The quarterfinals of the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship in London were marred by controversy after top-seeded WR Chess lost their opening match to Germany and Friends due to a delayed arrival. Star players Ian Nepomniachtchi and Hikaru Nakamura reached the venue with mere seconds left on their clocks and soon resigned, later claiming they were not informed about the round’s start time. Their appeal was upheld — and while other matches moved on, WR Chess was allowed a replay, which they won decisively.Amid the chaos, Anish Giri confronted Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi on camera: “If you’d won the first time, would you have appealed?”The remark implied WR’s protest stemmed from the loss, not principle. Giri’s challnge quickly turned into a tense exchange.“Since when did you become so prominent in law? Future FIDE President!” Nepomniachtchi shot back.While Nakamura didn’t respond immediately, once Giri left, he turned to Nepo and asked: “Why does he care so much?”Nepomniachtchi replied dryly: “Because it’s Anish. That’s his job. Whenever he starts talking, he’s not as smart as we think he is.”Later, Nepomniachtchi admitted the situation was “messy,” saying the appeal “could have gone either way” and that “there was no good solution.”Despite the drama, WR Chess bounced back with a 4.5–1.5 win in the replay and a 4–2 win in the reverse match. They went on to beat KazChess in the final, clinching their second blitz title.
