FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 5: WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet (born in 2010) eliminates local GM Nino Batsiashvili!
12 matches will be decided in tomorrow’s tiebreak Akaki Iashvili is the main man behind the Women’s World Cup. President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Chair of the FIDE Events Commission and Special Tasks Director of the FIDE Management Board, Akaki oversees the production and takes care of the day-to-day running of the event, along with FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky. Both of them were joined this afternoon in the playing hall by Giorgi Murvanidze, Mayor of Batumi, a brilliant person and great supporter of the Georgian Chess Federation. After congratulating all the players and wishing them the best of luck, Murvanidze played the first move for WGM Candela Be Francisco on board one. In the second game of the round, I expected very solid play from most of the players who had already drawn the first game – no one really wants to be eliminated due to a costly mistake. Among other reasons, the pay-jumps are already quite important: the 32 qualifiers for round three are guaranteed a €6,750 payday. Indian IM Rout Padmini opted for this approach against 2021 World Cup winner GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, after the draw in their first game. Against Kosteniuk’s Petroff Defence, Padmini chose a piece sacrifice that forces a perpetual check in eleven moves – a possibility that side-steps the 30-move no-draw rule. In this position, theory suggests 6.Nxd7, 6.Nc3 or even 6.0-0 as interesting possibilities for a fight. However, Padmini chose 6.Nxf7 and after 6…Kxf7 7.Qh5+ Ke7 8.Qe2 pinning the knight, is a well-known theoretical continuation. Black has to return to f7 to avoid falling into a much worse position, and White has a draw with 9.Qh5+. Of course, it’s also possible that Padmini wasn’t feeling well or that Kosteniuk had surprised her in the opening! Other tough match-ups games that will be decided tomorrow in the tiebreak after two draws are: FM Anastasia Avramidou – GM Kateryna LagnoWIM Umida Omonova – IM Alina KashlinskayaIM Inna Gaponenko – GM Anna MuzychukWGM Thalia Cervantes – GM Mariya MuzychukIM Klaudia Kulon – WIM Priyanka K.GM Elina Danielian – GM Antoaneta Stefanova Third round qualifiers Several top players will enjoy a rest day tomorrow after cruising through round two with well-deserved wins. Although she felt slightly nervous in the second game because her position was not good, IM Polina Shuvalova was finally able to put away IM Gulnar Mammadova with a 100% score. After the game, Charlize van Zyl from FIDE interviewed her and asked about her evolution as a player. Shuvalova reflected on how she has grown – from playing crazy games in her youth to being wiser now with a more calm and solid approach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLU8eRqI94w Top seed GM Lei Tingjie had a tough day at the office but eventually ground her young opponent down in a queen ending for her second win, while her teammate and former Women’s World Champion, GM Tan Zhongyi, also won both of her games against Georgian prodigy WFM Anastasia Kirtadze, at the same time ending her World Cup dreams. Local Georgian top GM Nana Dzagnidze also advanced with a nice tactical performance against IM Daria Charochkina. On a lower board, IM Yuliia Osmak prevailed in a tricky endgame against a dangerous opponent, WIM Wang Chuqiao, achieving qualification for round three. In her post-game interview, she credited the best player in the world’s endgame skills. “I actually like Magnus Carlsen’s endgames and studied them a lot. I learned how to squeeze wins from small advantages”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7akazsJhNEw The four best Indian players all sealed their qualification today. GM Humpy Koneru and IM Divya Deshmukh both won their first game yesterday and a draw was enough to achieve their objective. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu won both of her games, while GM Harika Dronavalli finished off the job in the second game after being the last match standing yesterday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwrASlNqek4 Harika happily came to the media centre to show us all how to win a fine attacking game even if the queens are no longer on the board. GM Irina Krush was in a must-win situation against her young opponent IM Carissa Yip. She did all she could, even rejecting a likely perpetual check, which would have been no use to her, and eventually had to surrender her king to her teammate. The other young American player, IM Alice Lee, had to say goodbye to Batumi, losing her second game in a row against another adolescent, WGM Anna Shukhman. Finally, Romanian IM Irina Bulmaga surprised her opponent IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette in the opening and went on to gradually outplay her, finishing off the game with a winning attack. In her postgame interview, Irina showed us the key moment of the encounter and talked about texting her opponent (and a good friend) before the match. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeALX_Xuk7g Comebacks! Everyone enjoys a good comeback story, and today was no exception. With all of them against the ropes having lost their first game, GMs Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Ushenina, and IMs Song Yuxin, Aleksandra Maltsevskaya and Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova were all able to grind their way to a win and will return tomorrow with a chance to qualify in the tiebreaks. Upsets! Unfortunately, Georgian GM Nino Batsiashvili will no longer be with us, having lost her game today against a 15-year-old WFM Elnaz Kaliakhmet, representing Kazakhstan. Nonetheless, Georgia will still be well represented by GMs Nana Dzagnidze, Bella Khotenashvili, Lela Javakhishvili and IM Meri Arabidze, all of whom qualified today. Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman, Polina Bovina and Andrei Anosov About the tournament: Taking place from July 6 to July 28, the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup brings together the world’s top female chess players in Batumi, Georgia. A total of 107 participants from 46 federations are competing, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals, and rising talents are vying for the $50,000 first prize, as well as three qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results are available on the Women’s World Cup
FIDE Women’s World Cup Day 1: Most of the favourites cruise through
