Naroditsky Outclasses Bullet Brawl Field

GM Daniel Naroditsky won October's first Bullet Brawl by a convincing margin of 44 points on Saturday, one week after claiming his fifth title. The U.S. GM's score of 252 was more than enough to secure the $400 first prize ahead of the second-place IM Renato Terry (208) and the third-place IM Yoseph Taher (205) who earned $250 and $150 respectively.

Of the 121 titled players participating, FM Anastasia Avramidou was the top-finishing female player and she won $100 for her efforts. Member "ExcitingBeast" was able to win 65 games and lose just eight en route to claiming the top spot in the community event.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST.

Much attention has been drawn to the rivalry that GMs Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura share in speed chess, though it has to be said that in bullet chess, Naroditsky's name is absolutely worthy of being spoken in the same sentence thanks to his lightning speed and poise. Check out one of his most popular Twitch clips from 2020 featuring a hyperbullet game against GM Andrew Tang.

Having added a sixth Bullet Brawl title to his trophy cabinet, the articulate content creator has begun closing in on Nakamura's record of 10 titles and has won four more editions than his closest challengers (GMs Jose Martinez and Nihal Sarin).

Naroditsky's victory on Saturday was one of his most dominant thus far and despite losses to Martinez and FM Petros Trimitzios early, a consistent performance throughout was what gave Naroditsky a wide berth from other contenders such as the second seed GM David Paravyan.

What truly allowed Naroditsky to stamp his authority on the match, though, was his precision against the tournament's top players, exemplified in his clinical win over compatriot GM Christopher Yoo. After employing his pet Jobava London System, Naroditsky found a temporary queen sacrifice that allowed him to win a pawn and gain a decisive advantage with 39 seconds left on the clock.

Brilliant knight sacrifices were also on the menu for the eventual winner during the two-hour arena. See if you can find some of the combinations that Naroditsky employed to convert against his opponents below.

While the 10-time winner Nakamura will likely miss October's second Bullet Brawl due to the upcoming Qatar Masters tournament, the battle at the top of the leaderboard will continue to heat up as Naroditsky draws closer to "la decima."

Standings

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and now 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:

• Naroditsky Secures 5th Bullet Brawl Title
• Nihal Sets Record With 56-Game Unbeaten Run
• Nakamura Eclipses Carlsen After 46-Game Unbeaten Streak
• Nihal Streams For First Time in 3 Years, Wins In Bullet Brawl Masterclass
• Nakamura Closes In On 10th Bullet Brawl Title
• Naroditsky Claims 4th Bullet Brawl Title
• Nakamura Sets New Bullet Brawl Record With 83 Wins
• Naroditsky Doubles Down On Bullet Brawl Crown
• Naroditsky Runs Riot In Bullet Brawl
• Bortnyk Blazes Bullet Brawl Field
• Death, Taxes, And Nakamura's Bullet Brawl Victories
• Nakamura Breaks Bullet Brawl Record With 75 Wins
• Naroditsky Collects First Bullet Brawl Title Ahead Of Nakamura, Carlsen
• Nakamura, The King Of Bullet Brawl, Strikes Again
• Bullet Brawl Is Going Weekly
• Martinez Slam-Dunks Second Bullet Brawl Title
• Announcing Chess.com Community Bullet Brawl Tournaments
• Nakamura Wins Bullet Brawl In Final 10 Seconds
• Martinez Scorches 59 Opponents In 2 Hours
• Nakamura Wins Second Bullet Brawl
• Introducing Bullet Brawls And New Arena Options