Whether chess games last six hours or fifteen minutes, Magnus Carlsen is still difficult to beat. The Norwegian world number one won his fifth rapid chess world title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and became the best in the blitz variant for the seventh time.
In blitz chess, players start with just three minutes on the clock and gain an extra two seconds per move. This means that games are significantly shorter than in classical chess. It is more attractive to spectators, more versatile for chess players and, according to many grandmasters, the future of chess.
Carlsen scored 16 points in 21 games on Saturday. Russian Daniil Doebov came second with 15.5 points.
Carlsen, who has been the icon of chess for years, said late last year that he no longer had any desire to defend the world championship in classical chess. Instead, he focuses on modern, shorter versions.
Chess players were given a little more time to think in the rapid-play format, which ended on Thursday. You start with fifteen minutes on the clock and ten seconds are added to each move.
In Samarkand, Carlsen scored ten points in thirteen games. The Norwegian won seven times and drew six times. Russian Vladimir Fedoseev, playing for Slovenia, came second with half a point difference.
Dutch
Dutch Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest also took part in both rapid chess championships and came second. In rapid chess, both achieved 8.5 points, corresponding to joint fifteenth place. In Yıldırım chess, Giri ranked thirteenth and Van Foreest ranked 26th.
The two Dutch grandmasters will participate again in the Tata Steel Chess tournament, which will be held in Wijk aan Zee in January, where the classic version will be played. Carlsen is missing there.
Source: NOS
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