The first game of the first round of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup was played this afternoon at the outstanding Grand Bellagio Batumi Convention & Casino Hotel. Located on the new boulevard, the playing venue is just under four minutes walking distance from the beach. Both players and accompanying persons can enjoy all the amenities of a five-star hotel. At 3:00 pm sharp, the Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim introduced Georgian Federation President AkakiIashvili and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who performed the ceremonial first move on board number one. Dvorkovich opted for 1.Nf3 and IM Carissa Yip, playing with White, chose to leave it on the board in her game against WFM Hannah Wilson. The rest of the games started immediately, but something was off. A quick scan of the room made it quite apparent that one of the 86 players was missing. Most of the players had arrived more than fifteen minutes before the round, to avoid delays with the fair-play scanning. IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (pictured below) waited patiently and finally her opponent, JanaMohamed Zaki, appeared through the door, just under the 15-minute time limit permitted to avoid forfeit. Apparently, she had taken the wrong elevator and lost her way. Although she made it on time to play her first-round game, according to the tournament regulations she will be fined with a hefty 300 USD, which will be deducted from her prize money. It’s important to take into account that the top twenty-one seeds of the will join the forty-three winners of round one for the next pairing, in three days’ time. Some of them have arrived sooner than expected: among others, I spotted 2021 cup winner Alexandra Kosteniuk, India’s Olympiad winner Vaishali and two of the three top Chinese players (Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie) in the dining area. Game of the day The first game to finish was probably one of the best of the round. French IM Deimante Daulyte-Cornette played a fantastic model Sicilian with White against WIM Ahmed Wadifa. She was kind enough to pop-in to the media centre to explain what she was thinking about during the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ChAJ4VlsZI While I was preparing the interview, I remembered a classical Smyslov game (Smyslov – Rudakovsky, 1945; left diagram) that I have used in lessons many times. The resemblance is uncanny! As is customary in knockout-format tournaments, where chess players of unequal level face off in the early rounds, there have been a few striking surprises and upsets. Nonetheless, most of the favourites cruised through with no major difficulties. On board one, IM Carissa Yip played with an outstanding 96% accuracy to secure her first win—just shy of IM Stavroula Tsolakidou’s 97% on board two! Other contenders to pull ahead in their matches with ease were GM Bella Khotenashvili, GM Anna Ushenina and 16-year-old WGM Anna Shukhman (pictured below). The current World Junior Girls champion took down her opponent from the Philippines, WFM Ruelle Canino in a complex Ragozin, and then came along to the media centre to be interviews by yours truly, and showcase her tactical skills on the digital board. Check out the interview on YouTube and marvel at the youngster’s huge chess talent! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUHT931zyp0 Other favourites had to work hard to reap the award. Both IM Klaudia Kulon and former Women’s World Champion GM Antoaneta Stefanova were playing great for most of the game, but a small mistake in the ending could have cost them half a point if their opponents had found some unexpected fortresses. Upsetsand comebacks Being that today was only the first game of the two-game match, everyone has a chance to make a comeback tomorrow, forcing a tiebreak that will take place the day after. On board four, CM Isabelle Yixuan Ning (pictured above) was out-rated by more than 400 points! Even so, she played a solid game with no mistakes and was able to hold her opponent, GM Valentina Gunina, to a draw. https://youtu.be/96z9FT8r7Is?si=9GTtmKCkVXT-4Csh Further down on board eighteen, WFM Lala Shohradova, rated 2149, also played very solidly, clocking in a 98% accuracy score, and will force her opponent IM Vantika Agrawal to try and advance with the white pieces tomorrow. GM Irina Krush (pictured below), WGM Govhar Beydullayeva, IM Olivia Kiolbasa, IM Sophie Milliet and IM Marsel Efroimski were also all rating favourites that were only able to get a draw and must wait for the second game to try to impose their theoretical superiority. Finally, towards the lower part of the tree bracket, ratings and playing strength are much closer – and therefore to use the word “surprise” is not really a thing. In any case, IM Ann Matnadze Bujiashvili (now Spanish but originally from Telavi, Georgia) will need to win tomorrow to tie her match against local prodigy WFM Anastasia Kirtadze. Tied to the same fate and Peruvian IM Cori Deysi, who will play White against WIM Wang Chuqiao and needs to win, and IM Le Thao Nguyen Pham, who will need to bounce back from her defeat with White against local WFM Kesaria Mgeladze. The second game of the first round will begin tomorrow July 7th at 15.00 and can be followed live on our YouTube channel with expert commentary. Join us there! Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia) Photos: Anna Shtourman and Andrei Anosov About the tournament: Scheduled to take place from July 6th to July 28th, the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup will gather together in Batumi (Georgia)the world’s best female chess players. A total of 107 players from 46 different federations are set to participate in the event, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals and emerging talents will play for the $50.000 first prize, in addition to three qualifying spots for the Candidates. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the World Cup website.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich opens 2025 Women’s World Cup
