Early Surprises at the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships

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The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships kicked off in London on June 10, 2025. This fast-paced event is already full of surprises after just four rounds in the Rapid section.

MGD1 Takes the Lead

India’s MGD1 team has made a strong start. They won all four of their matches and now lead the tournament with 8 match points. The team is led by rising star GM Arjun Erigaisi.

In second place are three teams tied with 7 points:

  • WR Chess

  • Freedom

  • Malcolm’s Mates, a British team making their debut

London Welcomes the Chess World

The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships opening ceremony was held at London’s Novotel Hotel in Hammersmith — near the site of the famous 2000 World Championship match between Kramnik and Kasparov.

Dominic Lawson, President of the English Chess Federation, spoke about London’s rich chess history. He paid tribute to Vera Menchik, the first Women’s World Champion, who tragically died during World War II.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich highlighted how the event brings people together. He thanked the Scheinberg family for their long-standing support of chess.

A special moment came when Nobel Prize-winning biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan made the ceremonial first move. He shared how chess and AI have transformed both science and the game itself.

Upsets and Highlights from the First Four Rounds

Rapid & Blitz Team

Round 1:

    • All favorite teams won, but there were shocks.

    • British GM Gawain Jones lost to a lower-rated player, Sumiya Bilguun.

    • Darmen Sadvakasov (2587) lost to Lu Miaoyi (2240).

    • MGD1 beat MongolZ 5:1, though Harikrishna and Mendonca drew their games.

Rapid & Blitz Team

Round 2:

    • WR Chess beat Generation XYZA 4:2.

    • Maxime Vachier-Lagrave lost to 16-year-old Ediz Gürel.

    • Hikaru Nakamura drew against a 300-points lower-rated opponent.

    • KazChess narrowly beat Duobeniajan Costa Calida ESJ.

    • Malcolm’s Mates drew with Global Ramblers.

Rapid & Blitz Team
Round 3:

    • Big upset: Hexamind, led by Levon Aronian, beat KazChess 3.5:2.5.

    • WR Chess drew with Ashdod Elit Club.

    • Malcolm’s Mates edged out Theme International Trading.

    • Mongolia-A shocked Global Ramblers 4:2.

Rapid & Blitz Team

Round 4:

    • The biggest match of the day: WR Chess vs. Freedom. It ended 3:3.

    • Teodora Injac held Kosteniuk to a draw.

    • Sevian beat Firouzja, while Wesley So scored for WR.

    • MGD1 beat Uzbekistan 3.5:2.5.

    • Malcolm’s Mates defeated Hexamind after Aronian blundered.

    • KazChess ended strong with a big win over Mongolia-A.

Rapid & Blitz Team

What’s Next?

Four more rapid rounds will be played on Thursday, June 12, starting at 2 PM London time.

About the Event:

    • Location: London, UK

    • Dates: June 10–16, 2025

    • Format: Teams of any mix — clubs, federations, or individuals

    • Total Teams: 52 in the Rapid section

    • Prize Fund: €500,000 (€310,000 for Rapid, €190,000 for Blitz)

Official Website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com

Rapid & Blitz Team

Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS

 

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