WR Chess retains FIDE World Blitz Team Championship, London
Wadim Rosenstein’s WR Chess Team retained the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship 2025 title after overcoming KazChess in the finals at London on Sunday 15th June, 2025. GM Jan Gustafsson led WR Chess took the top prize of Euros 75,000 ahead of runner-up KazChess. Hexamind took the third spot followed by Uzbekistan, with Rapid Team winner MGD1 and Freedom behind in that order. 53 teams took part in this annual chess gala, including 80 Grandmasters from 35 countries.
With the best of the blitz players in their line-up comprising of Nepo, Firouzja, Hikaru, So, MVL and Duda it was little surprise that WR Chess Team emerged the Champion for the second year in row. But laying the hands on the trophy went through a controversy before WR Chess could breathe easy.
In the first quarter-final match WR Chess Team went down to Germany and friends 2-4. Little later, WR Chess filed an appeal for a re-match against Germany and friends citing organization lapse, when non-information of the starting time saw the winner turning up two minutes late for the crucial tie. Showing exceptional levels of sportsmanship GM Vincent Keymer led Germany and friends agreed to play a fresh match, going down to WR Chess this time.
Speaking on the closing ceremony FIDE Deputy President Viswanathan Anand thanked the Scheinberg family for their generous support for this event. Anand added, “A core part of our strategy has always been to forge a strong partnership between chess and the broader community – from the world of sports, business, or culture. Tournaments such as the World Rapid and Blitz Teams, alongside events such as the World Corporate Championship, are a shining example of this vision in action and FIDE will continue to work hard on having more of them”.
Richard Rapport (2631) – Alireza Firouzja (2798) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2 Bd7 5. e5 dxe5 6. Nxe5 Nc6 7. Nxd7 Qxd7 8. O-O g6 9. d3 Bg7 10. a4 O-O 11. Na3 Nd5 12. Nc4 Rfd8 13. a5 b5 14. axb6 axb6 15. Rxa8 Rxa8 16. Bf3 Rb8 17. Be4 e6 18. f4 b5 19. Ne3 b4 20. Bxd5 exd5 21. c4? (An error. 21. cxb4 was the best)
21…dxc4 22. dxc4 Qxd1 23. Rxd1 Nd4 24. Kf2 Nb3 25. Nd5 Nxc1 26. Rxc1 Bxb2 27. Rb1 Bd4+ 28. Kf3 Ra8 29. f5 Kg7 30. g4 Ra3+ 31. Ke4 b3 32. f6+ Kf8 33. Nb4 Bxf6 34. Nd3 b2 35. Ne5 Ra1 0-1
Levon Aronian (2754) – Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2694) 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. Bd2 Qf5 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. f4 e6 10. Nf3 Bd6 11. O-O-O Bxf4 12. Rhf1 O-O 13. Ng5 Bxd2+ 14. Qxd2 Qg6 15. h4 Nc6 16. g4 Nxg4 17. Qf4 h5 18. Qxc7 Rab8 19. Nce4 Nce5 20. Nd6 Bd5 21. Bxd5 exd5 22. Nf5 Qb6 23. Qxb6 Rxb6 24. Ne7+ Kh8 25. Rde1 d4 26. Re4 f6 27. Nf3 Nxf3 28. Rxf3 Rd8 29. Rf5 Kh7? (29…Nh6 was better)
30. Rxh5+?! (30. Rxg4!! wins instantly – Andreas Kastberg) Nh6 31. Rd5 Rxd5 32. Nxd5 Rd6 33. Nf4 Nf5 34. h5 Kh6 35. Kd2 Ne3 36. c3 Nf1+ 37. Kc2 Ng3 38. Re8 dxc3 39. bxc3 Kg5 40. Ne6+ Kxh5 41. Nxg7+ Kg4 42. Rg8 Kf3 43. Rf8 Nf1 44. d4 Ne3+ 45. Kd3 Nd5 46. Rc8 Nf4+ 47. Kc2 Kg4 48. Rc5 Nd5 49. Ne8 Re6 50. Ng7 Re2+ 51. Kb3 Ne3 52. a4 bxa4+ 53. Kxa4 f5 54. Ne6 f4 55. Rg5+ Kf3 56. d5 Rd2 57. Nd4+ Ke4 58. d6 Nc4 59. Rg6 Nxd6 60. Rxd6 f3 61. Re6+ Kd3 62. Nxf3 Rf2 63. Kb3 Rxf3 64. Rxa6 Rf8 65. Rd6+ Ke4 66. c4 Rb8+ 67. Ka4 Ke5 68. c5 Rb1 69. Ka5 Rb2 70. Rd1 Ke6 71. c6 Rc2 72. Kb6 Rb2+ 73. Kc7 Ke7 74. Kc8 Rc2 75. c7 Rb2 76. Re1+ Kf7 77. Re4 Kf6 78. Kd7 Rd2+ 79. Kc6 Rc2+ 80. Kd6 Kf7 81. Re5 1-0
Aitem Islam (1929) – Wadim Rosenstein (1722) 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 a6 4. e3 e6 5. g4 Nxg4 6. Qxg4 e5 7. Qg3 exf4 8. exf4 Nc6 9. O-O-O g6 10. Bg2 Be6 11. Nh3 Bh6 12. Kb1 O-O 13. Ng5 Bg7 14. Nf3 Qf6 15. h4 Bh6 16. Ng5 Rad8 17. h5 Nxd4 18. hxg6 Nf5 19. Qh3 fxg6? (A blunder. 19…c6 was the best)
20. Nxe6 Qxe6 21. Rhe1 Qf6 22. Nxd5 Rxd5 23. Bxd5+ Kh8 24. Rh1 Re8 25. Bb3 c5 26. Bc4 b5 27. Bd3 Re7 28. Bxf5 gxf5 29. Qxh6 Qd4 30. Qf8# 1-0
Final Rankings: 1. WR Chess Team, 2. KazChess, 3. Hexamind Chess Team, 4. Uzbekistan, 5. MGD1, 6. Freedom.
Knock out Finals: KazChess lost to WR Chess Team 2-4, 2-4.
Third place play-off: Uzbekistan lost to Hexamind Chess Team 2.5-3.5, 2.5-3.5.
Knock out Semi-finals: WR Chess Team beat Hexamind Chess Team 5.5-0.5, 3-3, KazChess beat Uzbekistan 3-3, 4-2.
Knock out Quarter-finals: Germany and friends lost to WR Chess Team 1.5-4.5, 2-4, Hexamind Chess Team beat Team MGD1 3-3, 4-2, KazChess beat Freedom 3-3, 3.5-2.5, Ashdod Elit Chess Club lost to Uzbekistan 3-3, 1-5.
Photo courtesy: Rafal Oleksiewicz
Complete Blitz Results
Official Site: https://worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/