Players, guests and accompanying persons enjoyed a wonderful gala of traditional music and dance, backed by a screening of historical images of Georgian women’s chess. Beautified by a magnificent crystal chandelier, the 600-seat Batumi Drama Theatre hosted this evening the opening ceremony of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, with the prominent presence of FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. Together with the other main authorities and guests, most of the 107 players from 46 countries who will compete in the third edition of this tournament, enjoyed a relaxing evening of music and dance before the battle commences tomorrow on the chess board. At 19.30 local time sharp, under the deep and resonant sound of the gong, on the closed curtain of the theatre, the title of the tournament suddenly appeared: “FIDE Women’s’ World Cup Batumi 2025“. At the same time, the host’s voice could be heard, loud and clear, first in Georgian and then in English – “Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning the official opening ceremony of the FIDE Women’s World Cup!”. A projection of the Georgian flag appeared on the curtain, and the Georgian national anthem was played, followed by the FIDE Anthem.” The orchestra played their first piece – “I used to rule the world” by Coldplay, followed by the “Khorumi” – a traditional Georgian war dance. The dancers performing the Khorumibrought out the flags – Georgian flag, the FIDE flag and the flag of Adjara. The presenter hosts welcomed the guests and affirmed that the prestigious event is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Georgian Chess Federation, with the generous support of the Ministry of Sport of Georgia, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, the Batumi City Hall, the Ministry of Health of Adjara, and the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara. They stated that the FIDE Women’s World Cup stands as one of the most significant and prestigious competitions on the global chess calendar, uniting the world’s strongest and most accomplished female chess players under one roof, and for Georgia it is a profound honor to host an event of such scale and prestige, reaffirming Georgia’s outstanding contribution to the global advancement and promotion of chess, and underscoring the country’s esteemed position within the international chess community. Akaki Iashvili, President of the Georgian Chess Federation and Special Tasks Director of the FIDE Management Board, took the stage and welcomed everyone on behalf of the Georgian Chess Federation. He extended a special and heartfelt greeting to Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE and a true friend of Georgia, who had arrived in Batumi a few days before and awarded the winners of the U-8-U12 World Cup. Akaki also warmly acknowledged the presence of Mahir Mammedov, Vice President of FIDE. His speech was delivered with passion and determination – “It is a matter of great pride that Georgia is hosting the FIDE Women’s World Cup for the very first time. We are equally proud that seven Georgian players are competing in this elite field, representing our country with distinction. Between 1962 and 1991, Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidzeheld the title of Women’s World Champion. In the decades since, Georgia has hosted numerous high-level FIDE and European tournaments, including the 2018 Chess Olympiad, and has developed extensive experience in organizing international competitions of the highest standard.We are fully committed to ensuring that all participants have the best possible environment to compete, excel, and enjoy their time in Georgia.” Akaki Iashvili also thanked all the supporters of the event – “On behalf of the Georgian Chess Federation, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Sport of Georgia, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and the Batumi City Hall for their invaluable support in making this event possible. I wish all participants an inspiring tournament and every success — both on and off the chessboard.” Amidst a round of applause, Akaki Iashvili invited FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich to the stage. True to his style, FIDE President was brief and to the point, with his singular sense of humour. First, he expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Culture of Adjara, the development company Horizons Group, and the Batumi State Drama Theatre for supporting the opening ceremony. He continued: “It’s good to be back. I was performing my first tasks as FIDE President in the Batumi 2018 Olympiad, and hopefully it won’t be the last time I am here! Batumi is one of the best places to organise a World Cup and I am glad that we have put our trust in the Georgian Chess Federation. You will all experience the traditional hospitality of the organizing team, the best playing conditions, and continue the tradition of the Georgian chess school and all the women champions”. Arkady Dvorkovich concluded: “It won’t be easy, there is tough competition, but I trust that you will be role models for all the young girls who try to do their best. We need you to show your enjoyment for playing chess, so that the younger kids who won the medals last week can improve and have fun, and maybe in the long run take your places. That would be a success story.” FIDE Vice President Mahir Mammedov joined Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim on the stage for the drawing of lots, to decide which colour would lead on board one. Two bottles of Georgian wine, red and white, defined that the players with the odd number will have Black in the first game of round one. After the speeches, the audience enjoyed a display of the very best Georgian music and dance performances. Firstly, the renowned and century-old State Ensemble of Song and Dance of Adjara – Arsiani, joined by Luka Chanisvhili, performed a traditional Georgian folk song. Next, the exceptional voice of Georgia, Archil Gogitidze, performed a “My way”, accompanied by the Georgian Women’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Davit Mazanashvili. During these beautiful performances, the audience saw inspiring footage from Georgia’s chess history, from the
WBTC 2025: Favourites deliver as 16 teams move into knockouts
After three days and 12 rounds of Rapid, things got hotter in London as the FIDE World Blitz Team kicked off. Following 13 rounds of fast-paced action, 16 out of 53 teams have advanced to the final playoff stage on Sunday. The blitz competition is split in two stages. On day one, the teams were divided into four equally strong pools, playing in a round-robin format. There were four pools – three had 13 teams, while Pool D had 14. The top four teams in each pool qualified for the knockout playoffs, which are taking place on Sunday, June 15. In Pool A, WR Chess, Ashdod Elit Chess Club, Knight Dance and FIDE Management Board Tram advanced to the knockouts. WR Team won all of their matches, with the closest they came to a struggle being the round six match against The MongolZ squad, which ended with a narrow win, 3.5:2.5. In that match, WR’s Hou Yifan, the world’s top-rated female player, lost to more than 500 points lower-rated Khishigbat Ulziikhishig. WR was significantly strengthened by the late arrival of Ian Nepomniachtchi, who received his UK visa just in time to play in the Blitz. The big hero of the day for WR was Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda who scored 11.5 points out of 12 games on one of the top boards. In a big surprise of the day, 13-year-old IM Ahmad Khagan (2290) from Turkish Airlines stunned GM Hikaru Nakamura (2837) in round five. Visibly upset, Nakamura didn’t even set up his pieces back, as is customary after the game, and just walked out of the playing hall. During the day, Khagan proved his victory was not an accident – he won 9 out of 13 games, facing strong grandmasters. Ashdod dropped just one match – a 1.5:4.5 loss to WR Team – drew another and won the rest to comfortably secure second place, with 21 matchpoints. Their standout performer was Aldiyar Sailaubay on the amateur board, who scored 9.5/12. Knight Dance finished third with 19 matchpoints, despite two losses and a draw. Close behind were the FIDE Management Board Tram, who secured fourth place on 17 matchpoints. Zhu Chen and non-professional standout Stepan Zaiarski played key roles in their qualification. From Pool B, Freedom, Hexamind, Theme International Trading and Malcolm’s Mates moved to the knockout phase. In round 10, Freedom suffered a defeat at the hands of Theme International Trading, but that didn’t endanger their spot in the knockouts. Freedom’s Le Quang Liem and Haik Martirosyan were the best performers, scoring 8.5 points out of the nine games they played. Despite losing a match to Freedom (4.5:1.5), Hexamind stormed through in all other matches to enter the knockouts in shared first place in Pool B. Both Freedom and Hexamind ended the day with 22 matchpoints. Theme International Trading recovered from a stunning 6:0 opening loss to Hexamind to finish third with 19 matchpoints. Fourth place went to the British squad Malcolm’s Mates, with 18 matchpoints which was greatly helped by GM Luke McShane who won 10 out of 12 games. In Pool C, the most consistent performance was delivered by Team Uzbekistan, who entered the final round with two matchpoints ahead of the field. Their star player, Nodirbek Yakubboev, had a great run, scoring 9.5 points out of 12. Germany and Friends, led by Vincent Keymer, came in second place after losing just one match – to Uzbekistan. They finished on 22 matchpoints. Rookies took third place with 20 matchpoints, despite losses to the top two teams. Generation XYZA claimed the final qualifying spot with 17 matchpoints, even after losing to all three teams above them. Notably, XYZA’s Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus topped individual scoring in Pool C with 10/12. Pool D saw the favourites – 2025 World Rapid champions MGD1 – advance alongside KazChess, Hetman GKS Katowice, and Barys.kz. MGD1 made just one draw (with fifth-placed Team Hungary) and won all other matches, ending the day on 23 matchpoints. The Indian team scored five match victories in which they won all six games – the most of all top-placed teams in the Blitz, across all groups. Their top-performing player was board one Arjun Erigaisi, who made 11 points out of 13 games. With 22 matchpoints, KazChess was second. Their non-professional player Islam Aiten made the biggest contribution having won 12 out of 13 games. Hetman GKS Katowice took third place with 20 matchpoints. Their top board, GM David Navara, was instrumental in their success with a score of 11/13. Barys.kz clinched the final knockout spot in Pool D with a commanding 6:0 win over Perfect in the last round, finishing on 17 matchpoints. The knockouts With the pool stages now concluded, the focus shifts to Sunday’s knockout rounds, where the 16 qualifiers will battle for the title of the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Champion. With the stakes rising and a sharper, knockout format – it promises to be an exciting closing to a spectacular week of chess. FIDE World Blitz Team Championship – Knockout pairings Written by Milan Dinic Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz Official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/ About the event: The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships is taking place in London, United Kingdom, between June 10 and 16, 2025. The event is open to teams from all over the world. Teams can be made of club members, members of different federations, or any other chess players. Altogether, 52 teams are taking part in the Rapid World Championship. The total prize fund is €500,000 (£421,000), €310,000 will go to the Rapid tournament, €190,000 is earmarked for the Blitz.
FIDE WRBTC 2025: Hexamind level with MGD1 at the top after three key wins
Day two of the FIDE World Teams Rapid Championship brought unexpected turns, as underdogs broke through and favourites faltered. With six match victories, one draw and one loss each, Hexamind and team MGD1 share first place with 13 matchpoints. Freedom and Uzbekistan follow closely behind, on 12, with Germany and Friends joining them after a standout performance. Tournament favourites WR Chess are in sixth place, with their title hopes dented by back-to-back losses. More intensity and pressure The stakes went up, and the matches became tougher as the FIDE World Rapid moved to its second day, with four more rounds taking place. The ceremonial first move was made by Lord Dafydd Wigley, a prominent Welsh and British politician between 1980 and 2000 and Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on chess in the British parliament. Team MGD1 continued their strong performance, maintaining the lead through the day, winning two matches and drawing one. A key factor in MGD1’s success so far has been their amateur board player, Atharvaa P Tayade (rated 1952; pictured below), who has won all eight of his games. After a draw with Freedom in round five, the Indian-led team overcame top seeds WR Chess in round six with 4:2. In round seven, following a tough match, MGD1 scored a narrow 3.5:2.5 victory over Germany and Friends (which moved up the scoreboard, stunning Freedom in round six and finishing the day with a confident 4.5:1.5 victory over Malcolm’s Mates). However, in the final-eight round of the day, MGD1 was facing Hexamind. The team led by Levon Aronian had a great run on day two, drawing with Freedom and defeating WR and Turkish Airlines with 4:2, to reach second place before the final round. Rating favourites WR had a bruising day. They started well with a victory over Malcolm’s Mates, but then had two back-to-back defeats in rounds six and seven, to MGD1 and Hexamind. A 