We are pleased to announce that FIDE has entered into a partnership with the German company WR Logistics GmbH to launch together a new major competition: the World Rapid Teams Championship.
The first tournament is planned to take place in Düsseldorf in May-June 2023, played over three days under rapid time control. It will be open to clubs from all over the world, with the prize fund expected to reach 250,000€ already for the first event.
The regulations are undergoing an approval procedure by the different stakeholders and will be published by FIDE in the coming weeks. Teams will be expected to involve club-level players, tentatively reserving one board for a player rated under 2000.
WR Logistics GmbH is a global provider of complex project logistics. It currently has 12 offices in 8 countries. According to The Financial Times ranking, WR Logistics GmbH is the second fastest-growing logistics company in Europe in 2022.
Apart from being the main sponsor for at least the 2023 and 2024 tournaments of this new event, the company of Wadim Rosenstein will become a commercial partner of FIDE in the organization of this championship, cooperating with FIDE in seeking and exploiting commercial opportunities connected with the event.
Wadim Rosenstein, CEO of WR Logistics GmbH, said: “The World Rapid Teams Championship has as its central aim the delivery of chess opportunities to people who may not ordinarily get a chance to play the “king’s game” in the world arena. Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Our approach is unique in that no matter what your gender and federation if you want to play chess there will be an opportunity to do so.”
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his satisfaction with excitement about this new event: “Team and rapid chess competitions are two of the most popular formats among players and chess fans. We strongly feel that an event like this would be an important addition to our portfolio of events. These teams are backed by their own sponsors and have their own fan base, so the championship is certain to increase fan engagement and, from the commercial standpoint, will be very appealing. We are excited to join forces with WR Group to make this happen.”
Emil Sutovsky, FIDE’s Director General, added: “Chess is changing rapidly as does the world. I see it important for FIDE not only to align with the processes, but to generate new ideas and formats. I am sure it's going to be an exciting event. The unusual blend of top-notch professionals and club players foreseen by the format, will allow for a unique atmosphere and create a lifetime experience for many.”
FIDE intends to announce the exact dates as soon as possible, after a round of consultations with the organizers who could potentially be affected by overlapping dates. But we encourage all chess clubs to take this new event into account when planning their 2023 season, provisionally keeping late May and early June as tentative dates.
