The 2023 World Blitz Chess Championships concluded in a thrilling climax, with Magnus Carlsen capturing his seventh World Blitz title, marking his 17th World Crown. In the Women’s tournament, Valentina Gunina was unstoppable as she claimed her second Blitz title.

Carlsen finished the Open Blitz with 16 points scored in 21 games. Daniil Dubov came in second, just half a point behind Carlsen. Vladislav Artemiev – the leader of day one and led for most of the second day of the Blitz – finished third on 15 points.

Valentina Gunina dominated the Women’s Blitz tournament, netting 14 points out of 17 games. The former World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk won second place (13.5), while China’s Zhu Jiner was third (12.5).

In the press conference after the games, the fatigue was evident for both winners.

“Honestly, I just feel very tired at the moment,” Carlsen said, adding that “the feeling of happiness will come later”. Valentina Gunina – who could not hold her emotions back after she won her last game in the Blitz – agreed with Carlsen.

This triumph marks a double-double for Carlsen, mirroring his feat in the previous edition of the WRB in 2022 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he also claimed victory in both categories.

“I am very satisfied with the performance and especially the results,” Carlsen added.

The awards ceremony was held at the prestigious Silk Road Samarkand hotel complex.

Magnus Carlsen, visibly fatigued from an intense five-day competition comprising 34 gruelling games, got up to the stage, his trademark devilish smile on display, and received both championship cups—his record fifth victory in the World Rapid and a historic seventh triumph in the Blitz.

The event was closed with the famous hit by The Queen, “We Are The Champions”, performed by a children’s quire.

Here follows a closer look at how the final day of the World Blitz Chess Championships unfolded.

The Open Blitz

The day started with round 13, which proved to be ominous for the defending Champion, Magnus Carlsen, as he lost to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Playing the Sicilian, Carlsen allowed his opponent to win a pawn. The Norwegian tried to complicate things by pushing his knight towards White’s ranks, but the 2021 World Blitz Champion, MVL, responded with a timely exchange sacrifice to enter a comfortable, dominating position and cruised to victory, advancing on the queenside. This would be Carlsen’s only defeat in the Blitz.

But Carlsen then made a strong comeback, winning six games in a row. Despite winning the tournament, Carlsen emerged as the leader only in round 18. Until then, the leader was Vladislav Artemiev, who dominated from day one.

Artemiev made just one slip in the whole tournament – on the second day, in round 18, losing to Serbian GM Aleksandar Indjic (who is a surprise of the tournament, defeating top GMs and finishing in ninth place, ahead of Duda, Rapport, Caruana, Yu and many other well-known players!). However, that loss allowed Carlsen to take the lead, and Artemiev just couldn’t catch up, making one victory and two draws in the final rounds.

Daniil Dubov, who finished in second place, with just half a point behind Carlsen, must be wondering: was his “dance with the knights” in the game against Nepomniachtchi on day one (which was ruled by the arbiters as prearranged) worth the half a point that was deducted, as he only needed (that) half a point to share first place and go into tiebreaks with Carlsen? Despite this incident from day one, Dubov continued strongly on day two and deservedly won second place.

The final standings of the Open World Blitz can be found HERE.

The Women’s Blitz

The Women’s Blitz saw two leading players follow one another step in step after every round of day two until the very end.

Yesterday’s tournament leader, Valentina Gunina, started the day 1.5 points ahead of the rest. She continued her dominant play and maintained the top position until the end of the tournament, losing just one game – to Zhu Jiner, who finished third.

In the critical game of round 16, Gunina defeated the Women’s World Champion in classical chess, Ju Wenjun and entered the final round as the sole leader, with half a point of advantage. In round 17, Gunina was playing as White against Anna Muzychuk, the two-time Women’s World Blitz champion. In the Gruenfeld, Gunina emerged better from the opening and commanded the position throughout, finishing with a victory which also secured her first place.

This is the second Blitz crown for Gunina, who first won it in 2012.

In every round, Gunina was closely followed by former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. With three draws and five victories on the second day, Kosteniuk finished in second place with 13.5 points. She did her best to catch up with the leader. However, the advantage Gunina had (including the victory over Kosteniuk in their direct duel on day one) turned out to be too far to reach.

China’s Zhu Jiner finished third, with 12.5 points, winning seven out of eight games on the second day of the Blitz.

The 2021 and 2022 Women’s World Blitz Champion, Bibisara Assaubayeva, finished in sixth place, leading the group of nine players with 11 points.

The final standings of the Women’s World Blitz can be found HERE.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova, Lennart Ootes, Maria Emelianova

About the event

The World Rapid and Blitz is one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the world, attracting the strongest Grandmasters.

