5 Things We Learned — Team Chess Battle 2024

Team C-Squared (GMs Fabiano Caruana and Cristian Chirila) claimed the first Team Chess Battle title this Friday, a new format that elevates chess from a silent duel on the 64 squares. Not quite hand-and-brain or Banter Blitz, but a sort of combination of both, this tournament opened the floor to trash talk, collaboration, and detailed narrations of how grandmasters think.

Here's what we learned over the two-week tournament that featured eight teams of two players:

• A 2800 Rating Goes A Long Way
• ... But Chess Is Hard For Everyone
• Danny And Anish Can't Catch A Break
• Danya May Have Lost 15 Years Of His Life
• Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

A 2800 Rating Goes A Long Way

It helps to be good at chess, period. Whether it's classical, rapid, or blitz—or even Chess960 and many other chess variants—the top dogs often come out on top. World number-one GM Magnus Carlsen proved just that at the latest Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge 2024, where the world number-two finished second.

Besides Carlsen, Caruana's currently the only other 2800 in the world. Although Chirila was responsible for a number of great decisions—like saving Caruana from blundering a piece in an opening about which he published a Chessable Course—it certainly doesn't hurt to have the world number-two in your corner!

"We know who carried the team 90% of the time," says Chirila!#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/2ZWMEJ4fiu

— chess24 (@chess24com) March 8, 2024

... But Chess Is Still Hard For Everyone

Have you ever been up a pawn, piece, or queen, and still failed to win the game? It's a rhetorical question; we already know the answer.

The good news is that nobody's immune to facepalm-inducing blunders. Chess is just a hard game, and so is life! In the Semifinals, we saw Caruana and Chirila struggle to win with an extra knight, and Caruana even recalled a world championship game that featured the same theme.

Team C-Squared struggles to convert with the extra piece, and now they're not even objectively winning anymore!https://t.co/zqu7ujKU3V#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/ZBvI0mcobW

— chess24 (@chess24com) March 1, 2024

They won in the end, but Caissa isn't always so merciful. For instance, in the next game, GM Wesley So and IM Alice Lee failed to win an exchange-up endgame and were thus eliminated.

If super-GMs struggle to win won positions from time to time, there's still hope for the rest of us.

Danny And Anish Can't Catch A Break

GM Anish Giri and IM Danny Rensch were eliminated in the very first round of the event, by Team C-Squared, but that didn't save them from getting roasted in subsequent matches by other teams for the next two weeks.

"They had no chance against us, absolutely zero chance. I think it was just a complete domination from start to finish," said Caruana the week after they had won that match. "That's what happens when your team is Anish and Danny. I mean, you get what you deserve."

That's what happens when your team is Anish and Danny. I mean, you get what you deserve.

—Fabiano Caruana

There were some other nice shots, like GM Eric Hansen's: "I did play in this format and did okay a long time ago... versus Danny and Robert, but I have a feeling today the opposing team will not be as dysfunctional as that team was and any team that Danny touches."

The next week, GM Robert Hess came with the zinger: "... the key to being a great teammate is not having you [Danny] on their team!"

... the key to being a great teammate is not having you [Danny] on their team!

—Robert Hess

The big lesson here is that Giri and Rensch should probably have different teammates next time.

Danya May Have Lost 15 Years Of His Life

The most epic moment of the entire event has to be the game GM Daniel Naroditsky and Hess won to take down GM Hikaru Nakamura and IM Levy Rozman. 

The following moment is historic: after a tense, nervy endgame, Naroditsky jumps out of his seat with such force that his headphones fly off his head. You can feel the relief emanate from the players.

Danya jumps out of his seat as Robert sets the pre-move for victory!

They're in the Final! 👏 https://t.co/esrHXHeF0f#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/o3Wps5plBQ

— chess24 (@chess24com) March 5, 2024

Four days later, in the Final, Naroditsky admitted that he still felt winded from that game. He added: "That last match probably took 15 years off my life. Whatever my lifespan is, just subtract 15 years from it. That was crazy!"

That last match probably took 15 years off my life.

—Daniel Naroditsky

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

If there's one thing we learned from Giri and Rensch, it's that trust between partners is paramount in this format. The most successful teams were full of camaraderie and positivity, especially in difficult times. We saw several kind words from teammates to each other, even when their results were unsuccessful. Here are some of them:

Caruana: "We had a winning combination.... We're good friends and we've worked together for already years now, so of course, I'd love to have another team battle with Cristian by my side."

Of course, I'd love to have another team battle with Cristian by my side.

—Fabiano Caruana

Naroditsky: "I will always stick up for you [Robert Hess]. You know I'll always be there for you, win or lose."

 You know I'll always be there for you, win or lose.

—Daniel Naroditsky

So: "Alice [Lee] was playing very well.... It was fun while it lasted!"

GM Jorden van Foreest: "If not for Eric [Hansen], I would've lost."

If not for Eric [Hansen], I would've lost.

—Jorden van Foreest

And Giri had this to say:

😂 @anishgiri: "They told me we have this epic event, you're gonna be on a team, we're gonna pay you lots of money... I was like, oh my god, another jackpot by https://t.co/fh3ftfXcRF, wonderful.

[But] there's a catch... your teammates gonna be @DanielRensch."#TeamChess pic.twitter.com/ZdcnQ1ntaR

— chess24 (@chess24com) February 21, 2024

What Did You Learn From The 2024 Team Chess Battle? Share In The Comments Below!

Team Chess Battle is an event where two-player teams can freely communicate while facing other teams in a series of rapid chess games. Eight teams of two players each compete in a single-elimination bracket. Matches consist of two games (the Final is a four-game match) with a 10+10 time control. The 2024 event started on February 21 and featured a $25,000 prize fund.

Previous coverage:

• • Caruana, Chirila Take 1st Crown In 2024 Team Chess Battle
  • Naroditsky, Hess Say No To Draw, Play For Win With Black
  • Team C-Squared Defends Impossible Endgame, Reaches Final
  • Nakamura, GothamChess Dream Team Wins In Armageddon
  • Never Meet Your Heroes: Naroditsky & Hess Beat Their Commentary Inspirations
  • Team Wesley So & Alice Lee Kill With Kindness In Quarterfinals
  • Team C-Squared Neutralizes Novelty From Bickering Giri & Rensch
  • Team Chess Battle: The Star-Studded New 2v2 Tournament With Nakamura, Giri, GothamChess, And… Jan Gustafsson