Norwegian world number one Magnus Carlsen experienced a mixed Day 2 at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025, held at the Sports and Events Complex of Qatar University. After a strong start with 4.5/5 on Day 1, Carlsen faced challenges in the subsequent rounds. In Round 6, he played the Sicilian Defense against French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave but soon encountered difficulties, ending up with tripled pawns on the e-file. This positional weakness forced him to spend considerable time searching for defensive resources before the players agreed to a draw.

Carlsen suffered a notable setback in Round 7, where he lost to Russian GM Vladislav Artemiev, marking a rare defeat for the five-time world rapid champion. However, he demonstrated resilience by bouncing back strongly in the final rounds of the day. In Round 8, Carlsen secured a comfortable victory over Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan in the Italian Game. He followed this up in Round 9 by defeating US GM Ray Robson, where he held a clear time advantage and gained an extra pawn in the center. These two consecutive wins lifted Carlsen to 7 points out of 9, placing him among a group of four players in the chasing pack, just half a point behind the joint leaders.

In the women's section, reigning champion Koneru Humpy of India showcased her characteristic composure and determination throughout Day 2. After a relatively slower start on the opening day, Humpy delivered a strong performance, scoring 3.5 points from her four games. She won key encounters, including against Sara Khadem, to briefly take the sole lead before drawing a topsy-turvy game against Russian GM Aleksandra Goryachkina in the final round. This result allowed China's Zhu Jiner to catch up, with both players sharing the lead on 6.5 points out of 8. The women's event remains highly competitive, with as many as 10 players trailing closely on 6 points, including India's Dronavalli Harika.

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Indian talents continued to impress in the open section, where D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi remained firmly in title contention after solid showings. The open tournament features 13 rounds in total, with four decisive rounds scheduled for Sunday, December 28, promising intense battles for the world rapid title. The women's section, with 11 rounds overall, will also conclude with three remaining games on the final day. The championship has drawn widespread attention for its high-level competition and dramatic moments, underscoring the growing prominence of rapid chess on the global stage.

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