Fifty-five-year-old GM Viswanathan Anand impressed everyone with a brilliant victory against GM Arjun Erigaisi on the second day of the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships. Despite Arjun's struggles, Team MGD1 remained unbeaten until the final round, where Hexamind led by World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin caught up with them. Meanwhile, WR Chess, the favorite, is only two points behind the leaders.

Day three of the championship is set to start on Friday, June 13, at 9 a.m. ET / 15:00 CEST / 6:30 p.m. IST.

FIDE World Rapid Team Championship Standings After Day 2 (Top 10)

The competition is extremely close at the top as the teams gear up for the final four rounds of the World Rapid Team Championship.

• Team MGD1: 13 points
• Hexamind Chess Team: 13 points
• Freedom: 12 points
• Uzbekistan: 12 points
• Germany and Friends: 12 points
• WR Chess Team: 11 points
• Ashdod Elit Chess Club: 11 points
• Malcolm's Mates: 10 points
• Knight Dance: 10 points
• KazChess: 10 points

Viswanathan Anand's brilliant performance against Arjun Erigaisi was a highlight of the day. Despite Arjun's late arrival, Anand played a winning move, capturing a bishop with 25...Rxb2!. Anand's sacrifice paid off, and he expressed his satisfaction with the move, stating that he had worked out the entire line before playing it.

Arjun Erigaisi, on the other hand, struggled throughout the day, scoring only 0.5/4. However, his team, Team MGD1, continued to lead the standings, showcasing their strength in crucial moments.

One of the surprises of the day was Atharvaa Tayade, who scored a perfect 8/8 so far. Despite his low rating, Tayade's performance has been exceptional, helping his team secure important victories.

WR Chess, the defending champion, faced setbacks on day two, losing crucial matches and falling behind in the standings. Despite some strong individual performances, the team will need to regroup and bounce back in the upcoming rounds.

The highlight of the day was Hexamind's victory over MGD1, led by Volodar Murzin. The intense competition at the top of the standings promises an exciting finish to the championship.

With four more rounds of rapid chess to go, the teams are gearing up for the final battles to determine the champions of the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships.

Source: Chess.com