Luca Magini wins WCF Challenge Malta

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