IAF Antichess World Championship 2025

Photo credit: insta cvisserphotography
Date event: 28th and 29th of June 2025
Study of the event can be found at the bottom of this blog.

The origins of this ongoing adventure are still incredible to reflect on. Only a small text message from @BBLGL sparked the team's decision. Now here we are, four years later and people from all over the world continue to flock to this wonderful event. Last year was an absolute highlight with some of the very best players of the community present. We also saw the first ever sudden death match to determine who would go home with the trophy. It couldn't get much better than that... or does it?

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A first day onslaught

'Past performance is no guarantee of future result'

A torment to certain individuals after this sentence was brought forward. To those watching from the sidelines: You'd be fooling yourself if you were to claim yourself capable of bringing a mesmerizing 2400 performance just because you dominate 1+0 antichess arena's. This event is tough, very tough. Playing 27 games of 5+8 means there is no room for mistakes, nor any underdogs that will just hand you a win by blundering halfway through the game. Each game has to be your A-game.

@Neverplayfastanti had a disastrous start. Losing his first two games. The defending champion was under pressure from the get-go. Although he retaliated with back to back wins, punishment was right back at him: two more draws saw him two full points behind first place at the end of round 7! Our second-placed participant @Bertfighter didn't fare much better. Our two-time runner-up started with fireworks as he managed to beat @neverplayfastanti with the black pieces. But 4 losses and a draw after 11 rounds saw him dwindling down the order.

@neverplayfastanti realizes defeat is inevitable.

@Joer45 Was a new challenger determined to show his prowess. With 2310 rating he had the right resources to deliver. While he prepared a lot to adapt to a OTB game of antichess. He commented on the difficulty to convert online performance: a 3D view of an antichess game can be misleading even when you've seen the position countless times online. He suffered 3 losses in the first 4 games. It ended up with him three points behind the leaders after day one. The caused damage was to be repaired with a masterful comeback.

Meanwhile @Daarts again proving he is a serious threat. Losing first round but then goes on to win 5 games in a row and remain in the lead for most of day one. His streak was ended by @Bertfighter with the white pieces. But that didn't stop the Latvian from continuing to dominate. He followed the loss with commanding victories against the likes of @Maxime109 and @joer45 and managing a draw against @neverplayfastanti. But fatigue struck late on the first day, eventually losing a couple games. Still he was just 1 and a half point behind the first day leaders.

Keen on capitalizing on the dwindling performances were @Kellogzz, @UglySwede and @hall03. Uglyswede made everyone watch with awe when he won 7 games in a row. Destroying the three highest placed players @neverplayfastanti, @Bertfighter and @Maxime109 in quick succession. His mastery was awarded with first place in the standings after day one. Albeit tied with @hall03 as he quietly climbed the ranks with dangerous precision on the board. His sharp play and calculated tactics brought down multiple opponents, earning him bragging rights on the top step of the podium. Just half a point behind sat @Kellogzz, who forced a draw against @neverplayfastanti, defeated @Bertfighter, and claimed key victories against both @hall03 and @UglySwede. All three performances turned heads - and set the stage for day two.

It remains a question if @Kellogzz (left) was calculating the position or just praying for a good result against @Bertfighter (right)

Dutch delight

For the first time - and hopefully not the last - all three top players of the Netherlands were present and ready to show their absolute best. Two-time Dutch Champion @NoPebblesLeft was determined to prolong his title after winning it 2 times in a row. But a rough start saw him drop 2 and a half points behind the man with the plan: Kellogzz!

Having narrowly missed the Dutch Championship title in the last two editions -by just half a point each time - @Kellogzz was out for blood. This year, he was determined not to let it slip away again. But no one could’ve predicted the rise of the prodigy: @Maxime109. Bursting onto the scene in early 2022, it took him just a year and a half to reach a 2200 rating. By 2024, he had become a regular fixture in the antichess top 20. The community has embraced this new talent, and what a talent he is! He lit up the tournament from the very start, scoring wins against both @neverplayfastanti and @Bertfighter. After day one, he sat just half a point behind @Kellogzz, in 5th place overall. The Dutch Championship was a fierce battle in its own right. With two players delivering monster performances, one question lingered in the air as @neverplayfastanti slotted behind these players in the standing:
Could this be the year a Dutch Champion also claims the OTB Antichess World Championship title?

Well-deserved dinner

One of the weekend's greatest traditions, in my opinion, is this: after a day of fiercely fought antichess games, everyone gathers for a well-deserved dinner. It's a chance to unwind, get the mind off the game, have a laugh, share stories with one another and see new friendships unfold.

Being based in Amsterdam for so long certainly has it perks, like knowing those secret spots, unknown to the tourist crowds. Once again, this tradition was a success, as many satisfied faces could be seen amidst the welcome beverages in a relaxed atmosphere.

