The 2025 FIDE World Blitz Team Championship saw WR Chess once again assert its dominance, successfully defending its title with a powerhouse roster featuring Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
From start to finish, the team was a force to be reckoned with. Their depth across every board proved overwhelming, as they cruised through the knockout rounds to clinch the gold.
Meanwhile, Team MGD1 — led by India’s Arjun Erigaisi — came into the Blitz event on a high, having just secured gold in the Rapid format with a near-flawless performance. But things didn’t quite click this time around. Despite strong play, particularly from Erigaisi who earned a bronze board medal on Board 1, the team fell short in the Blitz knockouts and missed out on the podium.
Team Freedom, captained by the legendary Viswanathan Anand, also couldn’t quite go the distance. After a promising run in the Rapid event (where they tied for third), they made it through the Blitz pool stage but were stopped in their tracks in the knockouts.
Controversy in the Quarterfinals
The tournament’s biggest drama came in the quarterfinals. In a shocking result, Team Germany and Friends handed WR Chess a 4-2 defeat — with Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura, and Firouzja all losing their games.
But the result didn’t stand for long.
WR Chess filed an appeal, claiming there had been confusion around the official start time, which caused some of their players to arrive late. After more than an hour of discussion and deliberation, the appeal was upheld, and the match was ordered to be replayed.
In the rematch, WR Chess made no mistake. They won decisively, 4.5-1.5 and 4-2, with Firouzja delivering two crucial wins.
Both sides acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation. Nepomniachtchi admitted it was a “mess,” and Team Germany and Friends even considered withdrawing but chose to play on.
Despite that hiccup, WR Chess proved why they’re still the team to beat — even without last year’s captain and chess icon, Magnus Carlsen.
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