2025 FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship opens in Goa
The second edition of the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship began today in Goa, alongside the FIDE World Cup, bringing together leading international companies to compete for a World Championship title. The event highlights how chess is becoming part of modern workplaces and offers employee teams a global stage to represent their organisations. This year’s finals feature 11 teams, selected from hundreds of companies through online qualifiers and joined by a few invited wild cards. The field spans technology, finance, consulting, engineering, and fast-growing firms from emerging markets. The FWCCC has a clear identity: only true corporate teams take part. Every player is a full-time employee, manager, or board member, and organisations directly connected to chess are not eligible. At the opening ceremony, FIDE Secretary General Lukasz Turlej welcomed participants, saying: “On behalf of the International Chess Federation, I am happy to welcome everyone to Goa. This championship connects the corporate world with the universal language of chess in a special way. We appreciate the All India Chess Federation, the Goa Chess Federation, the Government of Goa, and the Prime Minister of India for enabling us to hold this event here. The corporate chess community is growing quickly, and I am confident we will keep developing these initiatives together in the future. I wish all the teams great games in this unique place, the home of the World Cup and many of the world’s top players this month.” FormatThe 11 teams play a two-day group stage followed by knockout playoffs on Sunday. All matches use a rapid time control of 10 minutes plus a 3-second increment across four boards. The group stage is a round-robin, with match points deciding the standings and game points as the secondary tiebreak. After Saturday’s group stage, the top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. POOL A — Morgan Stanley sets the pacePool A completed the first half of its double round-robin today. Standings after Day 1: Morgan Stanley — 10 MP / 17 GP Deloitte 1 — 7 MP / 13.5 GP Microsoft — 7 MP / 12 GP UBS — 4 MP / 10 GP Tech Mahindra — 2 MP / 7 GP Equity Bank Kenya — 0 MP / 0.5 GP Morgan Stanley swept all five matches, scoring 4–0 against Tech Mahindra and Equity Bank Kenya and earning decisive wins over Microsoft, Deloitte 1, and UBS. GM Peter Acs, GM Joshua Sheng, IM Peter Lizak, and FM Gabor Szamoskozi collected 17 gamepoints, the highest of the day. Deloitte 1 and Microsoft remain close in the race for second, drawing their head-to-head match. UBS secured an important victory over Tech Mahindra, while the wild-card teams from India and Kenya fought hard throughout the round. POOL B — GRECO perfect, Google and J.P. Morgan close behindWith five teams, Pool B played four rounds today. Standings after Day 1: GRECO — 10 MP / 15 GP Google — 8 MP / 10.5 GP J. P. Morgan — 6 MP / 6.5 GP Deloitte 2 — 4 MP / 6 GP ERG — 2 MP / 2 GP GRECO delivered a flawless day, winning all four matches and conceding only half a gamepoint across the entire pool. GM Volodymyr Onyshchuk led the team on board one, supported by three International Masters who ensured stability on every board. Google secured second place with a 4–0 win over J.P. Morgan in the last round. J.P. Morgan, featuring FM Agustin Ambrogi and FM Ramon Lorente Pupo, finished third after solid results against Deloitte 2 and ERG. Although none of the players are professionals, the level of play was high, with experienced club players and titled competitors representing some of the world’s most recognisable companies. The games were sharp, the atmosphere focused, and the engagement evident. The group stage concludes on Saturday morning with the second half of the double round-robin. With Morgan Stanley and GRECO leading their pools and several challengers still within reach, the race for the title of The Smartest Company in the World remains wide open. Written by Charlize van Zyl, FIDE Press Officer (Goa, India) Photos: Michal Walusza
2025 World Women’s Team Championship: Pools announced
2025 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship pools announced ahead of opening in Linares, Spain With just three days remaining until the official opening ceremony of the 2025 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has confirmed the composition of the two competitive pools. The championship will be held in Linares, Spain, from November 17 to 24, 2025, in one of the most iconic cities in world chess. Already on site in Linares, Javier Ochoa de Echaguen, President of the Spanish Chess Federation, welcomed the first arriving delegations: “The Spanish Chess Federation is delighted to welcome all delegations attending the Women’s World Team Championship in the historic city of Linares.” Pool A: A clash of heavyweights Team FIDE, led by GM Aleksandra Goryachkina, tops Pool A with an impressive 2496 average rating. Close behind is Team USA, averaging 2406, spearheaded by rising star IM Carissa Yip. Photo: Michal Walusza Team Kazakhstan enters with a 2381 average rating and GM Bibisara Assaubayeva on board one. Following the late withdrawal of Team Algeria due to visa issues, Team Azerbaijan has been nominated as the replacement. With an average rating of 2366, Azerbaijan—led by IM Ulviyya Fataliyeva—significantly elevates the competitive depth of Pool A. Host nation Spain fields a 2339 average rating team, featuring IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh on top board. Team Peru rounds out the pool with a 2207 average rating, led by IM Deysi Cori T., supported by several of the country’s most promising young talents. Pool B: Hou Yifan returns Pool B is headlined by the return of GM Hou Yifan, four-time Women’s World Champion, who leads Team China to the event with a strong 2473 average rating. Widely recognized as the second-highest-rated female player in history, Hou’s participation adds exceptional prestige to the championship. Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz Team Georgia (2430), led by GM Nino Batsiashvili, brings a seasoned and balanced roster, while Team Ukraine enters with a 2399 average rating under the leadership of IM Yuliia Osmak. Three evenly matched teams—France, Uzbekistan, and India—each average around 2350. Packed with International Masters and Women Grandmasters, they bring a blend of experience and rising youth. Both Uzbekistan and India are fielding notably young squads, expected to capitalize on the opportunity to gain high-level international exposure. A Championship steeped in tradition Looking ahead to a week of intense competition, Ochoa de Echaguen added:“It is an honour for us to host this prestigious event in a venue that holds such a special place in the history of world chess. We trust that the players, coaches, and accompanying teams will enjoy an excellent stay, dedicated organization, and a competitive atmosphere that reflects the values of respect, excellence, and sportsmanship that define our sport.” Full list of teams with average rating Pool A: FIDE (2496) USA (2406) Kazakhstan (2381) Azerbaijan (2366) Spain (2339) Peru (2207) Pool B: China (2473) Georgia (2430) Ukraine (2399) France (2353) Uzbekistan (2336) India (2334) The full rosters of each team can be consulted [HERE]. For more information about the 2025 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship, media accreditation, or event logistics, please contact FIDE or the Spanish Chess Federation.