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Firouzja Posts 42-Game Streak, Outpaces Nakamura
Firouzja won his first Bullet Brawl crown on Saturday. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Firouzja Posts 42-Game Streak, Outpaces Nakamura

JackRodgers
| 17 | Chess Event Coverage

GM Alireza Firouzja won his first Bullet Brawl title and $400 on Saturday after posting a 42-game winning streak that saw him skyrocket to 254 points and eclipse 33-time winner GM Hikaru Nakamura. 196 titled players stood between Firouzja and victory, but the world number-seven outshone the field in the tactics and pace departments.

Polish WGM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya was the winner of the $100 best women's prize while prolific community brawl participant Sundram Kumar scored 302 points to secure first place in the untitled arena.

The next Bullet Brawl will take place on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Number Fed Title Username Name Rating Score
1 GM Firouzja2003 Alireza Firouzja 3180 254
2 GM Hikaru Hikaru Nakamura 3295 249
3 GM Oleksandr_Bortnyk Oleksandr Bortnyk 3234 238
4 GM dropstoneDP David Paravyan 3102 203
5 GM Konavets Sam Sevian 3155 182
6 GM Micki-taryan Haik Martirosyan 3036 169
7 IM yosephtaher Yoseph Theolifus Taher 3035 160
8 GM TheSilmarils Giorgi Margvelashvili 2969 149
9 FM GoltsevDmitry2000 Goltsev Dmitry 2958 144
10 IM JustinWang1234 Justin Wang 3015 141
11 IM FaustinoOro Faustino Oro 2978 140
12 GM Genghis_K Federico Perez Ponsa 2960 137
13 GM michaelq2d5 Michael Brown 2959 132
14 GM mishanick Aleksei Sarana 3036 126
15 GM DanielNaroditsky Daniel Naroditsky 3088 124
16 GM ChessSharkz Kayden Troff 2888 124
17 IM Aswathchess Aswath S 2808 114
18 FM IMchanged Felix Ilinca 2958 113
19 IM Thjop Thore Perske 2808 111
20 IM IlanSchnaider Ilan Schnaider 2858 109
(Full final standings here)

Firouzja has long been considered one of the world's finest bullet chess players, and many see him as an equal to the creme de la creme of the time control, Nakamura and GM Magnus Carlsen. Thus, it was no surprise to see Firouzja win his first Bullet Brawl despite the strength of the field.

Saturday's event was full of notable participants including GMs Hikaru, Daniel Naroditsky, Oleksandr Bortnyk, Sam Sevian, Jose Martinez, and Alexey Sarana, as well as junior stars like FM Faustino Oro, IM Ilan Schnaider, and IM Aswath S., making streaks a rare commodity.

Titled Tuesday regular and former super-GM Sarana tried his hand at Bullet Brawl on Saturday. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

Blistering wins over GM Haik Martirosyan and Bortnyk in the opening stages of the arena were early signs of form for Firouzja, and his game against Bortnyk was particularly special. Bortnyk's pet "Alekhine's Defense," which has been a reliable trump card in each of his nine title runs, proved unproblematic and after a move-11 gaffe, Firouzja converted his advantage with precision.

The linchpin of Firouzja's first Bullet Brawl victory was a remarkable 42-game winning streak in the middle of the event which included wins over Sarana, Martinez, Sevian, and Bortnyk. However, it was Firouzja's striking tactical flourishes that really stood out.

A glimpse into the caliber of opposition that Firouzja had to face during his 42-game streak.
Firouzja has been touted as a future world champion by many pundits, and he showed some of the reasons why in Saturday's Bullet Brawl. Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.

The 21-year-old made a point of keeping the enemy king in his crosshairs while playing FM Manu David Sunthandram.

Indian WIM Aashna Makhjia was another victim of a vicious sacrifice by Firouzja which culminated in a puzzle-worthy checkmate. See if you can find the quickest route to checkmate below.

By the time Firouzja's streak was snapped by Argentina's IM Joaquin Fiorito, a decisive margin had opened up between him and the rest of the field. Nakamura stormed home with a 24-game unbeaten streak of his own and notched a win against Firouzja but this proved in vain. Five points shy of first when the arena clock expired, Nakamura had to settle for the $250 second prize.

As per usual, Nakamura streamed the event on Kick and gave a play-by-play of the action. Image: GMHikaru/Kick.

All-Time Leaderboard

*Firouzja's first win will be added shortly.

How to review games?
The games from this week's Bullet Brawl can be found here.



Bullet Brawl is an exciting titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!


Previous coverage:

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