FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship: Viswanathan Anand beats Arjun Erigaisi on Day 2
The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship commenced in Hammersmith, London, on Wednesday and will run till June 15.
This year’s event features an extended five-day format: three days dedicated to rapid chess (a 12-round Swiss system) followed by two days of blitz.
The tournament has drawn grandmasters, prodigies, and amateur enthusiasts from around the world, all vying for the €500,000 prize fund, with €310,000 allocated to the rapid section and €190,000 to the blitz. Each team consists of six players per match, with the requirement to field at least one female player and one recreational player (rated below 2000 FIDE).
Day 1
After four rounds of rapid chess on the opening day, Team MGD1—featuring Arjun Erigaisi, Gukesh D, and Harika Dronavalli—emerged as the sole leader, maintaining a flawless 4/4 match record. W
Chess, led by stars including Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, finished the day tied for second after drawing a fiercely contested match against Freedom, captained by Viswanathan Anand.
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Notable absentees from this year’s competition are Magnus Carlsen, who spearheaded WR Chess’s triumph in the 2023 Blitz Team Championship, and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who couldn’t attend due to passport trouble.
Day 2
The second day was a treat to all chess fans in India as Viswanathan Anand, showing flashes of his timeless brilliance, defeated Arjun Erigaisi in a pivotal Round 5 clash between Freedom and the dominant MGD1. This marked the first time MGD1 failed to win in this edition. But MGD1 swiftly regrouped in the next round, delivering a commanding performance against WR Chess.
Meanwhile, Hexamind Chess Team, led by rapid world champion Volodar Murzin, continued its rise in the standings, matching MGD1’s tally of 13 match points after eight rounds. Close on its heels stood Freedom, Uzbekistan, and Germany & Friends, each poised within striking distance as the rapid stage approached its final day.