NEW DELHI: The 2025 FIDE World Blitz Team Championship may have crowned WR Chess as champions, but it will be remembered as much for a controversial appeal as for the quality of play. The high-profile team, featuring top grandmasters like Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Alireza Firouzja, saw its path to victory questioned after a quarter-final rematch was ordered under extraordinary circumstances.
A Shocking Defeat — Then a Formal Protest
The drama began in the quarter-finals when underdog team Germany & Friends pulled off a sensational 4–2 upset against WR Chess — a team considered nearly untouchable in blitz.
However, the result was quickly thrown into question. WR Chess lodged a formal appeal with FIDE, arguing that they had received misleading communication about the match start time via the official captains’ WhatsApp group. They claimed this led to critical players arriving late to their boards and starting games with barely any time.
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According to sources, Alireza Firouzja arrived 15 seconds late, Ian Nepomniachtchi had barely a minute on the clock, and Hikaru Nakamura started his game with just 38 seconds.
FIDE Annuls Match, Orders Rematch
In a controversial decision, the FIDE Appeals Committee agreed with WR Chess, stating that the organizers had indeed failed to communicate the match timing clearly. Despite having won the original match, the Germany team — including rising star Vincent Keymer — reluctantly agreed to a rematch.
What followed was a reversal of fortunes. WR Chess returned stronger and crushed Germany & Friends 4.5–1.5 in the replay, before securing the tie with a 4–2 win in the reversed-color leg.
Anish Giri Confronts WR Stars: “Would You Have Appealed If You’d Won?”
The decision sparked friction across the tournament hall — and spilled into public view. Grandmaster Anish Giri, playing for HexaMind, confronted Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura after the appeal was upheld.
“Would you have appealed if you had won?” Giri asked bluntly.
Nepomniachtchi, never one to hold back, shot back:
“Big expert in law, Anish… whenever he opens his mouth, it’s already questionable.”
Nakamura chimed in dismissively:
“Why does he care so much?”
Blitz, Seconds, and Standards
At the heart of the controversy lies a fundamental issue: blitz chess is brutally fast, and every second counts. In formats where players have only three minutes, starting 30 seconds behind can mean instant defeat. But the debate runs deeper — about governance, professionalism, and fairness.
Was WhatsApp, an informal platform, the right place to communicate something as crucial as match timings? Should a completed match be overturned based on communication errors? Would the appeal have succeeded if it hadn’t come from a star-studded team like WR Chess?
These are the questions now echoing across the global chess circuit.
Title Retained — But Reputation Debated
WR Chess went on to defeat HexaMind in the semis and then KazChess in the finals to retain their title. On the scoreboard, they were clear champions. But in the eyes of many, the manner in which they advanced remains open to scrutiny.
Even Nepomniachtchi later admitted the situation was “a mess,” acknowledging that the line between technical correctness and sporting spirit had been blurred.
Legacy of the London Blitz
For WR Chess, the win adds another feather to an already impressive cap. But for FIDE and the broader chess world, London 2025 will serve as a reminder that in elite sport — especially one built on precision and timing — the rules off the board matter just as much as those on it.
