Perfect Scores By Praggnanandhaa, Hou Make WR Chess Unstoppable

After two days, WR Chess soars ahead of the field at the World Rapid Team Championship. Led by perfect scores from GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Hou Yifan, this star-studded team has won eight matches in a row to gain a three-point margin over their closest rivals, Freedom―whom they defeated in round five. 

The World Rapid Team Championship concludes on Monday, August 28, at 7:30 a.m. ET / 13:30 CEST / 5:00 p.m. IST.

WR Chess not only leads the tournament by a convincing margin, but they have already faced and defeated all of their closest competitors: the teams currently in second to sixth place. 

With several top players competing on the opposing teams, how has WR Chess been able to sweep the field so far?

For one, several of their players are simply on fire. In addition to the perfect 4/4 scores by Praggnanandhaa and Hou, GMs Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Ian Nepomniachtchi have also been virtually flawless, each scoring 5.5/6. 

A perfect day for Praggnanandhaa! https://t.co/POO3RlFRwZ #FIDERapidTeams pic.twitter.com/V0Zsv5q1Nv

— chess24.com (@chess24com) August 27, 2023

GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov has turned in a compelling 4.5/6, including a couple of critical wins to seal team victories. Additionally, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is undefeated with 3/4. 

Their amateur board, Wadim Rosenstein, is on plus two with 5/8. Even GM Wesley So, who faces the top competition on board one and has been having an uncharacteristically tough event is on an even score at 3/6. 

Essentially, WR Chess has four members who are winning virtually every game they play while there are no weak points across the entire nine players―a team that excels in both strength and reliability. With the stellar individual performances combined with team spirit, such as having a training session together before the event, it’s no wonder they have been unstoppable. 

I'm sharing some private photos from Bali, Dubai, and Switzerland showcasing the dedicated months of preparation with the WR Chess team and Vladimir Kramnik. The countless hours of chess training with these brilliant minds have deepened my love for this game even further.… pic.twitter.com/rTZ5SNcvC0

— Wadim Rosenstein (@WadimRosenstein) August 19, 2023

In round five, WR Chess faced the only team higher ranked than they are, Freedom, led by the 15th world champion, Viswanathan Anand. While the top two boards drew, it was a bloodbath on the four lower boards with wins from Duda, Pragnanandhaa, Hou, and Rosenstein. 

Praggnanandhaa closed out his win vs. GM Evgeniy Najer with a dazzling tactical shot. 

Position after 43...Nde3+!

Duda was the hero of their matchup vs. Team MGD1 in round six. Playing black, he repelled GM Arjun Erigaisi's kingside pressure and then sprung forward with one piece after another until it was his opponent's king that was begging for mercy. 

In round seven, with the match vs. Germany and Friends on the line, it was Abdusattorov's turn to score a much-needed victory. He defeated GM Matthias Bluebaum with a combination of tactical insight and endgame technique.

That was a very close match between 'WR Chess' and 'Germany and Friends'! But the final victory of Nodirbek Abdusattorov tipped the scale in the leaders' favour. #FIDErapidteams pic.twitter.com/zQfgLvr2tM

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) August 27, 2023

In the final round of the day, WR Chess faced the Kompetenzakademie Allstars. This team, featuring the dangerous trio of GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Levon Aronian, and GM Dommaraju Gukesh, hoped to give the leaders a real run for their money. 

And so the last game of today began

Will @LevAronian, @FabianoCaruana and @DGukesh be able to stop our stars?#chess #wrchess #FIDErapidteams pic.twitter.com/u5C7fHuX3m

— WR_Chess_Masters (@wr_chess) August 27, 2023

Yet, WR Chess didn't just win the match―they won 5.5 out of six games. The Allstars' not-so-secret weapon, Gukesh, had an amazing 6.5/7 score heading into the round, but his winning streak was halted by Duda. With his team in mind, Gukesh went all in as Black, but Duda accurately fended off his kingside play. The Indian prodigy found himself hitting air until his 25-year-old opponent seized the chance himself to attack. 

A 5th win in a row for Jan-Krzysztof Duda stops Gukesh from winning a 5th in a row himself! https://t.co/yc2PBlf7F3 #FIDERapidTeams pic.twitter.com/vB6LoL4So6

— chess24.com (@chess24com) August 27, 2023

On board four, Praggnanandhaa faced GM Sebastian Siebrecht. For opposing teams, it might feel almost unfair to have a player like Praggnanandhaa who would hold his own on board one playing on a lower board. In fact, the 18-year-old super-GM knocked out the Allstars' board one, Caruana, at the World Cup. 

Praggnanandhaa unleashed chaos while down a knight to rip open the center and hunt after his opponent's king. 

Freedom is in clear second. They bounced back with a near sweep of the Berlin Chess Federation in round six, scoring 5.5/6. IM Polina Shuvalova found a clever way to spark her kingside attack vs. GM Elisabeth Paehtz.

They closed out the day with two more match wins vs. ASV AlphaEchecs Linz (GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexander Grischuk's team) and Germany and Friends, led by GM Alexander Donchenko. GM Vidit Gujrathi flipped the script on GM Rasmus Svane to create mating threats out of nowhere.

One of the most shocking games of the day was GM Etienne Bacrot's 18-move victory vs. GM Richard Rapport. Can you find the idea that the Romanian grandmaster overlooked?

With so many of their rivals already beaten, who is left for WR Chess to play? Their next opponents will be the Chess Pensioners, led by GM Leinier Dominguez. Though they are underdogs vs. WR Chess, the Pensioners feature the legendary forces of GMs Vladimir Kramnik and Peter Svidler, making this a fascinating upcoming duel. 

Standings - Day 2 (Top 20)

All Games - Day 2

• Powerhouse WR Chess Takes Early Lead