chess spectacle in New York. Not only will this championship be an absolutely top-notch sporting event, but also a great festival of mind, art, brilliance, and a celebration of the beauty of chess.

Freedom Holding Corp. is expected to back the event, and it was also the title sponsor of the Corporate World Championship that ends in New York today. The Kazakh financial firm, which has worked with FIDE on a number of other major tournaments, was reportedly under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice last year and has allegedly helped Russian oligarchs evade sanctions and launder funds.

Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., was equally thrilled to host the tournament in the economic hub of New York:

Chess is an integral part of the culture of our company, and we are looking forward to the prospect of supporting the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York City, home of the Nasdaq Stock Market, where Freedom Holding Corp. common shares have been traded for the past five years.

The championships have often been held in eastern Europe or in Asia: Uzbekistan (2023), Kazakhstan (2022), Poland (2021), and Russia (2018 and 2019). Based on their reactions on X, many U.S. players have expressed excitement about the dramatic change of location.

in nyc and we got an announcement months in advance? i must be dreaming https://t.co/Z8hdSQ96x0

— Andrew Tang (@penguingm1) June 17, 2024

Really pleased to see this event come to the United States! https://t.co/i4vliOZGUe

— Fabiano Caruana (@FabianoCaruana) June 17, 2024

YAAAY SEE YOU ALL IN NYC! 🥳 https://t.co/yFwtp1CmOb

— Nazi Paikidze (@NaziPaiki) June 17, 2024

GM Peter Heine Nielsen, who has a track record of criticizing FIDE, expressed disappointment with the sponsor.

With a sponsor sanctioned by Ukraine 🇺🇦, having admitted to serving Russian 🇷🇺 sanctioned clients.
With the Chess boom, you so excellently have helped a lot to build ( thanks!), dosent chess deserve better?
Shouldnt chess help the victims ?

— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) June 17, 2024