Last chance to join FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2025 in London
The third edition of FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship will take place in London, England from 10th to 16th June 2025. A total of 12 Indians are slated to take part, as of now. Divya Deshmukh, Vidit Gujrathi, Vishy Anand, Sarbartho Mani, Srinath Narayanan, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, Pranav V, Atharvaa P Tayade, Leon Luke Mendonca, Hariharan Raghavan and Nihal Sarin will be representing their respective teams. The total prize fund in Rapid is €310000 an increase of 24% from the previous edition, for Blitz €190000, an increase of 90%. The top three prizes in Rapid are €110000, 70000 and 50000 each, for Blitz €75000, €50000 and €30000 each respectively. Last date of registration is 10th May. So hurry up and register if you have not yet. Graphic: FIDE
8-year-old Sarbartho Mani to play in Vishy Anand's team
Just like the previous edition, the third edition will also witness a dozen Indians taking part in their respective teams. The prize fund got increased by 24% in Rapid and 90% in Blitz, total increase is 42.86%. The biggest debut among Indian players will be of - 8-year-old Sarbartho Mani. He is a former National Under-7 Open 2023 champion, won a Gold, three Silver and a Bronze medal at Asian Youth Under-8 Open 2024, and Gold and Gold, Silver and Bronze at two different editions of Commonwealth Under-8 2024 Championships last year. The kid has already tasted success in youth events. He got a lifetime opportunity to play in the big leagues where three of his teammates are former World Champions including the one and only - Vishy Anand. One thing is for sure, the world is keeping a keen eye on Indian talent and the best ones are going to be picked for various opportunities.
Time is ticking! With the registration deadline of May 10 fast approaching, this is your last chance to join the global chess community at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, taking place in London from June 10-16. This is your opportunity to compete alongside some of the world’s top chess players in a fun and exciting team environment. With a total prize fund of €500,000 – €310,000 for the Rapid event and €190,000 for Blitz, there’s plenty to play for.
What the players are saying
• Vidit Gujrathi (Hexamind Chess Team): “I’m really looking forward to playing – this event feels very relaxed for me. These days, I actually enjoy rapid and blitz more than classical chess, so it’s the perfect fit. Plus, it’s being held in London, and this is a great time of year to be there!”
• Stavroula Tsolakidou (MGD1): “It will be my first time participating in this very exciting event, and I am looking forward to experiencing the team spirit and the general atmosphere of the competition, as well as to be part of a team with such strong and inspiring players!”
• Simon Williams (e-therapeutics): “London is an amazing place to hold any event, and I am especially looking forward to playing in a team of friends against some of the best players in the world. The fact that it is a team event adds a great angle; and knowing some of the players in my team, I am sure there will be lots of laughs and drinks shared after the matches. Play hard at the board and relax afterwards!”
• Kevin Goh (Theme International Trading): “We have a relatively young team with a mix of young Singaporean players and seasoned pros. We are excited to see how we would match up against the top teams and hopefully can pull up an upset or two.”
• Dinara Saduakassova (Hetman GKS Katowice): “I haven’t been playing chess actively for a while, so I’m really excited to return—and doing it here in London, where I’m currently studying, makes it even more special. Can’t wait to be part of the event!”
Team requirements
• Each team must have 6 to 9 players.
• Include at least one female player.
• Include at least one recreational player (someone who has never had a FIDE rating over 2000).
Register now
Don’t miss out on this unique chess experience. Assemble your team and register before May 10.
Register here
For more details, as well as the full list of registered teams, visit the official tournament website.
Format
The 12-round Swiss League team event has a time control of 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment from move no.1. There is no default time. No penalty shall be imposed on a player if he/she is late for any of his/her games. Scoring is usual for a team event. Match points: Win = 2, Draw = 1 and Loss = 0. For Blitz, the time control is 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment. Blitz event will be played in two stages - Pool and Knockout. Check out the Blitz Pool Process and Tournament Regulations at the end of the article for more details.
Teams
There are 39 teams in total. Here are the four teams which comprises at least one Indian player.
Team-Composition
Schedule
Venue
The venue for the event will be Novotel London West in London, England.
Prize
The total prize fund is €500000 combining Rapid and Blitz, €310000 in Rapid and €190000 in Blitz. There are six prizes in Rapid - top five and two rating categories. The top three prizes are: €110000, 70000 and 50000 each respectively. Best U2400 and U2200 will earn €10000 and €5000 each respectively. For Blitz, the number of prizes got increased to five from four. The top three are - €75000, €50000 and €30000 each.
Team list
There are four teams that contain at least one Indian player as of this writing
Hexamind Chess Team (2646)
Daria Panarina (Captain)
GM Levon Aronian
GM Leinier Dominguez Perez
GM Vladimir Kramnik
GM Peter Svidler
IM Divya Deshmukh
GM Vidit Gujrathi
David Muradyan
Freedom (2605)
GM Emil Sutovsky (Captain)
GM Vishy Anand
GM Liem Quang Le
GM Samuel Sevian
GM Haik M Martirosyan
GM Anna Muzychuk
Sarbartho Mani
GM Alexey Sarana
GM Rauf Mamedov
IM Teodora Injac
Team MGD1 (2580)
GM Srinath Narayanan (Captain)
GM Arjun Erigaisi
GM Pentala Harikrishna
GM David Anton Guijarro
GM Pranav V
IM Stavroula Tsolakidou
Atharvaa P Tayade
GM Leon Luke Mendonca
GM Srinath Narayanan
Hariharan Raghavan
Ashdod Elit Chess Club (2553)
GM Nihal Sarin
GM Pavel Eljanov
GM Benjamin Gledura
GM Andrei Volokitin
IM Yuliia Osmak
Aldiyar Sailaubay
GM Alexander Moiseenko
GM Ilia Smirin
WGM Maria Manakova