WCF Malta Rapid Challenge 2025 took place this weekend in La Valeta. It was a rapid competition, part of the WCF series. The Italian player Luca Magini was the surprise of the event, winning it ahead of the titled players. Magini finished with 6,0/9, the same points as Grandmaster Xavier Vila Gazquez (who recently won orneo de Ajedrez Vila de Santa Coloma de Queralt), but with a better tiebreak the Italian grabbed the gold. The third place is for yet another Italian – FM Alessandro Santagati.
WCF Malta Rapid is part of The Chess Calendar and the Rapid and Blitz Calendar. You can now also follow your favorite players via the Players Calendars
WCF Malta Rapid final standings
1
Magini, Luca
ITA
2211
6
2
GM
Vila Gazquez, Xavier
ESP
2414
6
3
FM
Santagati, Alessandro
ITA
2170
5.5
4
CM
Mizzi, Jack
MLT
2133
5.5
5
CM
Novak, Attila Robert
MLT
2223
5
6
Lachinov, Eldar
AZE
1914
5
7
Hopper, Paul
SCO
2047
4.5
8
Schock, Kai
GER
1900
4.5
9
Portelli, Matthew
MLT
2125
4.5
10
CM
Thake, Conrad
MLT
1857
4.5
11
CM
Darmanin, Jake
MLT
2119
4.5
12
Vila Cairo, Gerard
ESP
2002
4
13
Vila Gazquez, Jordi
ESP
1964
4
14
Dobrovolska-Rakhnina, Bozhena
UKR
1777
4
15
Mizzi, Steve
MLT
1753
4
16
Pala, Onurcan
MLT
1825
4
17
Kosik, Vince
MLT
1847
3.5
18
Refalo, John
MLT
1670
3.5
19
Dobbin, Andrei
MLT
1734
3.5
20
Ibrahim, Ayman
MLT
1802
3.5
21
WFM
Thornton, Filipina
MLT
1797
3.5
22
Zammit, Jacob
MLT
1806
3.5
23
Dahl, Baard
MLT
2098
3.5
24
Oral, Kaan Emre
TUR
1614
3.5
25
Calleja Urry, Nick
MLT
1461
3.5
26
ACM
Psaila, Mario
MLT
1839
3
27
Fong, Kenny
AUS
1960
3
28
Reyansh, Keshav
MLT
1547
3
29
Licari, Claude
MLT
1661
3
30
Grech, Gabriel
MLT
1551
3
31
Calleja Falzon, Benjamin
MLT
0
3
32
Thornton, Hayley
MLT
1413
3
33
Gauci, Gabriel
MLT
1571
2.5
34
Wang, Ziyi
MLT
1485
2.5
35
Noel, Lucien
SUI
1636
2
36
ACM
Gauci, David
MLT
1497
2
37
Borg, Nikol
MLT
1489
2
38
Pace, Dante
MLT
1538
2
39
Callus, Matthew
MLT
1434
2
40
Catania, Francesco
MLT
0
2
41
Micallef Trigona, Luke
MLT
0
1