Keeping it solid to beat the superstars

Volodar Murzin delivered a stunning performance to win the open section of the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York. The 18-year-old Russian grandmaster scored an unbeaten 10/13 to claim outright victory, surpassing an elite field of competitors. Murzin's triumph makes him the second-youngest champion in the event's history, following Nodirbek Abdusattorov's record-setting victory at age 17 in 2021.

Murzin stayed among the co-leaders for most of the tournament, barring a brief moment when Daniel Naroditsky led after round 7. Entering the final day tied with Arjun Erigaisi, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Alexander Grischuk, the young Russian held his nerve. He beat Duda, drew against his compatriot Grischuk in round 10 and then secured a critical win against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

The crucial victory in round 12 saw Pragg getting a clear edge with an extra pawn in a queenless position with four rooks and dark-squared bishops still on the board. Despite the clear positional disadvantage, Murzin kept fighting by infiltrating with his king via the light squares. Pragg still had a winning edge when he faltered with 34.R1b2+

Both 34.f7, attacking the rook, and 34.f4, defending the g1-square, are winning for White. Even 34.R3b2+ wins - but Pragg's choice of giving check with the other rook allowed Black to turn the tables with 34...Kf1 35.Rb1+ Be1

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Now f2-f4 is not enough to defend against the threat of mate. So White is forced to play 36.Rxe1+, and Murzin went on to make the most of his extra exchange to score a crucial 45-move victory.

Volodar Murzin defeated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

With the sole lead in hand, a solid draw with Karen Grigoryan in the final round was enough to crown Murzin as the new champion.

When asked about his chess idols, Murzin revealed that he has none, stating that his focus is on playing solid chess. Facing stronger opponents, he noted, shifts the pressure onto them, allowing him to play more freely. His undefeated 10/13 score included notable wins against Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, earning him an impressive 49.8 rating points and propelling him to world number 66 in the rapid rankings.

A smiling champion | Photo: FIDE / Volodar Murzin

Joining Murzin on the podium were fellow Russians Alexander Grischuk and Ian Nepomniachtchi, who both scored 9½ points. Grischuk, who had the better tiebreaks, took silver despite a loss to Brandon Jacobson in round 4, while Nepomniachtchi secured bronze with an undefeated performance. Nepo's strong finish on the third day of rapid action, scoring 3/4, helped him leap into third place.

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A competitive group of six players finished just half a point behind the podium spots. Leinier Dominguez, Arjun Erigaisi and Javokhir Sindarov ranked fourth to sixth on tiebreaks, while Armenian grandmaster Karen Grigoryan impressed with a late surge. Grigoryan's wins over Wei Yi and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in rounds 11 and 12 contributed to his remarkable rise in the standings.

With a rest day scheduled, players will soon shift their focus to the World Blitz Championship. This year's blitz event features a new 2-stage format, culminating in a knockout finale on Tuesday, ensuring a dramatic close to the year's chess calendar.

Ian Nepomniachthi | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

Leinier Dominguez and Alexander Grischuk | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes

Final standings

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Women's section: Humpy's second world rapid title

Much like in the open section, the Women's World Rapid Championship ended without the need for tiebreaks. A clutch final-round victory saw Humpy Koneru claim her second world rapid title with an impressive 8½/11 score over three days of competition. The 37-year-old grandmaster from Gudivada, India, added this accolade to a stellar year for Indian chess, which also included team victories at the Budapest Olympiads and Gukesh Dommaraju's historic achievement as the youngest-ever classical world champion.

Humpy began the final three rounds as one of three co-leaders alongside Ju Wenjun and Harika Dronavalli. Draws in rounds 9 and 10 among the leading trio allowed four additional players to catch up, creating a seven-way tie at the top with 7½ points going into the final round. The expanded leading group included Tan Zhongyi, Kateryna Lagno, Irine Sukandar and Afruza Khamdamova, setting up a dramatic conclusion to the championship.

In the decisive final round, Humpy faced Sukandar with the black pieces and entered a pawn-up rook endgame. Although the position was objectively drawn, Sukandar faltered under pressure with the move 48.Kf4, allowing Humpy to seize victory.

Many alternatives, such as 48.h4 or 48.gxh5, would have allowed White to hold a draw by exchanging pawns. Instead, Humpy capitalised with 48...g5+ 49.Kf3 h4, maintaining pawns that were crucial to converting her advantage and clinching the title outright.

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The crucial 48...g5+ being played by Humpy Koneru | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

It was a well-deserved victory! | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

The remaining games featuring the other co-leaders ended in draws, clearing the path for Humpy to claim her well-deserved title. In a post-tournament interview, she revealed having struggled with self-doubt due to underwhelming results earlier in the year. This victory, however, reinvigorates her ambitions as one of the 11 women with a classical Elo rating above 2500, affirming her status as a top contender in elite chess.

Among the six players who finished just half a point behind Humpy, Ju Wenjun and Kateryna Lagno secured silver and bronze, respectively, thanks to superior tiebreak scores.

Afruza Khamdamova's name stood out in this group, as the 15-year-old WIM from Uzbekistan was the tournament’s breakout star. Entering as the 83^rd seed, Khamdamova stunned the field with a 218-point rating gain, highlighted by victories over grandmasters Elisabeth Paehtz and Zhu Jiner.

Ju Wenjun | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

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Kateryna Lagno | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Afruza Khamdamova | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza

Final standings

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Links

• Official website
• FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024 come to New York
• World Rapid and Blitz in New York: An epic ending to 2024
• The Marshall Chess Club: Chess Heaven in New York City