"Game of the Year" a Thing of Beauty
Candidate for GAME OF THE YEAR
called a Masterpiece!
Dear Silverdale Chess Club Players, Friends and Families,
A candidate for the GAME OF THE YEAR was played this week between GM “Pragg” Rameshbabu of India and GM Richard Rapport of Romania.
The contest took place in Round Six of the UzChess Masters Tournament in Tashkent and resonated around the world. Garry Kasparov called the game a thing of beauty. Anish Giri agreed. Other observers found the game reminiscent of Kasparov’s slashing, dynamic style and penchant for opening up lines of attack with sheer tactical prowess.
The game, which Rapport won with the Black pieces in a King's Indian Defense, Samisch variation, featured a stunning, middle-of-the-board sacrifice. The Romanian grandmaster has earned a potent reputation for innovation and thinking outside the box. His theoretical novelty was likely part of his preparation.
You can check out the video below to watch the pace of the game unfold with the Grandmasters, or play out the moves below.
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2025 Bullet Chess Championship
GMs Alireza Firouzja and Daniel Naroditsky squared off in the Winners Final of the 2025 Bullet Chess Championship.
Firouzja emerged the victor nay a score of 22.5-10.5. He won every match he played by double digits.
The time control was one minute for each side with no increment. Matches consist of a 30-minute countdown clock for all rounds, except for the Winners Semifinals, Winners Final, and Grand Final, which are each 45 minutes long. Players must have a two-point lead when the timer runs out to win the match; otherwise, they play tiebreaks until one player reaches a two-point lead.
The semifinal match between Naroditsky and Bortnyk was one between two friends who have played more than 2,000 games on Chess.com alone. Naroditsky led their encounters with 1196 wins, 196 draws, and 738 losses. In his interview, he later explained that they usually meet in Bullet Brawl on Saturdays and that encounters are usually one-sided: "It won't be 50-50. Either Sasha will win every single game or I will win every single game."
Famous for his creative and tricky play, GM Daniel Naroditsky always brings fire to the board, especially in faster time controls.
Here’s a clip on Twitch where Danya trapped Pragg’s queen in 8 seconds.
The Silverdale Chess Club 2025 Summer Round-Robin resumes this Saturday. See you at the Club!
The Silverdale Chess Club meets on Saturdays from 2:30-4:30 at Moment Brewing, 10876 Myhre Pl NW Suite 112, Silverdale, WA 98383
Check out the Silverdale Chess Club Facebook page
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