Carlsen Dominates Again at World Rapid Chess Championship
Magnus Carlsen has once again proven his chess genius by winning the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship for the sixth time. Competing in the Open category, Carlsen stood out in a challenging group and finished with an impressive score of 10.5 points, taking home a prize of 70,000 Euros. This victory adds to his previous wins from 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Carlsen faced some hurdles along the way, especially after losing a match in the seventh round to Vladislav Artemiev. However, he bounced back with three consecutive wins on the final day and managed to secure a draw against Anish Giri in the last round. Artemiev finished in second place with 9.5 points, while India’s Arjun Erigaisi claimed the bronze medal after defeating Aleksandr Shimanov, also achieving 9.5 points but winning on tie-breaks.
Erigaisi’s performance highlighted his skill in a highly competitive tournament. Among other Indian players, Nihal Sarin finished 19th with 8.5 points, D. Gukesh was in 20th place also with 8.5, and R. Praggnanandhaa ended up in 27th, matching the same score. The strong results from these players show that Indian chess continues to rise on the global stage.
Heartbreak for Humpy
In the women’s section, there was disappointment for Koneru Humpy, who fell short of becoming the first woman to win three World Rapid titles. Humpy, Zhu Jiner, and Aleksandra Goryachkina all ended with 8.5 points, but due to FIDE’s tie-break system, Humpy ended up with the bronze medal despite her strong performance.
Goryachkina and Zhu advanced to the title play-off based on their better tie-break scores. Goryachkina won the play-off against Zhu with a score of 1.5–0.5, claiming her first World Rapid title and a prize of 40,000 Euros. Zhu finished in second place, while Humpy’s hopes were dashed after a draw against fellow Indian B Savitha Shri in the final round, which kept her from securing the top spot.
Savitha Shri’s result not only affected the standings but also marked her career-best finish in fourth place with 8 points. R. Vaishali finished fifth with 8 points, Divya Deshmukh took eighth with 7.5 points, and D. Harika came in 19th with 7 points, showcasing the talent of Indian players throughout the tournament.
