DOHA: Chess megastar Magnus Carlsen successfully defended his World Blitz title, overcoming a rocky start to clinch a record-extending ninth crown after defeating Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5-1.5 in the final on Tuesday. The Norwegian world No 1 added the Blitz gold to the Rapid title he won last week, acknowledging afterward that the strength of the field and his own early setbacks made the victory especially satisfying.
“This was a very tough event for me. It could have gone either way. But when we got to the knockouts, I thought I should really enjoy it, and it worked out,” Carlsen told FIDE.
Carlsen sealed the final with a bold pawn move in the fourth game after the scores were tied 1.5-1.5, refusing a draw and instead steering the position into a winning endgame.
His path to the knockout stage had been turbulent, including a controversial incident in Round 14 of the Swiss phase, where he was penalised for pressing the clock before resetting fallen pieces and was ruled to have lost the game.
He recovered strongly to finish on 13.5 points and advance to the semifinals, where he beat American GM Fabiano Caruana 3-1.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, the standout performer of the Swiss stage with 15 points, settled for bronze after a 2.5-0.5 semi-final defeat to Abdusattorov.
The 22-year-old’s third-place finish earned him Blitz and Rapid bronze medals, making him only the second Indian man after Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal.
Carlsen’s triumph capped a dramatic campaign marked by setbacks, resilience, and trademark endgame brilliance.
Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk 2.5-1.5 to claim her third World Blitz title and qualify for the 2026 Candidates tournament.
Assaubayeva capitalised on the white pieces in the final game to beat Muzychuk, who stumbled in time trouble.
"It was hard, but it feels great. It's not easy to do this once, let alone three times. And also to qualify for the Candidates – it's thrilling. Now I will rest a bit, and in February start my preparation for the Candidates," said Assaubayeva, who won her first two titles in 2021 and 2022.