Day 2 of the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship 2025 concluded the group stage of the event, with Morgan Stanley and Deloitte 1 qualifying from Pool A and Greco and Google qualifying from Pool B. Tomorrow they will face off in the semifinals, followed by the final to decide the 2025 World Corporate Champions.
The second half of the group stage saw the continuation of the double round-robin format, where the teams played each other again, this time with reversed colours. The day started off with a special moment for all participants as Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa R visited the venue as Guest of Honor. He made the ceremonial first move on the top board, met the teams and posed for photos – a rare opportunity for corporate players to meet one of the world’s leading super grandmasters.
Pool A
The second half of the double round-robin confirmed Morgan Stanley as the clear frontrunners of Pool A. They finished with 18 match points and 31 game points, losing only one match, the final round of the day, against Microsoft.
Deloitte 1 secured the second qualifying spot with 15 matchpoints, though the final standings tightened after a key result in the return leg against Microsoft. Yesterday the match was tightly drawn, but today Microsoft struck with a 2½–1½ victory, temporarily putting pressure on the qualification race. Deloitte responded strongly in their remaining encounters, holding their position ahead of Microsoft, who finished third with 13 matchpoints.
Final Standings Pool A
- Morgan Stanley — 18 MP / 31 GP
- Deloitte 1 — 15 MP / 27.5 GP
- Microsoft — 13 MP / 23.5 GP
- UBS — 10 MP / 22 GP
- Tech Mahindra — 4 MP / 12 GP
- Equity Bank, Kenya — 0 MP / 4 GP
Pool B
Pool B completed its return legs as well, with Greco maintaining full control of the field. They finished the group stage unbeaten with 20 matchpoints and 28 gamepoints, confirming their status as one of the most dominant teams of the championship.
The battle for second place between Google and J.P. Morgan unfolded across both days. Yesterday Google had won their first meeting by a wide 4–0 margin, but today J.P Morgan struck back with a close 2.5-1.5 victory. This result opened the door for J.P. Morgan to chase on tiebreaks, but Google’s superior gamepoint total ultimately secured their qualification.
Deloitte 2 also delivered an impressive turnaround on the final day. They defeated J.P. Morgan 2½–1½, reversing the outcome of their first encounter and coming within striking distance of second place.
Final Standings – Pool B
- GRECO — 20 MP / 28 GP
- Google — 12 MP / 15.5 GP
- J.P. Morgan — 12 MP / 14.5 GP
- Deloitte 2 — 10 MP / 15 GP
- ERG — 6 MP / 7 GP
Player spotlight: Saraswat Tushar (Tech Mahindra)
One of the standout individual performances of the day came from Saraswat Tushar of Tech Mahindra. Rated just 1702, he produced multiple upsets against much higher-rated opponents, including an astonishing win over FM David Moskovic (2314) from Morgan Stanley.
A key moment arose in his game against Georgios Tsichlis (2123, Microsoft). After White played 35.g3??, Tushar found the precise refutation: 35…Rxh2! Following 36.Kxh2 Qxf2+, Black launched a decisive attack and soon forced resignation.
Last night’s social programme brought all teams together for a relaxed networking evening inside the playing hall. The session began with a masterclass by GM Alojzije Janković, followed by an informal gathering where teams played bughouse, exchanged stories, and learned more about each other’s internal chess cultures. The Google team, for example, shared that more than 2,500 employees actively participate in chess inside the company, supported by bi-weekly events hosted on Lichess. ChessBase India also made a guest appearance, engaging with teams and capturing moments from the evening.
As the group stage concludes, players now shift their attention to the decisive final day. Many continued their afternoon by watching Round 5, Game 2 of the FIDE World Cup, taking advantage of the unique setting where two major FIDE events run side by side in Goa.
Tomorrow promises a dramatic finish, with semifinal matchups set to determine which two companies will compete for the championship trophy.
Written by Charlize van Zyl, FIDE Press Officer (Goa, India)
Photos: Eteri Kublashvili