The first edition of the Speed Chess Championship was organised in 2016, and was won by Magnus Carlsen, who defeated Hikaru Nakamura in the final match. Carlsen would also beat the US star in 2017, but then Nakamura would then go on to win the next 5 editions of the event, from 2018 until 2022, before again losing to Carlsen last year. Thus, after losing his semifinal match against Alireza Firouzja on Friday, Nakamura found himself out of the final for the first time in the tournament's history.
Nakamura did get a crushing last victory in this year's edition, though, as he defeated Hans Niemann by a 21-9 score to secure third place. Nakamura prevailed in all 3 sections of the match, showing his best in the 3-minute segment, where he obtained a 7½-1½ victory.
Following Niemann negative remarks about Nakamura during an interview conducted by Levy Rozman, Nakamura had this to say about his opponent after winning the match:
The fact is 3 of 4 players here are at a certain level. [...] Ultimately, when you focus on the game and get away from all the distractions, I think I proved a point that I was clearly better than Hans, at least in blitz.
A much more calm Niemann humbly accepted defeat, noting that he was lacking form during the final stages of the Championship in Paris. He later shared on X:
Congrats to Hikaru. All I've ever wanted is the chance to compete against the best players in the world and I'm grateful for the opportunity. A lot to learn, I'll be preparing the entire year for the next SCC.
The final of the Speed Chess Championship, between Carlsen and Firouzja, kicks off at 18.00 local time on Sunday.
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Hikaru Nakamura and Hans Niemann | Photo: chess.com / Maria Emelianova
