Blitz Glory, AI Upsets, and Team Triumphs
From London’s team blitz battles to AI’s stumbles against vintage gaming gear, chess in 2025 is showcasing its multifaceted evolution. This article covers WR Chess’s emphatic blitz triumph, questions around AI’s chess capability, and rapid developments in team format competitions – all underscoring the richness of today’s chess landscape.
WR Chess Reclaims World Blitz Team Crown
WR Chess (captained by Jan Nepomniachtchi) retained their title at the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship held June 14–15 in London. After dominating the knockout final against KazChess with 4–2 victories in both legs, they affirmed their supremacy in blitz chess’s high-pressure format.
Key victories came from stars Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – each contributing to WR’s edge. GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda earned best individual performance in pool play, posting an astonishing 11.5/12, while Arjun Erigaisi claimed bronze on Board 1 for MGD1.
The tournament wasn’t without controversy: WR Chess initially lost a quarterfinal due to arriving late. After appealing, citing miscommunication about start times, the decision was reversed and the match replayed, with WR securing victory. Despite the drama, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand praised the event’s intensity and the scale of the Swiss-style and knockout format.
Team Rapid Glory for MGD1
In parallel, Team MGD1—featuring Arjun Erigaisi and P Tayade Atharvaa – claimed gold in the Rapid Team Championship with a near-perfect performance (21/24). They edged out Hexamind and Freedom, showcasing India’s growing dominance in team chess.
Tayade’s individual 11/12 blitz display underlined the depth of emerging talent, while veteran Viswanathan Anand delivered key victories, including a strategic win over Erigaisi.
AI’s Achilles’ Heel: ChatGPT vs. Atari 2600
A surprising experiment highlights limits in today’s AI: ChatGPT, despite being a top-tier language model, was soundly beaten by a 1977 Atari Video Chess console. ChatGPT confused piece types and failed to track positions, leading it to concede to “a third-grade chess club” opponent.
This outcome underscores the differences between deterministic game logic and probabilistic AI patterns. Even advanced AI systems struggle with real‑time state-tracking under unconventional inputs. The vintage Atari’s victory served as a reminder that certain legacy systems still hold their own, prompting renewed discussions about AI’s current boundaries.
What Lies Ahead
The back‑to‑back team rapid and blitz events spotlight a growing trend: chess is thriving as a team sport alongside individual showdowns. Across varied formats—from classical to bullet – players are adapting to diverse tournament styles. MGD1’s gold and WR Chess’s blitz success exemplify this shift.
Meanwhile, the AI-versus-Atari chess loss may ripple into AI development, urging designers to refine models for improved tactical visualization and strategic clarity.
This mid-year surge reflects chess’s vibrant energy in 2025: fierce team competition, the resilience of traditional formats, technological breakthroughs, and even misfires in AI testing. The Global Chess League remains committed to covering these developments, tracking how the game evolves across boardroom tactics, digital arenas, and intellectual frontiers.
