Bortnyk Clutches Bullet Brawl With 28-Game Win Streak

GM Oleksandr Bortnyk won the latest iteration of Bullet Brawl after posting a 28-game winning streak and overtaking GM Jose Martinez in the dying minutes of the two-hour arena. Finishing on 247 points with 68 wins, five draws, and 11 losses, Bortnyk won $400 for his efforts while Martinez and GM Daniel Naroditsky rounded out the podium.

WGM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya won the $100 best women's prize with a score of 103 ahead of FM Anastasia Avramidou and IM Karina Ambartsumova, while "Macmasterr" topped the community event for the second week running.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Congrats to @BortnykChess on winning his 5th #BulletBrawl with a clutch 28-streak to finish 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dj5aFYjJjk

— Chess.com (@chesscom) April 13, 2024

Bortnyk was "finally" rewarded for his tenacity during April's second Bullet Brawl after breaking a dry spell that stretches back to the beginning of January. Following a difficult start, which included losses to Peruvian blitzers Martinez and IM Renato Terry, Bortnyk managed to find his feet and establish himself as one of four serious contenders at the top of Saturday's Brawl standings.

Flanked by the likes of Naroditsky, as well as GMs Hans Niemann, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Salem Saleh, Bortnyk battled his way through the 150-strong titled field, missing no opportunity to convert in puzzle-like fashion against any opponent who erred.

For aspiring 3000+ rated bullet and blitz chess players, the next puzzle is an example of why all checks and captures should be considered and calculated.

For most of the event, though, Martinez possessed a healthy lead over Bortnyk. Not until the final 30 minutes did the Ukrainian streamer turn things around, winning a mammoth 28 games in a row to wrest the title from his Peruvian rival.

Two wins against the former European champion GM Matthias Bluebaum and one win against the FIDE World Rapid Championship runner-up Fedoseev were the highlights of the streak which Bortnyk joyfully commentated on his Twitch channel.

For the third week in a row Maltsevskaya, who goes by the handle "Sanyura" on Chess.com, won the best women's prize after scoring 35 wins during the two-hour arena. The Polish WGM's performance was a clinical exhibition of piece harmony, and this was on full display in her game against Hungarian FM Bendeguz Bodrogi. 

With this latest victory, Bortnyk has solidified his bronze medal position on the all-time Bullet Brawl leaderboard and has won just over 10 percent of all editions since its inception at the start of 2023.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new 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:

• • Announcing Chess.com Community Bullet Brawl Tournaments
  • Introducing Bullet Brawls And New Arena Options