The chess world is eagerly anticipating the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships 2024, which will take place from August 1 to 5, 2024, in Astana, DKnews.kz reports. Following the success of the inaugural event held last year in Düsseldorf, Germany, this year's championship promises to be even more extensive and exciting. Blitz has now been added to the rapid format, and the WR Chess Team, defending their title, will be led by the world’s top chess player, Magnus Carlsen. The tournament will also feature reigning world champions Ju Wenjun and Ding Liren, among many other chess stars.
What is this tournament?
Team chess competitions are held either for national teams or for club teams, which can include chess players from various countries. The FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships are of this nature. Teams are formed either by national federations with the support of their partners or directly by sponsors. Examples of the first type include China's China Team for 10years, Uzbekistan's Royal Chess, India’s Team MGD1, and Kazakhstani teams. The international WR Chess Team is sponsored by Vadim Rosenstein, the founder and head of WR Group Holding GmbH, a world leader in project logistics. A total of 39 teams have registered.
Who is participating?
The participants include many world-class stars. In the WR Chess Team, besides Magnus Carlsen (2832) and Hou Yifan (2632), former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk (2488), Ian Nepomniachtchi (2770), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2769), Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (2757), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2733), and Vincent Keymer (2721) will play. In the China Team for 10years, besides Ding Liren (2745) and Ju Wenjun (2566), there will be Yu Yangyi (2720) and Wei Yi (2755). The Chessy team includes Alexey Sarana (2717), Richard Rapport (2715), Jorden van Foreest (2671), Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (2720), Humpy Koneru (2530), and Anna Muzychuk (2521).
When and where?
The championship will begin on the evening of August 1 with the Olympic torch relay, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the 45th Chess Olympiad. The chess battles themselves will take place at the QazExpo Congress Center. The tournament includes two championships: rapid (August 2-4) and blitz (August 5). In rapid, teams will play 12 rounds using the Swiss system, while in blitz, they will first play in groups in a round-robin system, then in a knockout system in the playoffs.
Prize fund
The tournament's total prize fund is €350,000, with €250,000 allocated for rapid, including €100,000 for the winning team, and €100,000 for blitz, including €40,000 for the winning team. Members of the top three teams in each category will receive gold, silver, and bronze medals. The award ceremonies for both championships and the closing ceremony will take place on August 5.
Tickets and registration
Fans are advised to secure their tickets in advance, and journalists should get accredited for the tournament. Media registration is available at: worldrapidblitzteams.fide.com/mediaregistration.
