Hikaru Nakamura secured his fourth Bullet Chess Championship title on July 21, finishing a flawless upper-bracket run on the expense of many elite-level gamers. Nakamura fought his approach by the likes of Daniel Naroditsky and Alireza Firouzja earlier than defeating Magnus Carlsen himself within the grand last.
Regardless that the world No. 1 was capable of overhaul a five-point deficit on multiple occasions within the sequence and pushed to time beyond regulation, Nakamura was finally capable of clinch the sequence with a 17.0-15.0 scoreline with a return match to spare.
The event featured a double-elimination bracket, with matches comprising a set size of both 30 or 45 minutes relying on the stage of the bracket, with the video games performed in a 1+0 format. If neither participant had a two-point benefit when the timer ran out, the sequence went to a six-game time beyond regulation, on the finish of which the participant within the lead was declared the winner. If the sequence was nonetheless tied after the time beyond regulation completed, play continued till the primary decisive sport.
Having began his marketing campaign with a brutal 22.5-1.5 win over IM Emin Ohanyan within the first spherical Nakamura went from power to power all through the knockout bracket, defeating three grandmasters on his strategy to the grand last, all in a reasonably simple style.
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In the meantime, Magnus Carlsen’s street was considerably rockier, having competed in Barcelona for the primary few rounds earlier than returning to his residence. Having began his event run with a dominant win of his personal, 16.5-1.5 in opposition to Eric Hansen, he defeated Tuan Minh Le earlier than dropping to French prodigy Alireza Firouzja within the winners’ bracket semifinals. With victories over Andrew Tang and Daniel Naroditsky, he earned himself an opportunity to get revenge on Firouzja, and after profitable an in depth match with a scoreline of 11-9, it was time for the conflict of the titans within the grand last.
Nakamura was capable of hold his opponent at arm’s size all through the match, by no means giving up the result in Carlsen and constructing a five-point lead as early as sport twelve. Nonetheless, the Norwegian confirmed his trademark nonetheless and tenacity to battle his approach again into the sequence, finally forcing time beyond regulation after surviving his opponent’s doubtful queen sacrifice.
As soon as extra the gamers traded blow for blow within the first two time beyond regulation video games, however then, regardless of a small pause disrupting the play, Nakamura closed out the sequence with back-to-back wins.
The American had a backup plan all alongside: Had Carlsen gained this match, they’d have performed a complete further sequence on account of Nakamura’s winner’s bracket benefit. That didn’t become the case, nonetheless, and he may fortunately have a good time his fourth victory within the competitors, with the one blemish on his report previously 5 wins coming in 2021, when then-fourth seed Alireza Firouzja defeated him within the semifinals and went all the way in which to win all the event.
Although Carlsen has dominated faster time controls recently, Nakamura’s particular experience in bullet proved to be superior this time round, making this one other thrilling chapter within the longstanding chess rivalry that retains on charming the chess world.
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