The FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship is currently underway in New York, with the final four teams battling it out for the title of the Smartest Company in the world. After intense rounds of online qualifiers, sixteen teams made it to the finals, but only four remain in the knock-out format.
On the second day of the competition, the legendary Nona Gaprindashvili, the Fifth Women’s World Champion, made the ceremonial first move in a match between BlackRock and Google. The teams of ChessMood and UBS Group AG from Group A, as well as Chessify and SIG from Group B, emerged victorious after five rounds to secure their spots in the finals.
Despite playing on home turf, the squad of Goldman Sachs failed to qualify for the finals, along with teams like Freedom Holding, Tengizchevroil, and Nanjing Spark Chess Technology Co., Ltd. The atmosphere at the event remained friendly and relaxed, with players and guests mingling and networking at a cocktail event and dinner.
The final day of the championship will feature a double-round-robin in the semifinals, with two teams advancing to the finals to compete for the ultimate title. The games will be broadcast live on Lichess, starting at 2 PM, with a special announcement by FIDE and Freedom Holding at 1 PM at the venue.
The twelve finalists competing in New York represent top companies from around the world, including Google, UBS Group AG, and BlackRock. The competition began with online qualifiers, leading to group stage matches and intense playoffs to determine the World Corporate Chess Champion.
The event, held at Cipriani in New York, aims to showcase the strategic thinking and intelligence of corporate teams through the game of chess. Stay tuned to see which team will emerge as the Smartest Company on the planet and claim the prestigious title at the FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship.