Two teams from the Kazakhstan Chess Federation have finished their participation in the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship in Hong Kong at the round of 16 stage. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

After successfully passing the preliminary tournament, Kazchess finished second in Group D with 18 points. Barys, also with 18 points, placed third in Group A. Both teams achieved the goal of finishing no lower than fourth to reach the playoffs. However, the round of 16 proved insurmountable.

Round of 16 results

  • 01Hexamind Chess Team – Interstellar Club 4:2, 5.5:0.5
  • 02Endgame.Al – Shcnappi Krokodil Team 5.5:0.5, 3.5:2.5
  • 03Mr Birdie and Friends – Sky Chess 4:2, 4.5:1.5
  • 04Uzbekistan – Odlar Yurdu 3:3, 3.5:2.5

Kazchess matches

Kazchess lost both matches to last year's rapid champions Team MGD1 from India – 1:5, 2.5:3.5. In the first game, Hungarian Richard Rapport and three-time world blitz champion Bibisara Assaubayeva, playing black, each contributed 0.5 points. Russian Alexander Grischuk, Azerbaijani Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Chinese Wang Hao, and amateur Kumar Tyulyupov lost.

There was still a chance in the second match, where according to the regulations, the opponents swapped colors, but again the team faced failure. Aldiyar Ansat, who replaced Wang Hao on board four, lost his game as black. The same fate befell Mamedyarov and Rapport. Wins by Grischuk and Tyulyupov, along with Assaubayeva's draw, were not enough for revenge.

Barys matches

Barys faced an equally famous opponent in the first playoff round: Chinese team Dragon Chilling, featuring world champion Ju Wenjun and former world champion Ding Liren, who had won gold in rapid the day before.

The first match ended in a draw – 3:3. Ramazan Zhalmakhanov and Aлуа Nurman won their games, Russians Peter Svidler and Dmitry Andreikin drew, while Denis Makhnev and amateur Ailin Zarkym lost.

The second round was less successful for the Kazakh team. Wins by Svidler and draws by Andreikin and Nurman were not enough to repeat the first match result. Losses by Makhnev, Zhalmakhanov, and Zarkym proved decisive – 2:4.

General information

The quarterfinals will proceed without our teams. The champions and prize-winners of the blitz tournament will be determined tomorrow.

48 teams are participating in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, including chess players from different countries. The regulations do not prohibit players from the same country playing on the same team.

Team matches are played on six boards, including a mandatory woman (board 5) and an amateur player with a rating below 2000 (board 6).

The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship has been held since 2023. The first edition took place in Düsseldorf, followed by Astana and London.

Last year, the blitz tournament was won by WR Chess, which defeated Kazchess in the final.

The total prize fund for the rapid tournament is €310,000. The winning team will receive €110,000, the silver medalist €70,000, and the bronze medalist €50,000.