Nakamura Eclipses Carlsen After 46-Game Unbeaten Streak

GM Hikaru Nakamura monstered his way to a record 10th Bullet Brawl title on Saturday ahead of 168 titled players including GMs Magnus Carlsen and Oleksandr Bortnyk, who finished second and third.

Nakamura's run to a winning score of 250 featured 67 wins, seven draws, and just two losses, the fewest that a winner has conceded in Bullet Brawl history. The American also produced the longest unbeaten streak of 46 games to close out the arena and claim the $400 first prize.

Greece's FM Anastasia Avramidou once again won the $100 best female prize but faced a new challenger in WFM Ekaterina Fomkina, who finished three points shy of Avramidou. In the 287-player strong community event, user "icecreamiscream" blitzed the field with a score of 274.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place next week on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST.

As Chess.com's 2023 Speed Chess Championship nears the pointy end, it was no surprise to see half of the remaining field (Nakamura and Carlsen), fine-tuning their bullet chess form in the lead-up to their respective semifinal clashes. With no increment to rely on in Saturday's arena, speed and intuition were paramount to success, and Nakamura proved to be practically invulnerable.

A blistering win over GM Daniel Naroditsky was the perfect start for the American GM's event. and previous winners GM Nihal Sarin and GM Matthias Bluebaum were the only players able to overcome him in the first hour of play. Carlsen did get a shot at Nakamura during this period, though an early blunder by the world number-one allowed his opponent to take control.

The second hour of the arena was when Nakamura was able to surge ahead. Astoundingly, after his loss to Bluebaum, the bullet juggernaut did not lose again. Wins over GMs Andrew Tang, Pranesh M, Vugar Rasulov, and Parham Maghsoodloo are just some of the highlights of Nakamura's commanding run, and his unbeaten streak is marked by laser precision and astonishing consistency.

Not long after his convincing win over GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the SCC, Carlsen's form was also electrifying, and the former world champion procured several satisfying tactical shots. See if you can find the combinations below of the highest-rated player of all time.

With overall participation across Saturday's Bullet Brawl events reaching 455—168 of whom were titled players—the popularity of the event is undeniable. The weekly two-hour arena is a fantastic opportunity for titled players, aspiring titled players, and content creators to come together and test their skills.

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 $2,500.

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:

• 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