FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship: Arjun Erigaisi and Team MGD1 win historic Rapid title
It was a landmark day for Indian chess as Team MGD1, led by Arjun Erigaisi, clinched the Rapid title at the third edition of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship, becoming the first Indian-sponsored team to achieve this feat in the event's history.
MGD1 is not only a chess team but also a Pune-based chess management and investment firm that nurtures talent, organises tournaments, and fields Team MGD1 as its flagship venture. Distinct from other teams that feature one or two Indian players, MGD1's line-up is predominantly Indian, and includes Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, Leon Luke Mendonca, Pranav V, and Atharvaa P. Tayade.
In a tense final round against Malcolm's Mates, it was Erigaisi, Pranav, and Tayade who delivered crucial victories to secure the title after an intense day marked by a neck-and-neck contest with Hexamind Chess Team, featuring the likes of Levon Aronian, Vidit Gujrathi and Divya Deshmukh. Hexamind ultimately finished just one match point behind MGD1, while Viswanathan Anand's Freedom claimed third place with 17 match points.
Day 1 highlights
After four rounds of rapid chess on the opening day, Team MGD1 emerged as the sole leader, maintaining a flawless 4/4 match record. WR Chess, led by stars including Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura, and Alexandra Kosteniuk, finished the day tied for second after drawing a fiercely contested match against Freedom, captained by Viswanathan Anand.
ALSO READ | Gukesh reminds me of myself from 2008-2009, says Magnus Carlsen
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 highlights
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 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.
In the end Team MGD1 held its nerve to seal the title and script history.
About the event
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 featuring 55 teams: 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).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
25 minutes ago
- India Today
Indian wicketkeepers with most Test 100s
Indian wicketkeepers with most Test 100s 21 Jun, 2025 By Rishabh Beniwal Here's a look at top five Indian wicketkeepers with most centuries in Test cricket: India's best wicketkeepers Kirmani scored two Test centuries from 88 matches in his career. 5. Syed Kirmani Engineer takes the fourth spot with two hundreds from 46 matches. 4. Farokh Engineer Saha scored three Test hundreds from 39 matches in his career. 3. Wriddhiman Saha The legendary India captain ranks on the second spot with six centuries from 90 matches in his career. 2. MS Dhoni The swashbuckling batter has broken Dhoni's record with his 7th Test ton against England in Leeds. 1. Rishabh Pant Pant has a great chance to add more hundreds to his name as he's just reached the peak of his career. Where will Pant end?
The Hindu
36 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Asian under-23 championships
Indian freestyle wrestlers collected five more gold medals and a silver at the Asian under-23 championships on Saturday (June 21, 2025). Nikhil (61kg) beat Kazakhstan's Merey Bazarbayev 7-2, Sujeet Kalkal (65kg) outclassed Uzbekistan's Umidjon Jalolov 10-0, Jaideep (74kg) got the better of another Uzbek Zafarbek Otakhonov 7-0, Chandermohan (79kg) defeated Turkmenistan's Alp Begenjov 5-2 and Sachin (92kg) beat Mongolia's Demchigdorj Tumurbaatar 5-2 in their respective summit clashes to claim the top honour. Jaspooran Singh (125kg) claimed silver. India finished atop team rankings in freestyle (six gold and a silver) and women's (four gold, five silver and a bronze) sections and ended up fourth in Greco Roman (one gold and two bronze).
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
FIH Pro League: Indian hockey teams face losses
The Indian women's hockey team's nightmarish run in the FIH Pro League extended with a 1-5 defeat against Belgium here on Saturday (June 21, 2025). It was the team's fifth consecutive defeat in a row at the European leg of the tournament. India took the lead through Deepika (sixth minute) before Belgium turned things around, pumping in five goals through Helene Brasseur (37th, 55th), Lucie Breyne (41st), Ambre Ballenghien (54th) and Charlotte Englebert (58th). Later, the Indian men's team, too, lost as it went down 3-6 to Belgium for a seventh defeat on the trot. The Indian junior men's hockey team began its four-nation tournament campaign with a loss, going down 1-7 to Germany in Berlin. The results: Women: Belgium 5 (Brasseur 37, 55, Breyne 41, Ballenghien 54, Englebert 58) bt India 1 (Deepika 6). Men: Belgium 6 (van Doren 1, Hendrickx 28, 54, Duvekot 49, Stockbroekx 53, Boon 59) bt India 3 (Dilpreet Singh 36, Mandeep 38, Amit Rohidas 56). Juniors: Germany 7 bt India 1.
