BRING YOUR VISION INTO ACTION
The king and queen of blitz chess were crowned on the final day of an enthralling FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship 2023 in Samarkand.
Magnus Carlsen cemented his status as the greatest blitz player ever with a record 7th world blitz title. The Norwegian maestro won an incredible 6 straight games between rounds 14-19 to overhaul the field and finish with a dominant score of 16/21.
Carlsen capped off another double world title triumph after his rapid victory, further cementing his legacy across every chess format. When asked about his blitz success, Carlsen remarked “Blitz chess is about intuition, creativity and being in the zone. I found my rhythm this week and am honored to win another blitz crown.”
In the women’s event, Russia’s Valentina Gunina navigated a super-competitive field to claim the world blitz crown. Despite a mid-tournament lull, Gunina finished with a flourish by beating top seeds Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk in the last two rounds. Her final tally of 14/17 was enough to edge out Alexandra Kosteniuk’s 13.5/17 for a hard-fought victory.
The blitz finals underlined the phenomenal rise of Indian chess. Vidit Gujrathi and Arjun Erigaisi produced India’s best ever showings, finishing 5th and 7th respectively. 15-year-old wonderkid Gukesh also qualified for the 2024 Candidates through his blitz performance.
As the chess world heralds in 2024, India is cementing its status as the next chess superpower under the guidance of visionaries like Vishy Anand. For now, the chess planet celebrates two worthy new monarchs of blitz in Carlsen and Gunina.
From the Chess Visionaries family, we wish you a Happy New Year filled with creative attacking chess. As the immortal Tal said, “You must take your opponent into a deep dark forest where 2+2=5, and the path leading out is only wide enough for one.
