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The first day of the World Blitz Chess Championship in New York saw an exhilarating display of rapid-fire games, with 10 players tying for first place in the open section, each scoring 9½/13 points. However, only 8 of them advanced to the knockout stage scheduled for the final day of the year. Among the qualifiers are 7 elite GMs and the recently crowned world rapid champion, 18-year-old Volodar Murzin, who continues to impress with his remarkable form.
Murzin clinched the final qualifying spot on tiebreaks, leaving Daniel Naroditsky and Daniil Dubov out of the next phase despite also scoring 9½ points. The other qualifiers are Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Wesley So, Alireza Firouzja, Hans Niemann and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. These 8 will face off in Tuesday's quarterfinals, with each match consisting of 4 games. In case of ties, sudden-death games will determine the winners (a drawing of colours will decide who gets white first).
Master Class Vol.13 - Tigran Petrosian
Considered a master of prophylaxis, Petrosian sensed dangers long before they actually became acute on the board. In his prime, Petrosian was almost invincible. Let our authors introduce you into the world of Tigran Petrosian.
A major talking point was Magnus Carlsen's surprising U-turn regarding his earlier withdrawal from the championship after a dress code controversy. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich relaxed the regulations, allowing Carlsen to compete in the blitz section while wearing jeans. This led to a light-hearted anecdote as Carlsen and fellow Norwegian Aryan Tari went jeans shopping during the rest day.
Magnus Carlsen, the defending champion | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
The drama continued as Carlsen and Hans Niemann were paired in round 11, marking their first over-the-board encounter since the infamous Sinquefield Cup controversy. Despite getting a promising position, Carlsen was unable to convert his advantage, and Niemann held the world number one to a draw. The pair will meet again in the quarterfinals, adding intrigue to the championship's next stage.
In their round-11 encounter, Carlsen got what engines considered to be a clearly advantageous position. However, the Norwegian failed to convert it into a win, as Niemann defended resourcefully throughout. A critical point was reached on move 27, when Carlsen missed the chance to play 27.Rb4 (he went for 27.Rb8 instead), attacking Black's two minor pieces along the fourth rank.
There might have followed 27...Qg5 28.Rg4 Qd5 29.Be3, consolidating White's advantage. After this missed chance, Niemann eventually regained the balance and ended up getting the 31-move draw.
Niemann had also made headlines in round 10, winning by default after Daniil Dubov failed to appear for their game, reportedly having overslept. Niemann took to social media, writing, "Cowardice is the absence of character". Niemann also challenged Dubov to a blitz match under any conditions.
The much-anticipated over-the-board encounter | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
With 188 participants in the blitz event, 180 players, including several notable grandmasters, missed out on the knockout stage. Ukrainian legend Vasyl Ivanchuk was one of those missing out, with his loss against Daniel Naroditsky in round 11 creating a strong emotional reaction. Ivanchuk played brilliantly to fend off Naroditsky's sacrificial attack and got a winning position. The experienced GM, however, failed to make the most of his advantage in the endgame - for example, 40.b8Q is winning, instead of 40.Rxh4+ Kg6, as seen in the game.
Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.
Ivanchuk not only failed to score a full point, but had to resign after 41.Rg4+, as 41...Kf5 is completely winning for Black. Photographer Lennart Ootes captured Ivanchuk's pain following this missed chance.
Chess can be so cruel... | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
Out of the 8 grandmasters in the quarterfinals, only Nepomniachtchi and Carlsen finished the 13-round open undefeated, while Caruana had a remarkable start with 7 consecutive wins, including a magnificent win over Firouzja in round 7. Fans can safely anticipate an unforgettable conclusion to the year's chess calendar!
