Organizers have announced that the national chess team of Uzbekistan will compete against the United States team on July 27–28 at the WR Chess tournament, which will be held at the Faena Miami Beach hotel in Miami. This tournament will feature rapid and blitz chess competitions and will mark the debut of the WR Chess format for the national US team.
The Uzbekistan team will consist of Javohir Sindarov, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, and Shamsiddin Vohidov, with Mukhiddin Madaminov serving as a reserve player. The United States will be represented by Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and Levon Aronian, while Leiner Dominguez will play in reserve.
Organizers particularly highlighted the resumption of matches between Nakamura and 20-year-old Sindarov as the main attraction of the tournament. Earlier this year, the Uzbek grandmaster defeated the American player at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, which allowed him to become an official contender for the World Chess Championship.
According to the organizers, the team compositions reflect a clash of different generations. The US team, one of the most decorated in chess history with six Olympic gold medals, has an average player age of 37.6 years. In contrast, Uzbekistan, the 2022 Chess Olympiad champion, has an average age of 21, which organizers described as the most exciting rising force in world chess.
WR Chess founder Vadim Rosenstein stated that the organization's goal is to make chess more accessible and engaging for a new audience, adding that Miami and Faena reflect the direction of the game's development. The tournament is part of WR Chess's ongoing international expansion. Furthermore, on June 26, Rosenstein announced his candidacy for the presidency of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), elections for which are scheduled for the end of September.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff expressed his intention to support an emotional George Russell ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix after the driver retired early from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Wolff stated that he plans to hug Russell, who looked upset after spinning out on the first lap in Belgium. A controversial event took place on Sunday afternoon: Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli won, his sixth of the season, increasing the gap between him and teammate Russell in the drivers' championship to 50 points.
Russell, who started 25 points behind his teammate, dropped to third place in the title fight after colliding with former teammate and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
After being forced to retire from the race, Russell blamed his situation and the accident on the car's insufficient power in an interview with Sky Sports. He noted: 'I was completely taken by it right on the straight,' adding that 'I lost three positions when I went into Turn 5. It was a racing incident. Maybe I could have turned wider, maybe he could have braked harder.'
Although the stewards deemed Hamilton responsible for the crash and issued him a five-second penalty, Russell repeated his previous claims that his low performance was linked to a lack of power in the car. He stated: 'The incident shouldn't have happened if I had speed on the straight... I am very, very disappointed. I appreciate that everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but right now I am here on the fifth lap of the race.' He continued: 'I thought I was in a good position to fight for the lead at Turn 1, and then suddenly the power disappeared. Everything vanished.'
Toto Wolff defended the Mercedes power units used by both the factory team and others, including rivals McLaren. He emphasized: 'We released a product this year that is so powerful, and I would rather address reliability than accelerate a slow engine.'
He added that the team is making maximum efforts: 'We are giving 100%. We must do this because we have lost many points due to reliability. We must be ahead.' Wolff assured Russell: 'George has 100 percent of our support. He had a tough weekend. Half of this can be explained by the power unit not being as good as it should have been, and the other half—possibly driving.'
He concluded: 'We are in this together. We all make mistakes. Today the mistake is the team's, and another day—the driver's. We just need to minimize this and support each other.'
Wolff also expressed understanding for Russell's feelings, noting that 'in the moment you retire from the race, it is so frustrating, and emotions boil over. We are trying to solve the problems. He is doing everything possible to improve his driving, and I am going to try to hug him.'
Following Argentina's painful exit from the Football World Cup, Antonella Roccuzzo shared a touching tribute to her husband, Lionel Messi, highlighting his resilience and unwavering dedication to his country.
After Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain on Sunday, June 19th, the legendary footballer received a wave of support from fans around the world. However, the most poignant message came from the person who knows him best—his long-time partner and wife, Antonella Roccuzzo.
Posting on Instagram, the 38-year-old Argentine model paid an emotional tribute, reminding the world that Messi's true greatness extends beyond trophies and on-field results. Roccuzzo wrote: 'You will always be the best, @leomessi.'
