GM Richard Rapport Scores Stunning Victory Over Magnus Carlsen in World Rapid Team Championships Opener

In a stunning upset at the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships, GM Richard Rapport scored a remarkable victory over World Rapid Champion Magnus Carlsen. The defending champions and heavy favorites, WR Chess, suffered a crushing 1-5 loss to third-seeded Chessy, who now hold the only perfect score in the tournament.

Day one of the championship saw five teams with a perfect score going into the final round, but only Chessy emerged unscathed. Decade China Team, led by World Champion Ding Liren, is in close pursuit with a score of 3.5/4.

Rapport’s victory over Carlsen was a highlight of the day, with the world number-one cracking under pressure and losing in just 23 moves. The game will be analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao.

The full report with photos and analysis of the day’s events will be available soon. Day two of the championship kicks off on Saturday, August 3, at 5:30 a.m. ET / 11:30 CEST / 3 p.m. IST.

Fans can follow the action of the 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, where 40 teams of six players are competing. The tournament features a unique format, with each team required to include at least one female player and one “recreational player.” The Rapid portion of the event is a 12-round Swiss with a time control of 15 minutes for all moves, plus a 10-second increment per move. The Blitz phase will see teams playing a round-robin in pools before the top 16 teams compete in a knockout format.

Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the championship unfolds.