Magnus Carlsen and Valentina Gunina are World Blitz 2023 champions

by Shahid Ahmed - 31/12/2023

Magnus Carlsen drew his final round game against Levon Aronian to become World Blitz 2023 champion. He drew his game after he saw Daniil Dubov splitting the point against Dmitry Andreikin. Dubov was the only person who could have forced Playoffs had he won his game and Carlsen drew. In that case, the world no.1 would have required to beat Aronian to avoid Playoffs. Arjun Erigaisi scored 14/21 to finish sixth, followed by Aravindh Chithambaram 13.5/21 at 14th place. Both delivered outstanding performance especially Aravindh. Valentina Gunina defeated Anna Muzychuk to win World Blitz 2023 Women. Harika Dronavalli scored 11/17 to finish seventh, followed by IM Divya Deshmukh 11/17 at 13th place. D Gukesh has officially earned his place at the FIDE Candidates 2024. Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

Only MVL manages to beat Magnus

Out of 21 Blitz games, World Blitz 2021 champion - Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) was the sole person to beat the eventual champion in Round 13. Despite starting the day with a loss, Carlsen recovered, scored 7/8 in the last eight games to become a clear champion. This is his seventh World Blitz title and overall 17th World title, combining Classical, Rapid and Blitz.

World Rapid and Blitz Champions (L to R): IM Anastasia Bodnaruk (Women Rapid), GM Magnus Carlsen (Rapid and Blitz Open) and GM Valentina Gunina (Blitz Women) | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy

The Magnus Carlsen interview after World Rapid and Blitz 2023 | Video: ChessBase India

World Rapid 2023 Open: Silver - GM Vladimir Fedoseev (SLO) 9.5/13, Gold - GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) 10/13 and Bronze - GM Yangyi Yu (CHN) 9/13 | Photo: FIDE/Anastasia Korolkova

World Rapid 2023 Women: Silver - GM Koneru Humpy 8.5/11, Gold - IM Anastasia Bodnaruk 8.5/11 and Bronze - GM Tingjie Lei (CHN) 8.5/11 | Photo: FIDE/Anastasia Korolkova

Koneru Humpy on her World Rapid Women 2023 Silver medal win | Video: ChessBase India

World Blitz 2023 Open: Silver - GM Daniil Dubov 15.5/21, Gold - GM Magnus Carlsen 16/21 and Bronze - GM Vladislav Artemiev 15.5/21 | Photo: FIDE/Anastasia Korolkova

World Blitz 2023 Women: Silver - GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) 13.5/17, Gold - GM Valentina Gunina 14/17 and Bronze - GM Jiner Zhu (CHN) 12.5/17 | Photo: FIDE/Anastasia Korolkova

Round 13 Open: MVL beats Magnus

Perhaps one of the reasons Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2748) lost to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA, 2748) in the first game of the final day was, they were joking about Dubov-Nepomniachtchi's previous day draw which gave them 0-0.

Alina Dvoretskaya, CEO Advisor of Freedom Holding Corp., Partner of the World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023, made the ceremonial first move on Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Magnus Carlsen's board in Round 13 Open | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

The Magnus Carlsen conqueror in Uzbekistan - Maxime Vachier Lagrave | Video: ChessBase India

World Blitz 2021 champion - Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) became the sole player to beat Magnus Carlsen (NOR) at World Rapid and Blitz 2023 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Nihal Sarin missed multiple winning chances against Arjun Erigaisi | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 10 Women: GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) - IM Divya Deshmukh: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 14 Open: Carlsen bounces back, Arjun and Nihal draw against Dubov and Yangyi

After suffering a setback at the beginning of the final day, Magnus Carlsen bounced back with a victory against Alexey Sarana (SRB, 2707).

When Magnus Carlsen plays like Mikhail Tal | Carlsen vs Sarana | Video: ChessBase India

Alexey Sarana (SRB) faced the wrath of wounded Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Arjun Erigaisi had a hard fought draw against Daniil Dubov | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Abdusattorov (UZB) won the battle of the Nodirbeks against Yakubboev (UZB) | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 15: Carlsen outplays Arjun to stay in pursuit

Carlsen outplayed Arjun Erigaisi to stay a half point 11/15 behind the sole leader Vladislav Artemiev (2799) 11.5/15. Jorden van Foreest (NED, 2664) lost to Aravindh Chithambaram (2584) in a 13-move miniature.

