World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen underlined his enduring dominance in blitz chess by defending his title to clinch a record-extending ninth World Blitz Championship crown on Tuesday, overcoming early setbacks in a fiercely contested tournament.
The Norwegian maestro added the blitz title to the World Rapid Championship gold he secured last week, defeating Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5–1.5 in the final. The victory capped a remarkable double for Carlsen, who once again showcased his trademark endgame mastery under intense pressure.
Reflecting on the triumph, Carlsen acknowledged the difficulty of the field and his own struggles in the initial stages. “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,” he told FIDE.
Carlsen sealed the contest in dramatic fashion, refusing a draw in the fourth game of the final and producing an unexpected pawn move to break the deadlock after both players were tied at 1.5 points each.
The triumph was particularly satisfying following a turbulent Swiss qualification phase, where Carlsen endured a string of losses and controversy but still managed to squeeze into the semifinals.
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi, who had been flawless during the 19-round Swiss qualification, settled for the bronze medal after suffering a crushing semifinal defeat to Abdusattorov. The 22-year-old, however, finished the tournament on a historic note.
Erigaisi’s third-place finish not only earned him bronze medals in both the World Rapid and Blitz Championships but also made him only the second Indian male player, after Viswanathan Anand, to win a World Blitz medal.
Erigaisi had dominated the qualification rounds, emerging sole leader with 15 points after beating top contenders, including Carlsen and Abdusattorov. He entered the semifinals as the favourite, having defeated the Uzbek earlier in the tournament.
Also read: Humpy, Erigaisi win bronze at FIDE World Rapid Chess
However, the semifinal took a dramatic turn. Erigaisi failed to capitalise on his advantage with the white pieces in the opening game, losing after 47 moves. Abdusattorov then tightened his grip with a long endgame victory in the second game, before settling for a quick draw to seal his place in the final.
Carlsen, meanwhile, overcame American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana 3–1 in the other semifinal.
The Norwegian’s path to the title was not without controversy. In the 14th round of the Swiss stage, Carlsen was penalised after accidentally knocking over pieces in severe time trouble and pressing the clock before restoring the position. The arbiters awarded the game to Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan, a decision Carlsen accepted without protest.
The women’s World Blitz Championship saw Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva claim her third title, defeating Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk 2.5–1.5 in the final. The win also secured Assaubayeva a place in the 2026 Candidates tournament.
“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,” Assaubayeva said after her victory.
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