A nerve-racking pursuit

All of the top-ranked players had mediocre performances on day one and were to be in pursuit of the top 3. Fatigue has shown to be a ruthless enemy in the closing stages of the second day. Would the current leaders withstand pressure and crown themselves winners of the event?

The second day began with both @UglySwede and @hall03 losing their first two games. Meanwhile, @Kellogzz continued his stellar run with a win and a draw, taking the lead after two rounds. But the spotlight quickly shifted: @Maxime109 and @neverplayfastanti both stormed back into contention with four consecutive wins. @Maxime109 kept the momentum going, racking up eight wins in a row, while @neverplayfastanti stumbled slightly with two draws against @Bertfighter and @Kellogzz. Time was running out for a comeback.

Round 22 of 27, the pressure is on! the top 2, @neverplayfastanti vs. @Maxime109. A curious c4 opening by Preslav against Maxime - who is a c4-player - seemed very dangerous. The eval went more and more in favour of black. With white blundering at 17. Qa4 the victory was in black's hand, but it was a very obscure move to find. As a result, white survived and found the topmost accurate moves in the endgame. @Maxime109 fought hard, but was defeated. Visible relief appeared on @neverplayfastanti 's face. However, there were 5 rounds left to be played, and with just one point ahead. Neither could afford another loss.

It was @joer45 who would play a key role in the distribution of the prices. His underwhelming first day left him with one option: a monstrous comeback. @neverplayfastanti was first to succumb to the onslaught and had to settle for a draw. @Maxime109 had chances to capitalize on it. But had to acknowledge his superiority to @joer45 and suffer defeat.

In the end, @neverplayfastanti proved once again why he's the reigning champion: two draws, no losses, and victories in all remaining matches of day two. @Maxime109, despite the setback, held strong to secure second place, and with it, the title of Dutch Champion.

The victory against @DrunkPolo (left) was enough for @neverplayfastanti (right) to secure the world title.

What about third place?

Again it was a close call for the last podium step. First day leaders @hall03 and @Uglyswede had a rough first half of the second day. While @Kellogzz had a stronger sunday morning, he was destined to claim 3rd place. But after the lunch break, things took a turn, @Kellogzz struggled to find his rhythm, suffering multiple defeats in quick succession.. @UglySwede was unable to revert the poor start of the second day and gradually slipped down the standings. @hall03 repaired the damages and in the last round he had half a point lead over @Kellogzz. To up the ante, both had to face a formidable opponent. @Kellogzz vs. @joer45 and @hall03 vs. @drooksh. In the end, both 3rd place contestants delivered with stellar victories. But the half-point margin held, and @hall03 was awarded third place—a hard-fought and well-earned finish!

From left to right top: @marc47, @Adrenaline09, @NoPebblesLeft, @UglySwede, @Xiped, @maxoubar, @drooksh, @joer45, @hall03, @neverplayfastanti and @BBLGL. bottom: @DrunkPolo, @ssevynn, @Kellogzz, @Bertfighter and @Daarts

Conclusion

Comebacks, heroics, drama and friendship. Once again the IAF Antichess World Championship delivered an unforgettable edition. It was anything but a walk in the park for our 4-time champion @neverplayfastanti. Every point was hard-earned, every game demanded full focus.

Tireless efforts from all volunteers at the event made sure for a smooth sail for the organization. A big thanks to all competitors, volunteers, organizers and IAF for making, and continuing to make, this championship possible. As always, there's a wealth of games to study from this year's tournament. Moments of brilliance, mistakes under pressure and moves that will be remembered for years to come. You can find them all in the study below:

What about next year?

The time is upon us for the 5th edition of this prestigious event! And that calls for celebrations!

We've kicked off preparations early this year because we want to make this milestone edition truly special. Our goal? To break the 30-player mark, maybe even hit 40! To help achieve that, We introduce a few exciting changes to our organization. First and foremost, a dedicated outreach team was launched:

IAF Amsterdam Antichess World Championship Team

We recommend joining:

• If you want to stay up to date with all event-related news.
• If you ever attended in the past and would like to share your experience with future participants
• If you are planning to join this event sometime in the future. Even if it is 5 years from now.
• If you are looking for a clear, accessible overview of the tournament and its history.
• If you want to support us by playing in the Weekly Antichess Team Battle to help boost our visibility.

The event is Scheduled for the 6th and 7th of June 2026!

Sign-up is already open. To register or ask questions, feel free to reach out via:
Email: iafantichesswc@gmail.com
Or message @Kellogzz or @BBLGL on Lichess.

Let’s make the 5th edition the biggest and best yet!