A stunning game | Magnus Carlsen vs Arjun Erigaisi | Video: ChessBase India

It is not easy to fend off Magnus Carlsen with the black pieces twice in four days | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Aravindh Chithambaram stuns Jorden van Foreest in 13 moves | Video: ChessBase India

Round 16: Magnus and Arjun beat Indjic and Praggnanandhaa

Magnus Carlsen defeated Aleksandar Indjic (SRB, 2631) with ease. Arjun Erigaisi bounced back with a victory against his good friend - R Praggnanandhaa.

Magnus Carlsen (NOR) defeated the world's tallest GM Aleksandar Indjic (SRB) comfortably | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

When walking buddies go for war on board - Arjun Erigaisi vs Praggnanandhaa | Video: ChessBase India

Since FIDE World Cup 2023 elimination, Arjun Erigaisi defeated R Praggnanandhaa for the first time in a rated game | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

When the Beast goes 1.b3 - Adhiban vs Anish Giri | Video: ChessBase India

Round 17: Carlsen joins the lead as Duda holds Artemiev to a draw

Magnus Carlsen scored a fine victory over Yangyi Yu (CHN, 2714) to join the lead with Vladislav Artemiev (2799). Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL, 2775) drew against Artemiev.

Carlsen - Yangyi

Position after 26.c4!

26.c4! is undoubtedly the move of the day. Carlsen shared later in the interview, "It's quite typical. When you have a far advanced passed pawn, you just have to do everything in order to push it forward..."

Carlsen makes stunning moves without thinking - Magnus Carlsen vs Yangyi Yu | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen played some fantastic chess to beat Yangyi Yu (CHN) | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL) - Vladislav Artemiev: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 14 Women: GM Valentina Gunina - GM Koneru Humpy: 0.5-0.5 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 18: Carlsen beats Duda to gain sole lead, Artemiev loses to Indjic, Nepomniachtchi goes down against Arjun

Magnus Carlsen grinded a relatively balanced knight endgame against Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL). Vladislav Artemiev lost a 91-move long grueling battle versus Aleksandar Indjic (SRB). Arjun Erigaisi (2729) capitalized on Ian Nepomniachtchi's (2795) tactical mistake.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs Magnus Carlsen - The epic saga continues | Video: ChessBase India

Jan-Krzysztof Duda - Magnus Carlsen games are always a must-see | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Aleksandar Indjic (SRB) did what no one else was able to do on the final day - stop the seemingly unstoppable Vladislav Artemiev, allowing Carlsen to gain sole lead | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Arjun Erigaisi stuns two-time World Championship finalist Ian Nepomniachtchi | Video: ChessBase India

Round 15 Women: GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO) - IM Divya Deshmukh: 0-1

Round 19: Carlsen wins against Rapport, maintains sole lead

IM Divya Deshmukh defeated former women's world champion, GM Mariya Muzychuk (UKR) in Round 16 Women.

The Unstoppable Machine - Magnus Carlsen vs Richard Rapport | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen - Richard Rapport games are always exciting to watch | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Round 20: Carlsen draw, Arjun loses a winning game against Aronian

The latest chapter in the Arjun Erigaisi - Levon Aronian witnessed the former suffering a heartbreak as he lost a winning endgame against the only two-time World Cup winner in history. Despite a 1/3 start, GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR) made a strong comeback by scoring 10/13 without losing a single game. In the final round, she was paired against GM Valentina Gunina. The latter won the game and the tournament.

The Pain of losing a won game - Arjun Erigaisi vs Levon Aronian | Video: ChessBase India

Round 21: Carlsen gets furious with color break before winning the World Blitz title for the seventh time

Magnus Carlsen was absolutely furious with his pairing of getting consecutive black color for the third time at this event. He wanted an explanation and once it was presented, he was ready to play the game. He kept an eye on the Dubov-Andreikin battle. Once they drew, he also had no hesitation in splitting the point with Aronian as Dubov was the only player who could have forced the Playoffs if he had won his game.

The game that made Magnus Carlsen the World Blitz Champion 2023 | Video: ChessBase India

Chief Arbiter IA Ivan Syrovy (SVK) having a discussion with Magnus Carlsen (NOR) before the start of the final round

Chief Arbiter - IA Ivan Syrovy (SVK) explaining the reasoning to Magnus Carlsen (NOR)

Magnus Carlsen is the World Blitz 2023 Champion | Video: ChessBase India

Aravindh Chithambaram drew against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) to finish 14th with 13.5/21

Nepo does not capture a hanging rook for 4 moves! | Bardiya vs Nepomniachtchi | Video: ChessBase India

Baadur Jobava vs Arjun Erigaisi | Video: ChessBase India

Video Gallery

Meet the 20 Avengers of Indian chess at Samarkand airport | Video: ChessBase India

Anish Giri finds unique bishop idea before the game | Video: ChessBase India

Happy New Year from the Tashkent Airport! | Video: ChessBase India

A small note from Uzbekistan! | Video: ChessBase India

Closing Press Conference of World Blitz 2023 | Video: ChessBase India

Closing Ceremony of World Rapid and Blitz 2023 | Video: ChessBase India

Lots of games will be published soon, stay tuned.