4.5:1.5. victory in round eight against Barys from Kazakhstan helped salvage some ground. In the final match of the day, Hexamind (with Volodar Murzin on board one instead of Levon Aronian) came out as winners, delivering a crushing 4:2 blow to MGD1, tying for first place. Here follows a closer look at the developments in rounds five to eight in the FIDE World Rapid Teams Championship: In round five, playing on the top tables, day one leaders Team MGD1 faced Freedom. Former World Champion Vishy Anand secured Freedom an early lead after dismantling world number three player, Arjun Erigaisi with black pieces. The match finished 3:3, with all other games ending in a draw, and Freedom’s non-professional player Sarbartho Mani succumbed to Atharvaa Tayade of MGD1. The British squad Malcolm’s Mates put up a fierce fight against the tournament favourites WR Chess. WR’s top player Alireza Firouzja found himself with seconds on the clock in a very sharp position against Gawain Jones, but still managed to win. Hikaru Nakamura defeated England’s Michael Adams after playing better in time trouble. WR’s team owner and player on the non-professional board, Wadim Rosenstein – lost on the last board, but his team still won: 3.5:2.5, securing two matchpoints. With this victory, WR tied with MGD1 for first place. KazChess dropped a win against Rishon LeZion Chess Club. The team from Kazakhstan were in the narrow lead as the last game of the match was played between former world champion candidate Boris Gelfand and world-class player Richard Rapport. Gelfand was pushing to swing the result in his team’s favour and, eventually, under time pressure, Rapport made a slip and lost. Hexamind Chess Team drew with the squad of Uzbekistan, with Levon Aronian losing to Uzbek superstar Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In other notable results from the round, Vincent Keymer lost to Alan Pichot despite playing with the white pieces. Nihal Sarin lost to the rising Argentinian prodigy Faustino Oro in a tense game. The 2702-rated super-GM Alexei Shirov lost as white to more than 200 points lower-rated Ameet K Ghasi. Round six started with a minute of silence for the tragedy in India which happened on Thursday morning, after a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, Western India. After a draw with Freedom, Team MGD1 was playing WR Chess. The Indian team was pressed hard by WR as they created promising positions on most of the boards. However, as the round progressed, WR got only four draws and MGD1 scored a victory on board three, where David Anton outplayed Duda. The last game of the round to finish was between WR’s Wadim Rosenstein and Atharvaa P Tayade of MGD1. Rosenstein found himself in a difficult position, but there was also a complaint from the opposing team relating to touch and play. The game ended with Rosenstein losing, securing a 4:2 victory for MGD1. The round’s biggest upset came as Germany and Friends stunned Freedom, 3.5:2.5. Germany’s top player Vincent Keymer led his black pieces to victory against Freedom’s Rauf Mamedov on board one. After starting the day with a loss, Malcolm’s Mates came back with a crushing 5.5:0.5 victory over Team Hungary. One of the most exciting games of the day was played in the match between Hexamind and the Turkish Airlines Sports Club. On board one, 11-year-old Argentine prodigy Faustino Oro put up stiff resistance against the experienced heavyweight Levon Aronian. In a sharp endgame, Aronian (playing as Black) emerged with an extra pawn. Under extreme time pressure, both played very precise moves, but Oro ultimately blundered. The final moves of the game saw Oro playing with a queen and a knight against two queens, with no pawns on the board. Despite the pressure, Aronian kept his nerves and scored a victory. Hexamind won the match 4:2. In round seven, MGD1 continued their strong form in round seven, defeating Germany and Friends 3.5:2.5, though it was not without its challenges. Their top board, Arjun Erigaisi, lost to Vincent Keymer after blundering in an even endgame. On board
Early surprises at the start of FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships
After four rounds in the Rapid segment, India’s MGD1 stands as the sole leader, having secured victories in all four matches. Three teams share second place – the favourites WR Chess and Freedom, as well as the newcomers to the competition, the British team Malcolm’s Mates. The global chess spotlight converged on the British capital on Wednesday for the start of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, drawing many strong players and amateurs for a week of intense, fast-paced competition. The opening ceremony, held at the London’s Novotel Hotel in Hammersmith (close to where the world championship match between Kramnik and Kasparov took place in 2000), underscored the sport’s expanding international footprint and the power of chess in bringing people together. Dominic Lawson, the president of the English Chess Federation, noted that the World Teams is the first major FIDE event since the Candidates in 2013. He spoke about London’s rich chess history, particularly referencing the great Vera Menchik, the world’s first woman chess champion, who was killed in the German bombardment of London in 1944, noting how war – then and today – has impacted chess. The President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Arkady Dvorkovich, stressed the importance of events such as the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Teams in bringing people together. “From Dusseldorf in 2023, to Astana in 2024 and now London – the event has grown in scale, passion and energy. I am sure this event will also be a great success story,” the FIDE President said. Dvorkovich also thanked the Scheinberg Family for their generous support for this event and for chess over the years. Nobel Prize-winning biologist and former Royal Society President Venkatraman Ramakrishnan had the honour of making the first ceremonial move. Originally from India, he took up chess at 19 after moving to the US and briefly played for Ohio University. “I played so much my studies suffered, so I stopped,” he recalled. In an interview, Ramakrishnan pointed out that “AI has revolutionised chess as much as it has revolutionised science”, citing the influence of Demis Hassabis – a prominent chess player and AI pioneer. The FIDE World Rapid Teams – first four rounds The first event underway is the World Team Rapid Championship, featuring 52 participating teams. While rating favourites generally performed strongly, the Rapid opening day saw notable upsets, with several super-Grandmasters