The prize fund for this year was one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event took place from December 25 to December 30 at the Samarkand Congress Center.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

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The World Blitz Chess Championship kicked off with steam in Samarkand, with 12 rounds played in the Open and nine rounds in the Women’s tournament. Daniil Dubov and Ian Nepomniachtchi were penalized for a prearranged draw in round eleven

After 12 rounds in the Open, six players are in the lead, with Vladislav Artemiev topping first place. With eight victories and one draw, Valentina Gunina is the sole leader in the Women’s Blitz, a point and a half ahead of a group of five players sharing 2-6th place.

There was a delay in publishing the results of round 12 and pairings for round 13 for the Open tournament, following a dispute over a game between Grandmasters Daniil Dubov and Ian Nepomniachtchi from round 11.

The disputed game between Dubov and Nepomniachtchi and FIDE’s decision

In round 11, Daniil Dubov was playing as White against Ian Nepomniachtchi. The game in question lasted 13 moves: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.Nd4 Nd5 3.Nb3 Nb6 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Ne4 Ne5 6.Ng5 Ng4 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Ng1 Ng8 9.Nc5 Nc4 10.Na4 Na5 11.Nc3 Nc6 12.Nb1 Nb8, and they agreed on a draw in the following position:

The arbiters analyzed the moves, and, after round 12, the Chief Arbiter of the tournament, Ivan Syrovy, made the decision to reduce the points both players scored in the game. Reasoning his decision, Chief Arbiter Syrovy said: “In my eyes both players are responsible for it, I consider they prearranged the result of the game. My opinion is based on the moves they played”.

Grandmasters Ian Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov objected to the decision, prompting a referral to the Appeals Committee.

A video which was published on Twitter appears to suggest the two grandmasters discussing the prearranged draw.

Late in the evening of December 29th to 30th, local time in Samarkand, the Appeals Committee unanimously voted (3/3) to reject Ian Nepomniachtchi’s appeal and uphold the decision made by the arbiter, Ivan Syrovy. The full document can be found HERE. 

Before the above case, there was an appeal after the sixth round by American Andrew Hong who lost to Yu Yangyi from China. Hong lost on time but claimed that the clock was not working properly when he pressed it. The Appeals Committee examined the clock and did not find any evidence of malfunctioning. The Committee ruled that GM Hong “did try to push the clock, but failed to do it properly and [the] clock’s position remained unchanged” and his appeal was rejected. This appeal delayed round seven for an hour.

Here follows a report from the first day of the Blitz.

The Open Blitz

The first day of the Blitz in the Open tournament saw Vladislav Artemiev emerge as the main contender for the top place. He became the sole leader after defeating R Pragnanandhaa in round six. Round seven saw Artemiev having a tranquil draw with Magnus Carlsen, who trailed by half a point due to a draw in round two against the 300-points-lower-rated Jakhongir Vakhidov from Uzbekistan. A quick draw with Dubov followed in round eight. Subsequently, in round nine, Artemiev engaged in a gruelling battle against Ian Nepomniachtchi, resulting in yet another split point. At this juncture, Carlsen and Dubov caught up with Artemiev, all three sharing the lead with 7.5 points each.

Then tragedy struck – Artemiev erred in the opening as Black against Sarin and was forced to defend a bad position, which he ultimately lost. In round 11, however, he made a comeback against Sjugirov to emerge as first among the tournament leaders again. In round twelve, Artemiev decided to slow down and made a quick draw with Erigaisi.

Artemiev currently leads a group of seven players, including Dubov, defending Blitz Champion Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi, Vachier-Lagrave, and Indians Sarin and Erigaisi. It’s worth noting that if Dubov and Nepomniachtchi have half a point deducted each, per the Chief Arbiter’s decision, they will not be among the players sharing the top spot.

Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen registered six draws and seven wins on the first day. In round 12, he faced Ian Nepomniachtchi, whom he defeated twice in the match for the World Champion title. Despite an intense game with both sides transitioning to an endgame while in time trouble, a crucial imprecision by Carlsen provided Nepomniachtchi with a significant opportunity, which he missed, resulting in an immediate draw.

Anish Giri, aiming to secure a place in the 2024 Candidates, started strongly in the Blitz after a slow start in the Rapid. With five points after six rounds, he was among the second tier of players, trailing the leader by just one point. However, from round nine onwards, Giri encountered setbacks. His loss as White to Dubov in round nine due to a misplay in the middlegame significantly weakened his position. Although he had an advantage against Pragnanandhaa in round 10, he allowed it to slip into a draw. Rounds 11 and 12 ended in draws with Murzin and a loss to Aleksandr Shimanov, respectively, marking Giri’s second loss of the day with the white pieces.

