The CircleChess Online Bullet Bash ends in a blazing finish!
The Chess-Tech Startup CircleChess recently organized an Online “Bullet Bash” chess tournament on Lichess.org. The event gained attention due to its substantial total prize fund of 1 lakh INR, perhaps the largest ever for an online bullet tournament in India. With a ₹25,000 prize for the winner and relentlessly strong competition, it was a true test of skill in a high-stakes environment. All in all, the spectacle was an hour of fast- paced, unforgiving games of chess. Read on to find out more about the winners, the organizers, and the vision behind the rest of the tournament from the founder of CircleChess .
With just under 500 registrations, the tournament became a fiercely competitive arena where participants not only sought supremacy on the chessboard but also aimed to claim a share of the significant prize pool. The rewards were distributed generously among the top 200 players, elevating the stakes and inspiring players to demonstrate their strategic prowess. With around 50 titled players, the event also allowed amateur players to test themselves against very strong GMs and IMs.
Throughout the one-hour chess extravaganza, participants employed various strategies. Some opted for quick draws or losses to maximize the number of games played, while others took a more measured approach, focusing on each game individually. The absence of streaks in the tournament format led players to discover that engaging in more games, regardless of the results, offered a strategic advantage. Many players boldly chose to "berserk" their way through, showcasing a daring style of play.
CircleChess played a crucial role as the event's host setting a new benchmark for online prize money events. The startup not only demonstrated a commitment to promoting chess in the digital realm but also set new standards with the substantial prize pool. The leaderboard was constantly in the change in this unpredictable format, but that didn't stop the victors from rising to the top.
The Winners
The competition featured intense battles, with IM Yoseph Taher from Indonesia and FM Tsoi Dmitry from Russia securing the second and third positions, respectively. The tournament witnessed a surprising turn of events as the young prodigy Raunak Sadhwani, the top seed (FIDE rating), settled for a respectable 4th place, while GM Mitrabha Guha claimed the 5th position.
Noteworthy performances extended beyond the top contenders, with other notable Indian players like IM Aronyak Ghosh and GM Laxman RR leaving their mark within the top 20. Mihir Shah (1607), Chandrani Shlok (1601), Sham R (1897) and Yash Bharadia (2218) were the brave non-titled players to finish in top 25!
Players' Thoughts on The Bullet Bash
The winner GM Diptayan Ghosh expressed his delight, “The tournament was well organised and the registration process was very smooth without any hassle. I really enjoyed playing the event. Hope such events will continue in the future”. One of India’s top Chess players, GM Mitrabha Guha also shared his thoughts “It was a great tournament, since bullet tournament of this level is very rare. Also, bullet almost removes any kind of cheating.” Many players raised their concerns of streaks being disabled and CircleChess team has assured to bring it the next one!
GM Laxman was all praises for the event, he was genuinely impressed by the conduct and organisation of the tournament and shared about it with his friends. He, like many others, is already looking forward to the next one! “I hope to see many events of this stature coming up”, he said.
“This was our first event, and we are glad that we witnessed the kind of participation that we did. We are indeed grateful to our players for their interest. It boosts our confidence to host more such events in the coming months. We also have a unique platform to help you improve your chess in the coming months for which you can join the waitlist”, CircleChess CEO Kumar Gaurav said.
CircleChess promises to continue further with bigger and better online tournaments. Stay tuned to their website to get notified for the next one!