For more Round 13 Open and 10 Women, 14O and 11W, 15O and 12W, 16O and 13W and 17-21O and 14-17W photos, please click at the respective links.

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Watch World Rapid Open and Women 2023

Live Commentary of Day 5 by GM Vishy Anand and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich from 3 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. IST | Video: FIDE

Round 21 Open results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
21	4	11	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	2748	14	½ - ½	13	GM	Aravindh Chithambaram Vr.	2584	62
21	7	54	GM	Jobava Baadur	2599	13	0 - 1	13	GM	Erigaisi Arjun	2729	14
21	12	24	GM	Praggnanandhaa R	2665	12½	0 - 1	12½	IM	Makarian Rudik	2540	102
21	14	75	GM	Hovhannisyan Robert	2570	12	1 - 0	12	GM	Nihal Sarin	2689	20
21	20	82	GM	Narayanan S L	2564	12	½ - ½	12	GM	Vokhidov Shamsiddin	2588	61
21	21	91	GM	Petrosyan Manuel	2556	12	0 - 1	11½	GM	Gukesh D	2657	29
21	29	55	GM	Predke Alexandr	2594	11	½ - ½	11	GM	Sadhwani Raunak	2668	22
21	32	33	GM	Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	2642	11	½ - ½	11	GM	Adhiban B.	2576	70
21	33	141	GM	Bharath Subramaniyam H	2435	11	1 - 0	11	GM	Sanal Vahap	2637	35
21	35	140	GM	Karthik Venkataraman	2440	11	0 - 1	11	GM	Riazantsev Alexander	2621	42
21	41	111	GM	Mitrabha Guha	2512	10½	½ - ½	10½	GM	Sargsyan Shant	2633	38
21	48	144	GM	Aditya Mittal	2425	10½	1 - 0	10½	GM	Pranav V	2562	84
21	60	73	GM	Brunello Sabino	2573	9½	1 - 0	9½	GM	Pranesh M	2481	130
21	67	119	GM	Chanda Sandipan	2490	9½	0 - 1	9½	GM	Abdisalimov Abdimalik	2417	147
21	77	96	GM	Ganguly Surya Shekhar	2549	8½	½ - ½	8½		Akhmedov David	2154	190

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2887	16	256,5	265,5	2673	0	-0,15	10	-1,5
2	8	GM	Dubov, Daniil	FID	2763	15,5	262,5	272,5	2700	0	3,01	10	30,1
3	3	GM	Artemiev, Vladislav	FID	2799	15	260,5	271,5	2702	0	1,59	10	15,9
4	11	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	2748	14,5	260,5	269	2670	0	1,64	10	16,4
5	4	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	FID	2795	14	263	271	2670	0	-0,18	10	-1,8
6	14	GM	Erigaisi, Arjun	IND	2729	14	256	264	2652	0	1,03	10	10,3
7	6	GM	Aronian, Levon	USA	2772	14	239,5	247,5	2597	0	-1,32	10	-13,2
8	89	GM	Lazavik, Denis	FID	2556	14	233	239	2590	0	4,10	10	41
9	39	GM	Indjic, Aleksandar	SRB	2631	13,5	256,5	266	2674	0	3,76	10	37,6
10	5	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	POL	2775	13,5	255	265	2640	0	-0,85	10	-8,5
11	10	GM	Rapport, Richard	ROU	2748	13,5	244,5	253,5	2620	0	-0,70	10	-7
12	2	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	USA	2815	13,5	244	252	2606	0	-2,57	10	-25,7
13	9	GM	Yu, Yangyi	CHN	2762	13,5	242,5	251	2632	0	-0,71	10	-7,1
14	62	GM	Aravindh, Chithambaram Vr.	IND	2584	13,5	240	247,5	2618	0	3,67	10	36,7
15	18	GM	Grischuk, Alexander	FID	2699	13,5	233,5	242,5	2545	0	-1,36	10	-13,6
16	12	GM	Andreikin, Dmitry	FID	2741	13,5	232	239	2567	0	-1,87	10	-18,7
17	102	IM	Makarian, Rudik	FID	2540	13,5	225,5	232,5	2570	0	3,49	10	34,9
18	127	GM	Daneshvar, Bardiya	IRI	2483	13,5	225	231	2547	0	4,40	10	44
19	59	GM	Murzin, Volodar	FID	2591	13	257	265,5	2700	0	5,08	10	50,8
20	17	GM	Sarana, Alexey	SRB	2707	13	254	263,5	2614	0	-0,32	10	-3,2