The Women’s Blitz

Valentina Gunina, a one-time gold and two-time silver medalist in the World Blitz, made an impressive start in the Women’s tournament. Leading with 8.5/9 after day one, she replicated her previous performance from the Almaty 2022 World Blitz by securing the top spot on day one yet again.

Gunina started with a remarkable streak of seven consecutive victories (including against the reigning Women’s Blitz Champion, Bibisara Assaubayeva) and became the sole leader from round six. Her first draw came in round eight with India’s Harika Dronavalli. At this stage, Anastasia Bodnaruk, fresh off her Women’s Rapid win, ascended to second place, trailing by just half a point with 7/8. Challenged in the final round of the day, Gunina clinched a decisive victory against Bodnaruk with the black pieces, finishing the day with 8.5/9, a point and a half ahead of her closest competition.

Reflecting on her performance at the end of the first day, Gunina remarked: “I feel tired, but I [would] feel more tired not playing chess.” She pointed out that last year in the World Blitz, she was also the leader after day one but then lost four games in a row on the second day. “One day, you can play great; the other day, you can lose everything”.

Asked whether having good time control is her main weapon for staying on top, Gunina replied with a puzzling smile: “Let me tell you tomorrow” [when the Blitz Championship finishes].

The start of the Women’s Blitz saw an excellent comeback for the former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, who finished the Women’s Rapid with just 6/11, midway through the standings. With five victories, she emerged as the leader in round five. However, Kosteniuk picked up just two points in the remaining four rounds of the day, having lost to Gunina (in round six, a direct encounter for the top position) and in round eight (to Bodnaruk).

With seven points, Kosteniuk leads a group of five players chasing Gunina: Dronavalli, Bodnaruk, Garifullina and another former Women’s World Blitz Champion, Kateryna Lagno. Kateryna started the World Blitz with a draw and then stumbled in round five against Polina Shuvalova and made another draw in round seven.

The defending Women’s Blitz Champion, Bibisara Assaubayeva, completed the first day with 6/9. She lost two consecutive games – to Gunina in round four and Bodnaruk in round five. Towards the end of the day, Assaubayeva lost speed – she drew with Divya Deshmukh and allowed Goryachkina to save a significantly worse position.

Women’s Blitz top 10 after Round 9

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova, Lennart Ootes, Maria Emelianova

About the event:

The World Rapid and Blitz is one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the world, attracting the strongest Grandmasters.

The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event is taking place from December 25 to December 30, at the Samarkand Congress Center.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

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World #1 Magnus Carlsen has again made history by defending his title in the World Rapid. This is the fifth Rapid title for Carlsen, who also holds five world championship titles in Classical chess and six world titles in Blitz chess. Anastasia Bodnaruk has become the new Women’s World Rapid Champion

With 10 points out of 13 games (with seven wins, six draws and no defeats), Magnus Carlsen emerged on top in a fierce competition of 150 strong players. His outstanding performance earned him not just the championship title but also the first prize of $60,000.

From the tournament’s outset, Carlsen established his position as a frontrunner. By round ten, he emerged as the sole leader, maintaining a half-point advantage over all competitors. He ultimately claimed the title with a draw in the final round, facing off against R Praggnanandhaa, one of India’s highly regarded talents.

“It feels great. I thought the key moment was the first game [today] against Fedoseev… he was the only one who could catch me.

“Sometimes I was playing my games a little bit too safe, but I don’t think I was really in trouble [in this tournament]”.

Asked if he sometimes feels as living the movie Groundhog Day, given the number of times he has won world championships in various categories, Carlsen replied – “I’m happy with that comparison… Hopefully, it will be Groundhog Day next time as well”.

Carlsen named Vladimir Fedoseev, whom he defeated in round ten while playing with the black pieces, as his most formidable opponent in the championship.

Vladimir Fedoseev – who was trailing the Norwegian by half a point and had a chance in the final round to catch up – decided not to risk it and had a quick draw with Dmitry Andreikin. This tactical decision made things easier for Carlsen as it meant he just needed half a point to win the crown.

The final ranking in the Open Rapid can be found HERE.

 Anastasia Bodnaruk is the new Women’s Rapid Champion

This is the first rapid title for Bodnaruk, who defeated India’s Humpy Koneru by 2.5:1.5 in a tiebreaker match to secure first place and a prize of $40,000.

“It’s hard to say how I’m feeling, but I’m very happy to have won this match,” Bodnaruk said in her immediate reaction.