Fabiano Caruana started the blitz with 7/7, much like he had done at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup! | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
Ian Nepomniachtchi won the 13-round Swiss open | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
Attack like a Super Grandmaster
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM†with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
| Rk. | Name | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 2770 | 9,5 | 102,5 | |
| 2 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2796 | 9,5 | 101 | |
| 3 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | 2890 | 9,5 | 101 | |
| 4 | GM | So, Wesley | 2803 | 9,5 | 100,5 | |
| 5 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | 2871 | 9,5 | 100,5 | |
| 6 | GM | Niemann, Hans Moke | 2709 | 9,5 | 99 | |
| 7 | GM | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | 2776 | 9,5 | 97,5 | |
| 8 | GM | Murzin, Volodar | 2629 | 9,5 | 95,5 | |
| 9 | GM | Naroditsky, Daniel | 2711 | 9,5 | 92 | |
| 10 | GM | Dubov, Daniil | 2784 | 9,5 | 91,5 | |
| 11 | GM | Bortnyk, Olexandr | 2762 | 9 | 90,5 | |
| 12 | IM | Bortnyk, Mykola | 2616 | 9 | 87 | |
| 13 | GM | Martirosyan, Haik M. | 2692 | 9 | 82,5 | |
| 14 | GM | Aronian, Levon | 2737 | 8,5 | 104 | |
| 15 | GM | Sevian, Samuel | 2693 | 8,5 | 97,5 | |
| 16 | GM | Dominguez Perez, Leinier | 2656 | 8,5 | 94 | |
| 17 | GM | Antipov, Mikhail Al. | 2545 | 8,5 | 94 | |
| 18 | GM | Grischuk, Alexander | 2684 | 8,5 | 92,5 | |
| 19 | GM | Lu, Shanglei | 2648 | 8,5 | 91,5 | |
| 20 | GM | Bok, Benjamin | 2627 | 8,5 | 91,5 |
Vaishali Rameshbabu delivered a masterclass on day 1 of the Women's World Blitz Chess Championship, dominating the 11-round Swiss stage with a remarkable 9½ undefeated score. The 23-year-old Indian GM finished a full point ahead of her closest rival, Lei Tingjie, securing her spot in the knockout phase with ease. Vaishali's victories over heavyweights like Nana Dzagnidze, Polina Shuvalova and defending champion Valentina Gunina underscored her exceptional performance.
Gunina's loss to Vaishali in round 8 did not prevent the Russian GM from advancing to the knockout stage. Her final 8/11 score placed her fourth in the standings, as the cut-off score for qualification was also 8 points. However, heartbreak struck Humpy Koneru, who narrowly missed out on a spot due to inferior tiebreaks, despite also collecting 8 points.
Vaishali Rameshbabu | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
Joining Vaishali, Lei and Gunina in Tuesday's elimination rounds will be a formidable field: Kateryna Lagno, Ju Wenjun, Carissa Yip, Bibisara Assaubayeva and Zhu Jiner. The last qualifier to get her spot was Assaubayeva, who displayed resilience in her round-11 game against Anna Muzychuk. In a queenless endgame with a closed pawn structure, Assaubayeva converted her exchange-up advantage into a victory after 121 moves (!), securing her place in the knockouts.
The Endgame Academy Vol.1: Checkmate & pawn endgames
From Mating with a queen; a rook; two bishops; a knight and a bishop; to the basics of pawn endgames – here you will gain the necessary know-how to turn your endgame advantages into victories!
Bibisara Assaubayeva v. Anna Muzychuk | Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
Vaishali faces an uphill battle to maintain her momentum in the knockout phase, as she will be up against three former champions. Gunina claimed the title in 2023, Assaubayeva triumphed in 2021 and 2022, while Lagno won the event in 2018 and 2019. Will Vaishali cap off her incredible run with the title, or will one of the past winners reclaim their throne?
Kateryna Lagno | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
Nana Dzagnidze, Valentina Gunina, Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova joined by Tony Rich, Executive Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club | Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
The aim of this course is to help you understand how to make tactical opportunities arise as well as to sharpen your tactical vision - these selected lectures will help to foster your overall tactical understanding.
| Rk. | Name | RtgI | Pts. | TB1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM | Vaishali, Rameshbabu | 2359 | 9,5 | 72,5 | |
| 2 | GM | Lei, Tingjie | 2491 | 8,5 | 67,5 | |
| 3 | GM | Lagno, Kateryna | 2444 | 8 | 73,5 | |
| 4 | GM | Gunina, Valentina | 2374 | 8 | 72,5 | |
| 5 | GM | Ju, Wenjun | 2480 | 8 | 70,5 | |
| 6 | IM | Yip, Carissa | 2285 | 8 | 69,5 | |
| 7 | IM | Assaubayeva, Bibisara | 2443 | 8 | 63 | |
| 8 | GM | Zhu, Jiner | 2434 | 8 | 62 | |
| 9 | GM | Koneru, Humpy | 2414 | 8 | 57,5 | |
| 10 | IM | Wagner, Dinara | 2335 | 7,5 | 68,5 | |
| 11 | IM | Garifullina, Leya | 2382 | 7,5 | 68 | |
| 12 | IM | Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra | 2289 | 7,5 | 68 | |
| 13 | IM | Narva, Mai | 2336 | 7,5 | 57 | |
| 14 | GM | Dzagnidze, Nana | 2371 | 7 | 75,5 | |
| 15 | GM | Muzychuk, Anna | 2402 | 7 | 70 | |
| 16 | IM | Song, Yuxin | 2271 | 7 | 67,5 | |
| 17 | IM | Shuvalova, Polina | 2415 | 7 | 65,5 | |
| 18 | IM | Divya, Deshmukh | 2333 | 7 | 64 | |
| 19 | IM | Vantika, Agrawal | 2333 | 7 | 63,5 | |
| 20 | WGM | Munkhzul, Turmunkh | 2317 | 7 | 63 |
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