Details

Round 17 Women results

Rd.	Bo.	No.		Name	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Name	Rtg	No.
17	3	12	GM	Dronavalli Harika	2420	11	0 - 1	11½	GM	Zhu Jiner	2384	18
17	4	63	WGM	Munkhzul Turmunkh	2211	11	½ - ½	10½	WGM	Divya Deshmukh	2315	32
17	5	8	GM	Koneru Humpy	2452	10½	0 - 1	10½	GM	Lagno Kateryna	2522	3
17	10	28	IM	Shuvalova Polina	2342	10	1 - 0	9½	IM	Vaishali Rameshbabu	2410	14
17	18	13	IM	Arabidze Meri	2416	9	1 - 0	9	WGM	Priyanka Nutakki	2224	58
17	20	26	IM	Tsolakidou Stavroula	2345	9	0 - 1	9	FM	Sahithi Varshini M	2189	68
17	36	85	WIM	Rudzinska Michalina	2113	7½	0 - 1	7½	IM	Padmini Rout	2302	37
17	38	89	WIM	Yan Tianqi	2086	7½	0 - 1	7½	WGM	Rakshitta Ravi	2225	57
17	39	83	WIM	Serikbay Assel	2126	7½	1 - 0	7½		Velpula Sarayu	1747	112
17	43	102	WFM	Getman Tatyana	2014	7	1 - 0	7	IM	Soumya Swaminathan	2154	75
17	52	69	WGM	Savitha Shri B	2183	6	1 - 0	6	WFM	Kaliakhmet Elnaz	1839	110

Details

Final standings

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3	TB4	w-we	K	rtg+/-
1	24	GM	Gunina, Valentina	FID	2348	14	170	177	2380	0	5,91	10	59,1
2	7	GM	Kosteniuk, Alexandra	SUI	2455	13,5	173,5	182	2326	0	1,99	10	19,9
3	18	GM	Zhu, Jiner	CHN	2384	12,5	170	178,5	2338	0	2,60	20	52
4	63	WGM	Munkhzul, Turmunkh	MGL	2211	11,5	176,5	184	2408	0	6,91	20	138,2
5	3	GM	Lagno, Kateryna	FID	2522	11,5	165,5	173,5	2338	0	-1,11	10	-11,1
6	5	IM	Assaubayeva, Bibisara	KAZ	2476	11	168,5	175	2338	0	-0,67	10	-6,7
7	12	GM	Dronavalli, Harika	IND	2420	11	168	173	2329	0	0,29	10	2,9
8	33	WGM	Kamalidenova, Meruert	KAZ	2314	11	161,5	167,5	2330	0	2,45	20	49
9	9	GM	Muzychuk, Anna	UKR	2447	11	160,5	168	2236	0	-2,06	10	-20,6
10	16	GM	Stefanova, Antoaneta	BUL	2398	11	158,5	165,5	2270	0	-0,48	10	-4,8
11	6	GM	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	FID	2475	11	157,5	164	2284	0	-1,80	10	-18
12	28	IM	Shuvalova, Polina	FID	2342	11	157	165	2305	0	1,32	20	26,4
13	32	WGM	Divya, Deshmukh	IND	2315	11	155,5	157,5	2303	0	1,86	20	37,2
14	2	GM	Ju, Wenjun	CHN	2522	11	153	161	2308	0	-2,18	10	-21,8
15	77	WIM	Mkrtchyan, Mariam	ARM	2150	10,5	159,5	168,5	2332	0	5,40	20	108
16	40	IM	Narva, Mai	EST	2292	10,5	158	165,5	2314	0	2,20	20	44
17	8	GM	Koneru, Humpy	IND	2452	10,5	156	159,5	2273	0	-1,98	10	-19,8
18	51	WIM	Nurmanova, Alua	KAZ	2249	10,5	155	161	2300	0	2,78	40	111,2
19	10	GM	Muzychuk, Mariya	UKR	2443	10,5	153	160	2252	0	-2,18	10	-21,8
20	25	IM	Munguntuul, Batkhuyag	MGL	2348	10,5	151,5	159	2225	0	-0,97	10	-9,

Details

Links

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Tournament Regulations: Open and Women