Bodnaruk started dominating the event on the second day when she emerged as the sole leader. On day three, she continued to maintain her lead, but with three draws in the final three rounds, she allowed two more players to share the top with her.

With 8.5/11 Anastasia Bodnaruk, Lei Tingjie and Humpy Koneru (who was the winner of the 2019 Women’s World Rapid) were sharing 1st to third place.

Thanks to better tiebreaks, Bodnaruk and Koneru went to the playoffs while Lei Tingjie finished third.

In the Blitz tiebreak (with three minutes and a two-second bonification per move), Bodnaruk and Koneru had a fierce battle.

The Indian player emerged victorious in the first game, winning as Black. She then lost the second game in the match after spoiling a much better position. According to regulations, if the two-game match is drawn, a single game shall be played with a time control of three minutes for each player and two seconds increment per move. If that game also ends in a draw, the players will continue to play, switching colours in each game, until one side wins.

The third game ended in a dramatic draw. After a 10-minute break, it was time for the fourth and final game: Koneru had a solid position but ended in time trouble. In a rush, she misplayed her moves and ended up losing – handing over the victory to Anastasia Bodnaruk.

The final ranking in the Women’s Rapid can be found HERE.

Next in line is the World Blitz Championship which will take place on December 29 and December 30, at the same venue. Magnus Carlsen is defending the title in the Blitz, while Bibisara Assaubayeva is defending her title in the Women’s tournament.

The first round of the Blitz Championships starts tomorrow, Friday, at 3PM local time in Samarkand.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova, Lennart Ootes, Maria Emelianova

About the event:

The World Rapid and Blitz is one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the world, attracting the strongest Grandmasters.

The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event is taking place from December 25 to December 30, at the Samarkand Congress Center.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

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The second day of the World Rapid Championships saw intense action, with Carlsen, Yu and Fedoseev emerging as leaders with seven points out of nine in the Open. In the Women’s event, Anastasia Bodnaruk’s stellar performance secured her the sole lead with seven out of eight points.

Four rounds were played today in both the Open and the Women’s Rapid.

In the Open tournament, Magnus Carlsen maintained his position among the leaders. Despite a strong start with a crucial win against Vidit, the Norwegian had to settle for draws in the remaining three games. He shares the lead with Yu Yangyi and Vladimir Fedoseev, all tallying seven points from nine games.

Anastasia Bodnaruk stole the day in the women’s tournament. With a score of 3.5/4 – including victories over the two frontrunners from day one, Zhu Jiner and Salimova – she emerged as the sole leader, with seven points out of eight. Bodnaruk is trailed by two players, India’s Koneru Humpy and China’s Zhai Mo, who are on 6.5/8.

 The Open

The day started well for Carlsen as he scored a critical victory against India’s Vidit Santos Gujrathi. Both sides were evenly matched for the most part, but in a knight endgame, Vidit’s nerves gave way – he blundered one pawn and then another, ending completely lost. After the game, Vidit – visibly shaken – was seen standing over the board for about a minute, wandering aimlessly into the distance.

Things didn’t go Carlsen’s way in the remaining three games, where he drew with Erigaisi, Yu and Keymer. While the line played against Yu was sharp, the position was always even. The only real opportunity Carlsen had was in the final game of the day against Germany’s Vincent Keymer. Magnus managed to force an endgame where his white knight was stronger than Keymer’s dark-squared bishop, but – despite being significantly better on time – the Norwegian blundered and allowed Keymer to draw.

China’s Yu Yangyi continued steadily – like Carlsen, he also scored 2.5/4, with three draws and one victory (over India’s Bharath). Yu was also lucky today, as he managed to save a lost position to Fedoseev in the ninth (last) round.

Vladimir Fedoseev joined the leaders today after having a good run – scoring three consecutive wins (against Narayanan, Gareyev and Erigaisi). In round nine, Fedoseev had a golden opportunity to defeat Yu Yangyi and emerge as the sole leader in the Open. However, he misplayed a winning endgame and allowed the Chinese GM to escape with a draw.

With a tight competition brewing, 13 players trail just half a point behind the leading trio in the Open tournament. The list includes very strong players such as Erigaisi, 2018 World Rapid winner Dubov, Vidit, Vachier-Lagrave, Radjabov, and Keymer, as well as Bulgarian Ivan Cheparinov, who continued his good run from day one.

Among other heavyweights, Nepomniachtchi, Caruana and Aronian are on six points. Rapport – who had a good start on day one – finished the second day with 2/4 and has 5.5 points altogether.

With four more rounds left, the stage is set for an unpredictable and thrilling final day in the Open section.