dropping points to significantly lower-rated opponents. The top-performing team of the day is MGD1 from India, led by Arjun Erigaisi, which has won all four matches, securing eight match points (each match victory brings two points, each draw one point, and a loss – zero points). They started with a 5:1 victory against MongolZ and continued in the same fashion in round two, against Barys.kz. Round three saw them pitted against Rishon LeZion Chess Club, led by the former world champion candidate, Boris Gelfand. The score in this match was 4.5:1.5 for MGD1. Then, in the final round of the day, the Indian squad narrowly defeated the strong team of Uzbekistan, 3.5:2.5, finishing the day in sole first place. Second and third place are shared by two top contenders from previous editions – WR Chess and Freedom. Both teams won their first three matches but drew against each other in the fourth round and are on seven match points. The big surprise of the day is the distinctly named team Malcolm’s Mates (after the ECF chess official and organiser Malcolm Pein), which emerged in shared second to fourth place with WR Chess and Freedom. They drew their second match – against Global Ramblers, led by GM Alexei Shirov – but then went on to win in the next two rounds, to clinch one of the top spots. Here follows a closer look at developments in the first four rounds: The first round brought the first surprises! Despite all the favourite teams winning their matches, there were some notable upsets among the top guns. Gawain Jones – one of the strongest British GMs – completely misplayed against a 200-points lower-rated Sumiya Bilguun from the Mongolia-B team and ended up losing. The five-time Kazakh chess champion, 2587-rated Darmen Sadvakasov, lost in time trouble to 2240-rated Lu Miaoyi of the Turkish Airlines Sports Club team. The Indian Team MGD1 made up of world-class players defeated The MongolZ team from Mongolia, but, had two draws on the top three boards: Harikrishna conceded a draw against FM Sumiya Chinguun, as did Leon Mendonca against Khuyagtsogt Itgelt. As early as round two, the favourites started to have problems. WR Chess defeated Generation XYZA with 4:2, but Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – the former world blitz champion and a top class player – lost to 16-year-old Turkish star Ediz Gürel. After creating two runners on the queenside as White, Vachier-Lagrave blundered, having to give up his queen. Also in that match, WR’s Hikaru Nakamura (rated 2734) had a speedy draw with 300-points lower rated Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus. KazChess pulled off a narrow victory against a significantly weaker team of Duobeniajan Costa Calida ESJ (3.5 vs 2.5), with Grischuk drawing as Black and Esipenko losing with the white pieces. Global Ramblers – which features the 2702-rated Alexei Shirov as the only super-strong player – held the team of Malcolm’s Mates to a draw thanks to the successes on the lower boards. The other favourites – Uzbekistan, Freedom and MGD1 – continued strong, steamrolling their opponents. As the World Rapid Team Championship moved into the third round, the stakes escalated, transforming the matches into full hard-fought battles. The Hexamind Chess Team led by Levon Aronian and 18-year-old Volodar Murzin delivered a major upset, defeating the second-seed KazChess. With Richard Rapport losing to Aronian on board one, and Giri defeating Ansat on board three, the final score was 3.5:2.5. WR Chess was held to a draw by the Ashdod Elit Chess Club on the lower three boards, but managed to swing the match thanks to Duda’s dominant performance against Benjamin Gledura and Firouzja’s managing to eke
Chess world descends on London for FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships
London is set to host the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships from 10th to 16th June, bringing together top world players, chess legends and emerging talents. Launched in 2023 by The International Chess Federation (FIDE), the event has grown quickly, attracting companies and organisations from around the world that have assembled teams made up of players of all levels, from die-hard professionals to recreational enthusiasts. In 2024, the World Blitz Teams championship was added to the event, which resulted in more teams taking part and an increased prize pool. The third edition of the event will see 54 teams take part, with each numbering nine players, including one female player and one amateur (with a FIDE rating of under 2000 ELO). The total prize fund is €500,000 (£421,000), €310,000 will go to the Rapid tournament, €190,000 is earmarked for the Blitz. Who is playing? The lineup for the event includes many of the world’s top players, with 116 Grandmasters. The field is led by the WR Chess Team – winners of the 2023 Rapid and the 2024 Blitz Championship. Steered by the experienced German coach and GM, Jan Gustafsson, WR Chess has assembled the world’s strongest GMs. Starting with World No 2 rated Hikaru Nakamura (pictured below), WR Chess also has Alireza Firouzja, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda as well as former women’s world champions, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Hou Yifan. For the third year in a row, team owner Wadim Rosenstein will take charge of the non-professional board. With an average rating of nearly 2700, they are the absolute favourites. Photo: Michal Walusza Hexamind, a new entrant, fields chess heavyweights such as Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Anish Giri and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. The team has focused on the future of chess, with the inclusion of 18-year-old Volodar Murzin (who won the 2024 World Rapid Chess Championship) and brothers Platon (9) and Mark (5) Panarin. KazChess from Kazakhstan has Richard Rapport, Alexander Grischuk and Parham Maghsoodloo on the top three boards, while Freedom – who won second place in the 2023 Rapid – will have the former world champion Viswanathan Anand on board one. Captained by GM Emil Sutovsky, the team also includes Le Quang Liem, Samuel Sevian, Rauf Mamedov and former women’s world Rapid and Blitz champion, Anna Muzychuk (pictured below). Photo: Mark Livshitz Team MGD1, a strong contender in the previous two editions (securing third place in 2023), has restructured to adopt a more international lineup. While Arjun Erigaisi is still on board one, with Pentala Harikrishna on board two, Spain’s David Anton is on board three while Stavroula Tsolakidou from Greece is on the women’s board. Another strong contender is the team of Uzbekistan, fielding the