 |
| 13-year-old Khagan vs Nakamura Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE. |
In a jaw-dropping moment that no one saw coming, 13-year-old IM Ahmad Khagan from Azerbaijan, rated just 2290 in blitz, took down the unstoppable GM Hikaru Nakamura arguably the greatest blitz player alive with clean, calculated precision. It wasn't just a win. It was a lightning bolt across the chess world. Commentators were left gasping. Twitter lit up. And in that moment, a kid became a global sensation.
And that wasn’t even the only surprise. As the blitz portion of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship unfolded on Day 4 in London, legends were being tested by youth, and the definition of dominance was being rewritten. WR Chess, the tournament’s top seed and a chess juggernaut featuring Nepomniachtchi, MVL, Wesley So, Duda, and Kosteniuk, obliterated their pool with a perfect 12/12 score ruthlessly sweeping four teams 6-0. Duda alone racked up 11.5/12 like he was farming Elo points in a beginner's arena, and Kosteniuk went 6/6 without blinking.
Yet the most heartwarming and terrifying moment belonged to another prodigy 11-year-old Faustino Oro from Argentina. Facing off against Ian Nepomniachtchi, Oro launched a fearless attack, sacrificing his bishop and going toe-to-toe with one of the world’s best. Though he ultimately lost, the internet crowned him a hero, and Nepo’s wry smile after the game said it all: the kids are not just coming they’re here.
 |
| Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE |
By the time the day ended, fans didn’t care who topped Pool A or Pool B. They were too busy replaying the Ahmad-Nakamura upset on loop, dissecting how a 13-year-old calmly crushed a blitz titan under the weight of his own prep.
As the Super 16 knockout stage looms, one question dominates every chess feed: if Ahmad can beat Naka, what’s next?