The Women’s Tournament

The second day of the Women’s tournament saw leaders changing in the last three rounds.

The day started with a direct duel for first place between two frontrunners – Zhu Jiner and Nurgyul Salimova, in which the Chinese emerged victorious.

In the following sixth round, China’s Zhai Mo – 29th in the ranking list – stunned her compatriot Zhu Jiner with an impressive victory in the Benko and overtook the lead. It was in this round that the seasoned Indian Koneru Humpy caught up with the top group by defeating Azerbaijan’s Gunay Mammadzada.

In round seven, Koneru scored a splendid victory against Zhai Mo, propelling her to joint leadership alongside Zhu Jiner, who triumphed over Estonia’s Narva Mai, and Anastasia Bodnaruk, who also ascended to the top after defeating Nurgyul Salimova.

In round eight, Anastasia Bodnaruk was playing with white pieces against Zhu Jiner. In a rare line of the Sicilian, Bodnaruk created a dominating position and won, becoming the sole leader of the tournament.

In the same round, Humpy missed a crucial opportunity, letting slip the decisive advantage away against Lei Tingjie. Her victory would have placed her in a tie for first place with Bodnaruk. Instead, she is tied in 2-3rd place with Zhai Mo, with 6.5 points.

Winners from day one, Zhu Jiner and Nurgyul Salimova, finished the second day with six points and are in a group of seven players with the same score, which includes Goryachkina, Garifullina, Lei, Lagno and Priyanka.

The defending women’s rapid champion, Tan Zhongyi, is on 5.5 and will have to pick up speed if she wants to be in the race for the podium.

As we approach the final day of the World Rapid Championships, neither the Open nor the Women’s category has a clear-cut leader. With four rounds left in the Open and three in the Women’s, the outcome remains uncertain, leaving the field wide open for dramatic twists and turns.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova, Lennart Ootes, Maria Emelianova

About the event:

The World Rapid and Blitz is one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the world, attracting the strongest Grandmasters.

The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event is taking place from December 25 to December 30, at the Samarkand Congress Center.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

Official site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram 

Intense battles and surprising results on the first day of the World Rapid championships, with 270 players vying for world titles in the Open and the Women’s tournament.

The competition kicked off today with the Rapid tournament, showcasing some 270 players divided into the Open and Women’s sections, all battling for the prestigious title of world champion.

Held at the grand Samarkand Congress Center, a spacious venue showcasing oriental architecture, the event is broadcast live on FIDE’s YouTube channel as well as all other top chess streaming platforms. Former world Champion Vishy Anand and WGM and chess journalist Anastasiya Karlovich are providing the live commentary. It is the first time Anand is commenting on the WRB.

The tournament followed FIDE tradition with ceremonial first moves made on the top boards in both the Open and Women’s sections. Alisher Sadullayev, President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, made the inaugural move for the Open, while Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE, initiated the Women’s tournament.

The Open

The Open Rapid tournament, after its initial five rounds, has seen a captivating start. Notably, five exceptional players top the standings with 4.5 points each. Among them are Arjun Erigaisi, the 2022 champion of India, defending Rapid champion Magnus Carlsen, Yu Yangyi of China, Bulgaria’s Ivan Cheparinov and India’s Vidit Santosh Gujrathi.

The defending World Rapid (and Blitz) Champion, Magnus Carlsen, began with a draw against significantly lower-rated Nikita Petrov from Montenegro, but he swiftly gained momentum, clinching victories in subsequent rounds, including a striking win over Parham Maghsoodloo, seizing his knight with a king in the top left corner of the board. Speaking for the Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Carlsen said: “My play is so-so, but my score is just great”.

Bulgaria’s Ivan Cheparinov emerges as a surprise contender, as he is not ranked in the top 20. Opening strongly with three wins and a draw, Cheparinov ended the day with an impressive combination to score against Richard Rapport (who had shown remarkable form until that point, starting with three relatively quick victories but finishing the day with 3.5 points).

However, not all top players started on a high note. Fabiano Caruana faced a mixed bag, securing his first win in round three, but stumbled in a complicated endgame against Pavel Ponkratov in the final round, finishing the day on three points. He is joined by Anish Giri, who also had a poor start, by losing a winning position against Klementy Sychev, who is 200+ points lower rated in Rapid. The performance in the World Rapid and Blitz has special importance for Giri as this is his last chance to qualify for the 2024 Candidates.

One of the most exciting games of the first day was played between Conrad Holt from the US and one of the top seeds, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan. Despite getting the upper hand in the middlegame and approaching victory, Mamedyarov (playing as Black) blundered. In a very sharp position with both sides attacking, Black allowed an impressive combination on the board and ended up a piece down. 