strongest Uzbek players – Abdusattorov, Sindarov and Kasimdzhanov. Other world-class players participating in the event include former world champion candidate Boris Gelfand, England’s 2700-player Luke McShane as well as former world champion candidate Nigel Short and world-class players, Alexei Shirov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. The schedule: First the Rapid, then the Blitz The event will start on Wednesday, 11th June, with the World Rapid Teams Championship. The 12-round Swiss tournament will span three days, with four rounds played daily, and a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. Then, the World Blitz Teams will then take place – on 14-15th June, featuring a two-phase structure: a round-robin group stage followed by knockouts. The teams will be divided into pools of approximately the same strength, with 16 squads qualifying for the knockout stage. The time control in the Blitz is sharp: three minutes for the whole game, with a two-second increment per move. A step in the right direction The London event follows successful editions in Düsseldorf (2023) and Astana (2024). “FIDE and our partners are proud to bring the third edition of the World Rapid and Blitz Teams tournament to London, an important global hub for chess. After the Global Chess League in October 2024, this is another major international chess event we are hosting in London,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “With nearly 60 teams – not just from chess organisations but also private companies – taking part, this event is a step in the right direction to promote chess globally and build bridges among people”, Dvorkovich added. How to watch/attend The event will be streamed live on FIDE’s YouTube channel with expert commentary by GMs Daniel King and Jovanka Houska, while tickets for the rounds can be purchased here: tickets.fide.com/. The tournament is taking place in Novotel London West, located in Hammersmith in West London. Official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/
2025 African Championship: Bilel Bellahcene and Shrook Wafa claim titles
GM Bilel Bellahcene (Algeria) and WGM Shrook Wafa (Egypt) are the newly crowned African chess champions. The #1 Algerian, Bellahcene edged out to top-seeded Egyptian GMs to secure his maiden title, while Wafa captured her fifth African crown, repeating her successes of 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2019. The 2025 African Chess Championships (Open and Women’s sections), organized in cooperation with the International Chess Confederation (ICC) and the African Chess Federation, were held at the Pyramids Park Hotel in the Pyramids region from May 13–20. Both the Open and Women’s events were 9-round Swiss tournaments played with classical time control, bringing together top players from 17 African countries vying for individual titles. The Open tournament was fiercely contested and evolved into a thrilling race among the rating favorites. Top-seeded GM Bassem Amin (Egypt) took the lead after Round 6 and maintained it until the penultimate round, when he lost to fellow Egyptian GM Ahmed Adly, who caught up with him. Meanwhile, fourth-seed Bellahcene capitalized on the opportunity by defeating GM Ahmed Alaa Ahmed, entering the final round a half-point ahead of the two Egyptian grandmasters. In the final round, Bellahcene (pictured below) achieved a winning position against IM Hamed Wafa, but ultimately settled for a draw. With Amin and Adly both winning their final games, all three players tied for first place. However, Bellahcene secured the championship title on tiebreaks, thanks to the highest average rating of his opponents. Amin took silver, while Adly completed the podium with bronze. Final standings – Open 1 GM Bellahcene, Bilel ALG 2504 7 2 GM Amin, Bassem EGY 2649 7 3 GM Adly, Ahmed EGY 2597 7 4 IM Wafa, Hamed EGY 2367 6½ 5 FM Fadi, Marko EGY 2244 6 6 FM George Samir, David EGY 2346 6 7 IM Ezat, Mohamed EGY 2296 6 8 GM Fawzy, Adham EGY 2513 6 9 Ahmed, Moustafa Elsayed EGY 2079 6 10 FM Yousry, Salah EGY 2256 6 Complete final standings – Open Section In the Women’s event, Shrook Wafa (pictured below, right) delivered a dominant performance, scoring an impressive 8/9. She remained undefeated throughout the tournament, conceding only two draws. The 2023 African Champion, Lina Nassr, finished second with 7/9 to claim the silver medal, while 15-year-old Jana Mohamed Zaki caused a minor sensation by capturing bronze and increasing her rating by 98 points. Final standings – Women 1 WGM Wafa, Shrook EGY 2189 8 2 WIM Nassr, Lina ALG 2029 7 3 Mohamed Zaki, Jana EGY 1891 6½ 4 WGM Wafa, Shahenda EGY 2085 6½ 5 ACM Alaa, Dema EGY 1828 5½ 6 WIM Romany, Joy EGY 1932 5½ 7 WCM Ampaire, Shakira UGA 1784 5½ 8 WIM February, Jesse Nikki RSA 2052 5 9 El Barbry, Sarah MAR 1841 5 10 WCM Bwalya Mulwale, Lubuuto ZAM 1954 5 Complete final standings – Women’s Section Photos: Egyptian Chess Federation
Tickets for the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships go on sale
Get ready for an exhilarating week of chess at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships, happening in London from June 10–16! Hosted at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith, this event brings together nearly 60 teams from around the globe, featuring top grandmasters, rising stars, and passionate amateurs. Experience the thrill of fast-paced games, where brilliant tactics, unexpected blunders, and intense time scrambles keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Emotions run high as players race against the clock, making split-second decisions that could change the game’s outcome. What makes this championship unique is its team format. Each team comprises 6 to 9 players, including at least one female player and one recreational player (rated below 2000 Elo), promoting inclusivity and diversity in the competition. Teams can represent clubs, federations, cities, universities, or even be formed by friends coming together for the love of the game. With that, the roster is headlined by super teams led by your favourite super grandmasters – from Hikaru Nakamura to Vishy Anand. The tournament kicks off with the Rapid competition from June 11–13, featuring a 12-round Swiss format with a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. Following that, the Blitz tournament takes place on June 14–15, introducing a two-stage structure: a round-robin pool stage and an exciting knockout phase for the top 16 teams, with games played at 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move. Flexible ticket options starting at £30: There are a variety of ticket options available to suit different preferences and budgets. Whether you’re interested in catching a single rapid round, immersing yourself in a full day of matches, experiencing the entire event, or enjoying premium amenities with hospitality passes, there’s something for everyone. Additionally, exclusive passes to the closing party offer a chance to celebrate with players and fellow fans. To explore all the ticket options and secure your spot at this exciting event, visit tickets.fide.com For more details about the event, visit the official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com
