Magnus Carlsen concluded with six points from the twenty-one rounds, adding the blitz title to his quick crown.
On Saturday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Magnus Carlsen overcame a rough opening day to add the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship title to his already impressive record. Carlsen eliminated Russian grandmasters Daniil Dubov (15.5 points) and Vladislav Artemiev (15) with a final score of 16 points from the 21 rounds. In order to win his 17th World Championship title overall and further solidify his domination across formats (he has won five classical titles, five rapid titles, and seven blitz titles), the 32-year-old Norwegian successfully defended both of his crowns.
After the win, renowned Russian chess player Garry Kasparov had nothing but praise for Carlsen. In an X post, Kasparov stated, “At this point, Magnus doesn’t need a coach; he needs a carpenter to build more trophy cases.” Carlsen, one of the joint leaders, had a rough start to the last day, falling to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in Round 13, his sole setback of the competition. But despite draws in the final two rounds, he recovered with six straight victories, which was sufficient.
Nihal Sarin and Arjun Erigaisi, two Indians, were among the joint leaders following the first round but were unable to maintain their advantage going into the final round. After 12 rounds on Friday, Erigaisi and Sarin, who were tied for first place with 9 points, ended sixth and 43, respectively. After three victories, two losses (including one versus Carlsen), and four draws, Erigaisi finished with 14 points. Sarin saw a sharp decline with their inability to record a single victory on Saturday (six ties and three losses).
The next best Indian was R Praggnanandhaa (28th, 12.5 points), who was followed by Aravindh Chithambaram (14th, 13.5 points). With 12.5 points, D Gukesh, who had earned his candidacy, came in 38th place. Russian Valentina Gunina won the women’s blitz event, and Koneru Hampy, who had won the quick silver medal, finished fifth with 10.5 points from 17 rounds. (thirteen losses and six draws).