Conrad Holt – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

In this mind-blowing position Shakhriyar could have maintained the balance with 30… Bxd7 31. Nxd7 exd2 32. Nf6+ Qxf6 33. Qxf6 Rxe1+ 34. Rxe1 dxe1=Q+ 35. Bxe1 Bg7 36. Qxc6 Rxb2 =.

However he erred with 30…exd2? and after 31. dxe8=Q Qxe8 32. Rxe8 dxc1=Q+ 33. Kf2 Qg1+ 34. Kxg1 Nf3+ 35. Kf2 Nxd4 36. Bxd4  Bg7 37. Re7 Conrad emerged a piece up. 1-0 | 44 moves

Vishi Anand called the game a “masterpiece”, adding “it may be a game of the year”. Mamedyarov, at 2.5 points out of five, finds himself in the lower ranks despite being the 12th highest-rated player in the event.

With 12 players half a point behind the leaders – including the heavyweights Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Daniil Dubov – there is a lot of space for many surprises and twists, which come suddenly and often in rapid games.

The Women’s tournament

Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova and Zhu Jiner of China lead the pack with a maximum score of four points.

They are closely followed by a group of six unexpected contenders, with India’s Rameshbabu Vaishali as the sole top-20-rated player among them.

The first day in the Women’s Rapid saw a slow start from the reigning Rapid Champion, Tan Zhongyi, who scored her first victory only in the final, fourth round of the day, following three draws. The Women’s World Champion in classical chess, Ju Wenjun, as well as her challenger in the Match for the title earlier this year, Lei Tingjie, also underperformed, finishing the day with 2/5 out of 4.

Surprisingly, top-rated players and former Women’s World Champions Alexandra Kosteniuk (also the 2021 Women’s World Rapid Champion) and Mariya Muzychuk struggled with a loss at the start, ending with only 1.5 points out of four.

The games continue on Wednesday, December 27, from 3 PM local time in Samarkand.

The second day of the World Rapid promises a crucial test for contenders, with four rounds in each section. In an event where every move shapes destiny, surprises are likely, and champions rise and fall amidst fierce competition.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova and Lennart Ootes

About the event:

The World Rapid and Blitz is one of the most exciting and most watched chess events in the world, attracting the strongest Grandmasters.

The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event is taking place from December 25 to December 30, at the Samarkand Congress Center.

For more information regarding the event, including schedules, participant details, and tournament specifics, please visit the official tournament website at https://worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/. 

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

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Set against the backdrop of the historical city where some of the world’s oldest chess pieces were discovered, the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships were opened in Samarkand in a grand ceremony.

Gathered in the architectural marvel of the Silk Road Samarkand hotel complex, the world’s chess elite geared up for the highly anticipated World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, which will take place from December 26th to December 30th in the historically rich city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The opening ceremony, held today at the Conference hall of the hotel “Silk Road by Minyoun,” unveiled a spectacular convergence of art, culture, and history. The hour-long event commemorated the history of chess, the significance of the World Rapid and Blitz competitions, Uzbekistan’s rising prominence in the chess world, and the rich heritage of Samarkand.

The ceremony started with a video chronicling the recent history of the World Rapid and Blitz tournament and highlighting the key moments from previous events. The next part was all about the money: a group of performers dressed in black and white – resembling chess pieces – got up to the stage, carrying a chest which, as it turned out, had one million dollars in cash in it. It wasn’t clear if the money was real or face, but the high presence of security guards sparked questions from the audience.

In another part of the ceremony, attention was drawn to Uzbekistan’s ongoing Third Renaissance – representing a third wave of cultural, intellectual, and national reform the nation has embarked on. It was revealed that a part of that project involves chess and that the government is channelling resources into educational initiatives and state-of-the-art facilities. A testament to this commitment is the establishment of one of the world’s most expansive chess centers dedicated to learning. In the press conference earlier in the day, Magnus Carlsen underscored this by saying that when asked in Kazakhstan last year what the best way to develop chess is, he responded, “I just said, look at what Uzbekistan is doing”.

Mr. Adkham Ikramov, Minister of Youth Policy and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, conveyed his excitement, stating, “Uzbekistan is very pleased to be hosting such an important event in Samarkand, an ancient but modern city. The interest in the media, both from the region and abroad, is huge, and we are thankful for that. Each day for the past four months, we worked hard on this event, and we hope the next six days will be fruitful and successful”.

Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), expressed gratitude to Uzbekistan for hosting the event and emphasized FIDE’s objective to organize more global chess events, providing enthusiasts worldwide the chance to witness their heroes in action.

