Al-Ain ACMG UAE Takes Gold in Nailbiting Finish at 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships

GM Daniil Dubov’s team, Al-Ain ACMG UAE, emerged victorious in a thrilling finish at the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships. Dubov’s only win of the tournament secured the gold medal for his team, edging out World Champion Ding Liren’s Decade China Team, who settled for silver.

The competition was intense, with Pang Bo of Decade China Team scoring a perfect 11/11 on board six. GM Hou Yifan’s impressive 102-move win helped WR Chess Team secure the bronze medal by the narrowest of margins. Notably, Magnus Carlsen opted to sit out the final round to avoid a matchup with GM Hans Niemann.

The top five teams finished just a point apart, with Al-Ain ACMG UAE, Decade China Team, WR Chess Team, Chessy, and Team MGD1 rounding out the top spots. The event now transitions to the World Blitz Team Championship, set to begin on Monday, August 5.

The medals came down to the wire, with Decade China Team narrowly missing out on gold despite a 6-0 victory. Chessy was also in contention for bronze, but WR Chess Team’s win sealed their third-place finish.

One of the standout performances of the tournament was GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda’s spectacular game against Amin Tabatabaei, which will be analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao. Fans can catch the full games and standings on the official event website.

The 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships featured 40 teams of six players each, with a unique requirement for at least one female player and one “recreational player.” The Rapid portion of the event utilized a 15-minute time control with a 10-second increment, while the Blitz format (3+2) will feature a round-robin followed by a knockout stage.

Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth coverage of the championship as the action unfolds.