WR Chess Clinches Gold In Penultimate Round

On the last day, WR Chess completed their phenomenal run at the World Rapid Team Championship, clinching first with a round to spare.

It was truly a team victory as every member contributed, with several players turning in dazzling performances. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi scored 7/9 on board two, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda went undefeated, scoring 7/8 with a 2921 performance rating, and GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu nearly swept his opponents with 6.5/7. GM Hou Yifan also scored one victory after another, giving up only a single draw to finish with 5.5/6. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk was yet another undefeated player, scoring 4.5/6.  

GM Viswanathan Anand's Freedom finished in clear second while GM Pentala Harikrishna's Team MGD1 came out ahead in the fight for bronze. 

After WR Chess swept its way through the competition on the first two days, their opponents gave them a fight on the final day. In round nine, the Chess Pensioners, representing the old guard with GMs Leinier Dominguez, Peter Svidler, and Vladimir Kramnik, came close to nicking the favorites for a draw. Wins by Nepomniachtchi and GM Vincent Keymer tipped the scales in the leaders' favor. 

Showing no respect for his elder, Nepomniachtchi unleashed the King’s Gambit vs. Svidler. His irreverence paid off. The 33-year-old world championship challenger ripped his legendary opponent’s kingside to smithereens in 21 moves, beginning with his thunderbolt on move 17. This inspired clash is our Game of the Day, analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao. 

Ian Nepomniachtchi kept smiling at the start of the game against Peter Svidler, and then played the King's Gambit!

"I was hoping for my teammates as I was absolutely sure I am going to fail," said Ian on air after the game, which he won.

Photo by Niki Riga#FIDErapidteams pic.twitter.com/yBMkNzltQ7

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 28, 2023

In round 10, Armenia, led by GM Gabriel Sargissian, was on the verge of upsetting the favorites. Their amateur board, 14-year-old Alberto Atoyan, was in the midst of an incredible streak, ultimately scoring 10.5/12. He especially made his mark with his striking tactical blast vs. Wadim Rosenstein. 

With the match on the line, Kosteniuk and Keymer triumphed in must-win games to hold the team draw. Kosteniuk discovered a clever way to win a pawn vs. GM Elina Danielian.

As the final game to finish, the pressure was especially on Keymer to convert his advantage vs. GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan.

Vincent Keymer wins on demand with the black pieces to tie the match, rescuing WR Chess from what could have been their first match loss in 10 rounds!#FIDERapidTeams pic.twitter.com/c4G5he01f8

— chess24.com (@chess24com) August 28, 2023

Seeing the leaders finally concede a draw gave the opposing teams fresh hope. In the penultimate round, WR Chess faced the fourth seeds, ASV AlphaEchecs Linz. With WR Chess's margin over the rest of the field, one more win, and the tournament would be theirs.

Despite WR Chess’s vast lead in score, the lineup of GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Alexander Grischuk, Parham Maghsoodloo, Etienne Bacrot, Kateryna Lagno, and CM Marc Llari on the amateur board presented an intriguing obstacle.

WR Chess was up to the challenge. The top two boards turned in two solid draws while the last four boards―Duda, Praggnanandhaa, Hou, and Wadim Rosenstein―swept their opposition. Duda found a beautiful finish to take down Maghsoodloo.

With this victory, WR Chess became uncatchable. Though the final round was unnecessary, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished on a high note, defeating GM Robert Rabiega in a marvelous 14-move miniature. The 18-year-old grandmaster found a shocker in what appeared to be a standard opening position. 

For their extraordinary performance, WR Chess earned the gold cup, medals for every player, and 100,000 Euros. 

not quite the way I imagined https://t.co/6StZ7rF5KM

— Ian Nepomniachtchi (@lachesisq) August 28, 2023

As usual for the chess elite, the team celebrated their victory with a lively bughouse session.

These guys just won world championship... So they're celebrating it with Bughouse#chess @FIDE_chess pic.twitter.com/SLQDSZoQ4b

— WR_Chess_Masters (@wr_chess) August 28, 2023

Freedom won out in the battle for silver, scoring 20 match points. Their top-scorer was IM Polina Shuvalova who played almost every round and finished with 8/11. In the last round, Shuvalova showed what she can do with her back against the wall. IM Anna Zatonskih was in the midst of creating a brilliancy when she offered her opponent a breath of air for a move. That was all Shuvalova needed to flip the game in her favor. 

Team MGD1 closed out the tournament by nearly sweeping the day's rounds, winning three and drawing one to win bronze. GM Raunak Sadhwani came through with a winning streak in the last three rounds, saving the team draw vs. Germany and Friends and sealing the win vs. Chess Pensioners at the finish. He won a fighting gem vs. GM Artur Jakubiec in round 11.

Final Standings (Top 20)

All Games - Day 3

• Perfect Scores By Praggnanandhaa, Hou Make WR Chess Unstoppable
• Powerhouse WR Chess Takes Early Lead