Magnus Carlsen is back in the final
While FC St. Pauli in Hamburg are hosting a Bundesliga match, Magnus Carlsen is playing at the chess.com Speed Chess Championship in London over the weekend. Carlsen eliminated Fabiano Caruana from the tournament in the quarterfinals, which meant Caruana could take his place in the Bundesliga without any worries.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.In the semifinal, Carlsen obtained a 17–9 victory against Denis Lazavik, taking a step closer to defending his title. After Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja had qualified for the final, Firouzja suggested in an interview that Carlsen would have an advantage on Sunday: on Saturday evening, he did not have to face a tough, closely contested match against Hikaru Nakamura.
Results: Magnus Carlsen vs Denis Lazavik
5+1 format (games 1–9)
| Magnus Carlsen |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Total: 6 |
| Denis Lazavik |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0.5 |
0 |
0.5 |
0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Total: 3 |
After Magnus Carlsen lost the first game in the 5+1 segment, he did not repeat the mistake. In the first nine games, Carlsen beat Lazavik four times and drew four times.
3+1 format (games 10–18)
| Magnus Carlsen |
1 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Total: 5.5 |
| Denis Lazavik |
0 |
0 |
0.5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Total: 3.5 |
In the shorter 3+1 segment, Carlsen could no longer maintain the trend and lost two games.
1+1 format (games 20–26)
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| Magnus Carlsen |
0.5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Total: 4.5 |
| Denis Lazavik |
0.5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Total: 2.5 |
Denis Lazavik signing autographs | Photo: chess.com / Luc Bouchon
All games
Firouzja shows nerves of steel against Nakamura
The exceptionally strong online blitz and bullet players Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja might still be playing right now if larger margins were required to win the match acoording to regulations. In the end, Firouzja's composure gave him an edge over Nakamura, meaning Firouzja will face Carlsen on Sunday.
Results: Alireza Firouzja vs Hikaru Nakamura
5+1 format (games 1–8)
| Alireza Firouzja |
1 |
0.5 |
0 |
0.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.5 |
Total: 2.5 |
| Hikaru Nakamura |
0 |
0.5 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0.5 |
Total: 5.5 |
3+1 format (games 9–16)
| Alireza Firouzja |
0 |
0.5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Total: 4.5 |
| Hikaru Nakamura |
1 |
0.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Total: 4.5 |
Firouzja showed dominance with his streak of four consecutive wins. Nakamura then had to claw his way back - and did so. Those four games also formed one of the longest winning streaks of the round, alongside Nakamura's streak that spanned the transition between the 3+1 and 1+1 segments.
1+1 format (games 17–28)
| Alireza Firouzja |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0 |
0.5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0.5 |
1 |
Total: 7 |
| Hikaru Nakamura |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
1 |
0.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.5 |
0 |
Total: 5 |
IM Levy Rozman, commenting for chess.com, was still visibly impressed in the closing games. He was delighted by the precision of both players’ moves and spoke of something resembling magic, especially in the endgames they produced.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
The King’s Indian Defence has been one of the most dynamic and popular responses to 1.d4 for decades. Legends such as Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fischer, and Hikaru Nakamura have employed it at the highest level – and it continues to fascinate today, as it offers Black not only solidity but also rich attacking and counterattacking opportunities. Its special advantage: the King’s Indian is a universal system, equally effective against 1.d4, 1.c4, and 1.Nf3. Grandmaster Felix Blohberger, multiple Austrian Champion and experienced second, presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black. His approach: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: London System
The commentators on the chess.com livestream suggested that Firouzja might have his best chances in Sunday's final against Carlsen if he can reach the bullet segment on roughly equal terms and then let his nerves of steel do the job. Can Magnus Carlsen defend his title as Speed Chess Champion?
Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: chess.com / Luc Bouchon
All games
Doesn’t every chess game get decided by mistakes? Absolutely. But most players never truly comprehend that they are making the same kind of mistakes over and over again.
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