FIDE WGP Austria: A hat-trick for Zhu Jiner after stunning Vaishali Rameshbabu
Zhu Jiner scores her third straight win. Muzychuk holds lead despite missed chance. Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova clinches her first victory, stunning Alexandra Kosteniuk in just 25 moves. Round five marked the halfway point of the final tournament in the 2024/2025 FIDE Women’s Grand Prix. Anna Muzychuk remains in sole lead on 4/5, despite missing a chance with the black pieces against Tan Zhongyi. Zhu Jiner caught up with Vaishali Rameshbabu on 3/5 after a sharp victory, while Nana Dzagnidze also joined the tie for second following a draw with Mariya Muzychuk. Lela Javakhishvili outplayed Olga Badelka and now shares 2.5 points with Tan. Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova fought back from a weaker position against Kosteniuk to score her first victory. Both now sit on 1.5/5. After four days of rain and overcast skies, the sun finally broke through over the Austrian highlands surrounding G’Schlössl Murtal. The usual silence of the chess hall was broken by the birdsong in the background, making it seem the games were being played in a park rather than indoors. The main two matchups were between the tournament leader Anna Muzychuk and former World Champion Tan Zhongyi, as well as, the duel between Zhu Jiner and Vaishali Rameshbabu. Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk are the only two who have a chance to win the overall WGP Series. To qualify for the Candidates and win the WGM season, Anna needs to be in sole first place in Austria. This means getting every point she can, including against Tan. In the Giuoco Piano, in which Muzychuk played as Black, things were calm until she suddenly got a sizable advantage in a complicated middlegame. This was the best position Black got in the game before she spilled the beans. The best choice for Black was to centralise the knight with 18…Ne5! attacking the queen. This forces White to take the knight and leave Black dominating the centre, or to remove her queen from the attack, opening space for the d-pawn to further penetrate White’s defences. Instead, after seven minutes of thinking, Anna played 18…d5? However, after 19.cxd4 Nxe4 20.Bxd5 Nb4? (20…Nxg3 with a slightly better position for Black) 21.Qb3 Nxd5 22.Nxe4 Bxe4 23.Qxd5! forcing the exchange of queens, 23…Bxd5 24.Rxe7 White emerged slightly better. The game continued and was the last to finish with a draw. Anna Muzychuk left the playing area clearly angry with herself for missing an opportunity. Despite this, she maintained her sole lead with 4/5, a point ahead of the rest. After a poor start with two defeats, Zhu Jiner bounced back with two victories. In round five, she was facing Vaishali Rameshbabu, who has, until this game, had two victories and two draws. The young Indian hope surprised her opponents in three out of four games played, building an image of a very uncomfortable player. In the Four Knights of Sicilian Defence, she was surprised by Zhu and spent a lot of time thinking, entering time trouble early in the game. Despite losing a pawn, Vaishali managed to hold by move 30, and then all fell apart. In time trouble, instead of 30…gxf5 Vaishali played 30…Qc2?? Allowing White to exchange the queens and enter a winning rook endgame. 31.Qxc2 Rxc2 32.f6! sealing off the black king. 32…h5 33.Rd1 Re2 34.Rd8+! And now White has penetrated Black’s back ranks. 34…Kh7 35.Rf8 Rxe5 36.Rxf7+ Kh6 37.Rxa7 Zhu has two more pawns and a runner on the a-file and nothing can stop that. An excellent performance by Zhu. After starting with two losses, she scored three consecutive victories – a great feat in a field of strong players. This game was the first major setback for Vaishali in Austria, as she remains on 3/5. In the second game with the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk surprised her opponent, Nurgyul Salimova, by playing 1.d4. The former women’s world champion managed to gain the upper hand after an early break in the centre. By move 15, White gained an extra pawn and had a significant advantage. Black just lost a pawn defending the king’s fortress. In this sharp position, instead of 16.0-0! (intending to meet 16…Nxd5 with 17.Rd1), Alexandra played the natural but errouneous 16.Be4, which allowed Black counterplay with 16…f5 17.Bd3 Qxd5? regaining the lost pawn but 17…c4! was much stronger. 18.Rb1? Ra5 and now after 18…c4! 19.Be2 f4! 20.Qd1 Qa5+ 21.Kf1 the tables have completely turned: Black has space and initiative, threatening White from the centre, while Kosteniuk’s pieces are pushed back and pinned, the rook on h1 trapped, and the king not fully secure. The former Women’s World Champion tried to resist but resigned on move 25. This was the shortest game in the tournament so far, ending in a victory. This was the first win for Nurgyul Salimova in the tournament, after one draw and three defeats. Clearly pleased, in the post-game interview, she noted that thanks to the sunny weather, she “already felt positive vibes” even before the game. Austria’s Olga Badelka started losing her way in the early stages of the Queen’s Gambit Declined against Georgian Lela Javakhishvili. Playing as White, Olga pressed on the kingside, but Lela made sure she was in time to react and hold everything under control. By move 22, Black was dominating. It was obvious Javakhishvili was at ease with her position and performance – she spent a lot of time outside, enjoying the park in which the playing venue is located, while Badelka was glued to her seat for most of the game. On move 32, Black correctly sacrificed an exchange, which was the shortest way to victory. Badelka resigned on move 42, after nearly three hours of play. With 2.5 points, Javakhishvili is on 50%, while Austria’s Badelka has two victories and three losses. Mariya Muzychuk and Nana Dzagnidze drew in the Sicilian. Surprised by 7.c3 in the Moscow Variation, Dzagnidze ended up with doubled pawns on the e-file, but generated enough counterplay to hold a draw. She remains unbeaten with one win