The 2024 FIDE World Blitz Championship, the grand finale of the chess calendar, kicked off  with electrifying energy in New York on Monday. After 13 rounds in the Open and 11 in the Women’s, eight players in each competition move to the final, knockout phase.

Passersby were puzzled by the large crowds gathered outside the players’ entrance at the iconic Cipriani at 55 Wall Street, with security having to step in to prevent Wall Street being blocked. Spectators pushed around to get a glimpse of their favorite players, with some asking for autographs and snapping pictures. While a few players paused to engage with the crowd, others, like Hikaru Nakamura, hurried past to make it to their boards on time.

The loudest cheers erupted as Magnus Carlsen, the defending World Blitz Champion, arrived. Cries of “He’s here! He’s here!” and “Go, Magnus!” echoed through the crowd as Carlsen dashed into the venue, just seconds before the start of the first round.

The Blitz format is the fastest and most unforgiving in chess. With a time control of three minutes plus a two-second increment per move, the games demand a mix of speed, precision, and a touch of fortune. As this wasn’t enough already, this year’s FIDE World Blitz introduced a new twist: a knockout stage for the top qualifiers.

To reach the knockouts on day two, players faced a grueling gauntlet of games—13 rounds in the Open section and 11 in the Women’s competition. Only the top eight players in each section earned the right to advance to the high-stakes final stage where they will be fighting for the crowns but, also, the $650,000 prize fund ($450,000 for the Open and $200,000 for the Women’s competition).

Open Section: The eight equals

Ian Nepomniachtchi leads the pack of super GMs going to the final eight.

The race was wide open until the end as eight players entered the final round in the Open with nine points each. It was no surprise, then, that top boards sought quick draws, hoping their tiebreak scores would secure them a place in the knockout. But this opened the door for other players to catch up. As the final minutes ticked away, standings at the top shifted rapidly, with tiebreak calculations determining the knockout qualifiers.

The final eight in the Open are two-time World Championship Candidate Ian Nepomniachtchi, defending champion Magnus Carlsen, U.S. champion Fabiano Caruana, top U.S. Blitz player Wesley So, France’s Alireza Firouzja, Hans Niemann, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, and new World Rapid Champion Volodar Murzin.

U.S. Grandmasters performed strongly, with Fabiano Caruana leading the charge. In round seven, Caruana dismantled Alireza Firouzja, mating the second seed’s king in the middle of the board. A big clash with Magnus Carlsen in round eight was a tense draw. However, a loss to Ian Nepomniachtchi in round 11 edged Caruana out of first place on day one.

Wesley So and Hans Niemann also secured places in the knockout. Meanwhile, five more U.S. players finished in the top 20: Daniel Naroditsky, Levon Aronian, Sam Sevian, Leinier Dominguez Perez, and Mikhail Antipov.

One notable exclusion from the knockout stage is Hikaru Nakamura. Despite playing on home turf and being considered one of the best Blitz players in the world, Nakamura could not replicate his usual dominance. A shocking early loss to India’s Chithambaram Aravindh and a stumble against Vietnam’s Le Tuan hindered his campaign. His final score of 8.5 points left him outside the top eight.

Defending champion Magnus Carlsen put on a great show on day one, but it wasn’t flawless. A slip in a winning pawn endgame against Benjamin Bok cost him a win in round three, but the Norwegian regrouped and scored several crucial victories, including a triumph over Sam Sevian in the penultimate round, to finish among the leaders.

Volodar Murzin, at just 18 years old, continued his remarkable run following his victory in the World Rapid Championship. By playing solidly and capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes, Murzin punched his ticket in the knockout, proving his rapid success was no accident.

The standings after the first stage of the FIDE 2024 Open World Blitz Championship are available – here.

Women's Section: Vaishali Rameshbabu comfortably ahead of the rest

Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu, 23, delivered a stellar performance on day one of the FIDE 2024 Women’s World Blitz Championship. The younger sister of Praggnanandhaa, who was competing in the Open, Vaishali dominated the qualifying stage, scoring 9.5/11 and finishing as the sole leader.

Vaishali began the tournament strongly, winning her first four games. In a crucial clash for the lead against former World Blitz Champion Kateryna Lagno, the two players shared the point after a tense struggle. Unfazed, Vaishali powered through her next three games, including a pivotal win over the reigning World Blitz Champion, Valentina Gunina. This triumph put her a full point ahead of the field, effectively securing her qualification for the knockout stage.

In round nine, Vaishali split the point in a composed game against Lei Tingjie before defeating the experienced Polina Shuvalova with Black in round 10. With first place already assured, Vaishali opted for a quick nine-move draw against U.S. star Carissa Yip in the final round. The confidence which Vaishali demonstrated in this part of the event makes her the top contender for the final, knockout stage of the event, which takes place on December 31.

Lei Tingjie, former Women’s World Championship challenger (pictured below, right), claimed second place with 8.5/11, also remaining undefeated.

Seven players, including Kateryna Lagno and Valentina Gunina, tied for third place with eight points each. Lagno secured third, suffering only one defeat – to Gunina, who finished fourth. Gunina recovered well after a slow start, winning four consecutive games mid-tournament. Despite a round-eight loss to Vaishali, Gunina rallied, defeating Zhu Jiner in round nine and drawing her last two games.

Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun faced an early upset, losing to U.S. Women’s Champion Carissa Yip in round two after a blunder in a complex endgame. Both players rebounded to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.

The final two knockout spots went to Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva and China’s Zhu Jiner.

The unfortunate player of the day was Humpy Koneru, the winner of the Rapid tournament. She suffered a shocking round-one loss to Bulgaria’s Nadya Toncheva, rated nearly 200 points lower. Despite recovering to finish with eight points, tiebreaks placed her ninth, just outside the top-8 who qualify for the knockouts.

The standings after the first stage of the FIDE 2024 Women’s World Blitz Championship are available – here.

Written by Milan Dinic

Photos: Lennart Ootes and Michal Walusza

All the information about the event, including results, news, images and regulations are available on the official event webpage: worldrapidandblitz.fide.com

The full schedule of the event is available here: Schedule – 2024 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships.

Follow live commentary by Grandmasters and special guests on FIDE’s official YouTube Channel, starting on the 26th: FIDE chess - YouTube.