“Dear friends, in the next five days, new pages of chess history will be written. Many of the world’s finest players have come together to fight for the crowns in Rapid and Blitz chess. There will be excitement and tension, happy and sad moments, but above all – sportsmanship must prevail. To the players, the organizers and everyone involved in this event – I wish you the best of luck,” said Dvorkovich.

One of the main sponsors of the event is Kaspersky, the international cybersecurity company. In a statement released ahead of the event, Sandro Cisco, Head of Global Partnerships and Sponsorships at Kaspersky, said the following: “Just as chess grandmasters carefully plan their moves, cybersecurity experts employ carefully considered strategies to stay one step ahead of their cyber adversaries. At Kaspersky, we believe that understanding these parallels provides valuable insights into the complex world of cybersecurity. In keeping with the principles of strategic thinking, adaptability, and risk management, we extend our heartfelt greetings to all participating chess players, wishing them masterful moves, impregnable defences, and resolute determination. May the championship be a showcase of brilliance and unwavering skill!”

 The drawing of lots

The final part of the ceremony was reserved for the traditional drawing of the lots to determine which pieces the top seed players would play with in the Rapid and the Blitz.

It transformed into a theatrical enactment where top seed Magnus Carlsen, Ju Wenjun and Lei Tingjie took part, which ended with them being dressed in traditional Uzbek robes in the colours of the pieces they will start the tournament with!

The drawing of lots determined the following:

Rapid:

Open – Magnus Carlsen, as the top seed, starts as White

Women’s – Ju Wenjun, as the top seed, starts as White

Blitz:

Open – Magnus Carlsen, as the top seed, starts as White

Women’s – Lei Tingjie, as the top seed, starts as Black

Round 1 pairings of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023:

Open

Women

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Anastasia Korolkova

About the event

The tournament will witness an impressive lineup of renowned players, both current and former champions. In the Open section, the lineup includes the current World Rapid and Blitz Champion and world number one, Magnus Carlsen, former world champion challengers and top players Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana, as well as Levon Aronian and others. In the Women’s section, the current world champion Ju Wenjun will compete, as well as former world champions – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Mariya Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi, Antoaneta Stefanova and others.

With a total prize fund of one million US dollars at stake, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments, this championship represents a pinnacle in the chess world.

The first competition to take place is the World Rapid, played over three days between December 26th and December 28th. The event will be followed by a two-day World Blitz tournament on the December 29th and 30th.

With an impressive lineup of players and a large prize fund, the 2023 World Rapid and Blitz promises thrilling excitement and fierce competition amongst the top chess grandmasters from around the globe.

For more information regarding the event, including schedules, participant details, and tournament specifics, please visit the official tournament website at worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:

Freedom Shapagat Corporate Fund

Freedom Holding Corp. promotes responsible business and contributes notably to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by channeling its sponsorship and philanthropic activities through “Freedom Shapagat” Corporate Fund. The Fund advocates for social opportunity, supports research and science, builds the capacity for positive impact, creates educational opportunities, and fosters cultural initiatives and sports.
One of the Fund’s significant projects of responsible investment encouraging diversity, stability, and sustainability is the support of the International Sports Federation FIDE in organizing the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The five-day tournament brings together the best chess players in the world who will compete for the title of Rapid and Blitz world champion. Participation of Kazakhstan players in this prestigious championship will allow to integrate our youth into the international chess community, to continue chess popularization efforts, and to support the growth of intellectual nation.

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings, strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

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In the backdrop of the historical city of Samarkand, the stage is set for the convergence of top world chess players at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships

The past, present and future of chess will meet in Samarkand, as the city where the world’s oldest chess pieces have been found (dating from the 6-8 century AD) will play host to many of the greatest chess players of today.

From December 26 to 30, this highly anticipated five-day event is poised to witness the world’s premier chess players vie for the prestigious titles of World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across both Open and Women’s categories. The prize fund totals one million US dollars, with $700,000 for the Open and $300,000 for the Women’s tournaments.

The event boasts an impressive lineup featuring illustrious names synonymous with chess brilliance.

Photo: Lennart Ootes

In the Open section, the lineup will be headlined by Magnus Carlsen. The former World Champion is defending both the Rapid and the Blitz crown he secured in Almaty in 2022. At that point, he was still the holder of the world crown in classical chess. This was the third time for the Norwegian to hold all three chess crowns. While he has decided that the contention for the crown in classical chess is out of the question, the 33-year-old Norwegian has not given up on Blitz and Rapid and will be looking for his fourth title in both competitions.

