Hello everyone.
Speed Chess Championship 2025 hosted by Chess.com is in its final stage as from 7th and 8th February we will get winner of 2025 edition.
The competition is held in London.
This is annual competition started in 2016 and hosted by Chess.com, online chess platform.
Interesting fact is that only two players were winners so far. Hikaru Nakamura has won 5 straight titles from 2018 to 2022 and Magnus Carlsen has won 4 of them.
Hikaru Nakamura played in all Tournaments so far and Magnus Carlsen is reigning champion.
Lets see if trend continues of sharing first place between these two or we will have a new winner.
Yesterday semifinals were played and today there finals and third place match and finals will take place.
In this years London Speed Chess Championship finale we have Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja and Deniz Lazavik.
Blitz and Bullet games
90 minutes of 5 + 1 time control
60 minutes of 3 + 1 time control
30 minutes of 1 + 1 time control
In case of a equal results after all games were played there are there are addition 4 games of 1 + 1 time format. First player to reach 2.5 points wins. If still there is a draw Armagedon is played.
Yesterday semifinals are played and here is a first pairing.
In their first game Denis Lazavik won. It looked like it could be good matchup but Magnus Carlsen just went to win it easily with score 17 to 9.
This is first game they played.
Evaluation bar says it is pretty much equal at this point. Denis Lazavik has one more pawn but it is double pawn. Here b3 allowed in bishop to get in and control knight and Lazavik manage to get the win.
After this Magnus Carlsen won 7 out of next 12 games which was enough for comfortable lead to finish the rest of the games.
And next matchup had all thrill and excitement. It was fought until last minutes and seconds. Super comeback.
Second semifinal match up was Hikaru Nakamura against Alireza Firouzja.
Alireza started the semifinals match with a win. After that it was pretty much equal but Hikaru manage build up the lead in 1 + 1 portion by two points with around 4 minutes and 50 seconds to the end.
Next game is important for Alireza Firouzja as there is no much time left. There is time for 2 more games most probably and this one is a must win.
Game was equalish and Hikaru went for a pawn but this was blunder as it will allow Alireza to infiltrate with the Queen.
Alireza Firouzja just did that a got much needed win to try to play for a Tiebrakes.
There was minute and thirty seconds left to play one more game. This game will decide is Hikaru going to finals or will Alireza win there will be Tie brakes.
In the last game Hikaru was better but again blunder.
Alireza exchanged the Queens and slowly started to improve his position.
And toward end in equal position another blunder by Hikaru.
Alireza won this game and it was all Tiebrakes now.
Even after second to last game Hikaru said in live coverage to himself loud while he lost that he should have not celebrete too early or something among those lines. Maybe that was what happened and we got into Tiebrakes.
4 games of 1 + 1. First to 2.5 wins.
Alireza took first game and there was draw in second game .
This is thrid game of the Tiebrakes.
Again Hikaru made blunder but Alireza did use it.
King was in the middle and Alireza played nex move which broth game back to the equal.
Then another blunder by Hikaru but this time Alireza Firouzja used his opportunity.
Hikaru moved Rook to c8 to threaten the checkmate but blunder since there was check on b7 that will collect Rook on c8 for free.
After Alireza played Queen to b7 check Hikaru Nakamura resigned the game.
Thriller in the last games and last seconds of the this semifinal matchup.
It was very good play by Alireza and some blunders for Hikaru in crucial moments.
Alireza won and goes into finals to play today with Magnus Carlsen.
This is repeat of finals from 2024 where Magnus won his fourth title.
Hikaru plays today with Denis Lazavik for the third spot.
Match already started and it is 3 - 1 for Hikaru Nakamura.
Lets see who wins it all.