She continued: 'Not just because of your talent, but because you never stopped being yourself. Because no matter what happens, you never give up; you always fight until the very end and give everything until the last second.'
In her post, accompanied by white hearts, Roccuzzo emphasized that her husband's qualities—his resilience and character—make him a true champion in life. She noted: 'This strength, this mindset, and the way you rise again and again make you unique. 🤍'
She added: 'Thank you for teaching us every day that true success is built through hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance—and for never losing sight of who you truly are. You are the best example for our children and an inspiration to millions of people.'
Concluding the publication with a very personal note, she wrote: 'I admire you more than words can express, and I feel immense pride that I get to go through life with you. I love you so much. 🤍.'
Throughout Messi's brilliant international career, which was filled with grand triumphs and difficult moments on the world stage, Roccuzzo remained a constant companion. The couple officially married at a grand wedding in Rosario in 2017, which was dubbed the 'wedding of the century' in Argentina.
The couple has three sons: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro, who can often be seen in the stands cheering in matching Argentine jerseys.
After a month when evening matches, penalty shootouts, and football discussions dictated the daily routine of fans across the UAE, the tournament suddenly concluded.
Marwan Sharif, a resident of Dubai from Sudan, noted that waking up without the expected next match feels strangely familiar, yet no less difficult. He compared this feeling to the end of a relationship, saying it is like breaking up with someone he genuinely valued.
Sharif explained that although the World Cup starts as entertainment, as the tournament progresses, it gradually becomes part of the fan's emotional and physical routine. Initially, it was just fun leisure time after work, but by the playoff stage, it transforms into something to which one is emotionally attached.
His days began to revolve around game results, match start times, and the need to recover from night games. He admitted to checking scores of late games even before getting up, restructuring his day and nap schedule around kick-off times, and disrupting his sleep pattern due to penalties, as if it personally affected his life.
As an Argentina supporter, Sharif misses most of all the emotional tension that international football brings. He emphasized how much he loves those 'rollercoaster' mixed emotions over 90 minutes, especially as an Argentina fan, recalling the nervous excitement before Messi begins his mastery. He believes that finding such a feeling in old age elsewhere is impossible.
He thinks that club football, particularly the decisive stages of the Champions League, might partially fill this void, although it won't compare to the main tournament.
The sense of loss is not limited to those who regularly follow sports. Hadher Musad, a resident of Abu Dhabi, usually does not watch football, but tunes in every four years when the World Cup begins. She stated that you don't have to be a fan to watch, because the tournament is much more than just the sport; it is an event that unites everyone.
For Musad, the appeal of the tournament lies in the atmosphere and the overall experience, not just the games themselves. Whether one is at home, in fan zones, or among colleagues, the World Cup provided a common topic of discussion and a reason to gather. She recalled how meeting friends at 11 PM on Tuesday became the new normal, and how everyone at work discussed it the next morning, even those who usually weren't interested in football.
Now that the tournament is over, she plans to return to her usual routine but noted that the energy created by the World Cup will be hard to replace.
Rahim Jairkhanov, another Dubai resident, experienced mixed emotions about the tournament's conclusion. On one hand, part of him wished the celebration would continue, given all the emotions the tournament delivered, but on the other, he is glad for the chance to focus on things other than football again.
He described the final as bittersweet, even though he was pleased with his favorite team's victory. During the last month, football divided every day into two parts: work and personal matters occupied the early hours until the evening matches took over. He said he always knew that the second half of the day would be filled with strong emotions, surrounded by good friends and elegant football.
Jairkhanov also highly praised the atmosphere created across Dubai, especially in the city's fan zones. He expressed hope that they will see a World Cup held in the UAE in the near future. Most of all, he will miss the atmosphere, as well as the chance to see players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who may not appear in the next World Cup. He advised fans experiencing post-tournament emptiness: 'Don't be sad, find positivity in everything.'