Fabiano Caruana is heading to Samarkand eager to continue his fantastic run in 2023. He won the Superbet Chess Classic, defended his crown as US champion, took third place in the World Cup, came first in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and came on top at the 2023 Sinquefield Cup. With such great form and successful performances, Caruana will be looking to finish the year on a high in Samarkand.

Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com

With a notable exception of world champion Ding Liren and Hikaru Nakamura, almost all of the strongest figures in the chess realm will be in Samarkand, including two-time World Championship match participant Ian Nepomniachtchi, the experienced Levon Aronian, Anish Giri and Yu Yangyi, young stars Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Vincent Keymer as well as several top world players from India, led by Praggnanandhaa, Vidit, Erigaisi and Gukesh.

The host country, Uzbekistan, pins its hopes on the 2021 World Rapid Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov.

In the women’s section, Tan Zhongyi will be there to defend her Rapid crown, while Bibisara Assaubayeva will try to merge the previous two successes – from 2022, when she won the Blitz event and 2021, when she took the Rapid title. Standing in their way, however, will be the four-time Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and the 2023 World Cup winner and former world champion candidate Aleksandra Goryachkina. They are joined by world number two Humpy Koneru, this year’s Women’s World Championship challenger Lei Tingjie, as well as top-10 world players Kateryna Lagno, Anna Muzychuk and Nana Dzagnidze, whose adaptability in diverse game formats make them strong contenders for both the Rapid and the Blitz crowns.

Photo: Lennart Ootes

In the mix are also three former World Champions, Antoaneta Stefanova, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Mariya Muzychuk, whose remarkable achievements and unyielding determination have propelled them to the summit of women’s chess.

The forthcoming event marks an important moment for the local organizers as Uzbekistan gears up to host the 2026 Chess Olympiad, leveraging the World Rapid and Blitz Championships to fortify their preparations for this upcoming grand affair.

The competition will unfold amidst the architectural marvel of the Silk Road Samarkand, a multifaceted resort boasting eight world-class hotels, cultural sites, and a state-of-the-art international congress center.

As the chess elite get ready to converge on Samarkand, their participation in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships is promising thrilling excitement and high drama, where nerves and speed will be (the) key.

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Rapid Open – List of participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Rapid Women – List of participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Blitz Open – List of participants

2023 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship Blitz Women – List of participants

Information about the event:

Dates:

Opening ceremony: December 25
World Rapid: 26 – 28 December
World Blitz: 29 – 30 December
Closing ceremony: December 30

Eligibility:

For the Open, a rating of at least 2550 in any of the twelve most recent FIDE rating lists (Standard, Rapid or Blitz) at the moment of the beginning of the WRB; the reigning National Champions (in Standard, Rapid, Blitz) representing their National Federation regardless of their title or rating, as well as up to 30 nominations by FIDE and 15 by the Uzbekistan chess federation.

For the Women’s tournaments, a rating of at least 2250 in any of the twelve most recent FIDE rating lists (Standard, Rapid or Blitz) at the moment of the beginning of the WRB; the reigning National Champions (in Standard, Rapid, Blitz) representing their National Federation regardless of their title or rating, as well as up to 20 nominations by FIDE and 10 by the Uzbekistan chess federation.

Format:

Both the Rapid and the Blitz will be played under the Swiss System.

The Open Rapid will consist of 13 rounds, while the Blitz will have 21 rounds.
The Women’s Rapid will have 11 rounds, while the Blitz will have 17 rounds.

Time Control:

Rapid: 15 minutes + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move one.
Blitz: Three minutes + 2 seconds increment per move, starting from move one.

Prizes:

Official website of the tournament: worldrapidandblitz2023.fide.com/ 

OFFICIAL PARTNERS:
 

Freedom Holding Corp. is a US-based financial services holding company. Through its operating subsidiaries, Freedom Holding provides services like retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market-making, retail banking, corporate investment banking and underwriting services in Eurasia. The Company has retail locations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Germany.

The Company’s financial services business provides retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market making, corporate investment banking, underwriting, complementary banking services and retail banking services to its customers. Its subsidiaries include LLC Investment Company Freedom Finance (Freedom RU), a securities broker-dealer; LLC FFIN Bank (FFIN Bank); JSC Freedom Finance, a securities broker-dealer; Freedom Finance Cyprus Limited (Freedom CY), a broker-dealer; LLC Freedom Finance Uzbekistan (Freedom UZ), a broker-dealer and FFIN Securities, Inc. (FFIN).

Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/
 

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them.

Learn more at kaspersky.com.
 

Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. 

Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings , strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier.

Official site
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