Bortnyk Ousts Martinez In Final Game Of Bullet Brawl

GM Oleksandr Bortnyk is Bullet Brawl's latest victor after he dispatched GM Jose Martinez in a winner-takes-all final game during Saturday's two-hour arena. Finishing on 246 points, Bortnyk built a 25-game win streak when it mattered most, capturing the $400 first prize and consigning Martinez to second place, while IM Yoseph Taher picked up $150 for his third-place finish.

IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya returned to claim the $100 best women's prize thanks to her 109 score, while North Macedonian regular "Macmasterr" clutched the community event for the second week running.

The next Bullet Brawl will commence on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Aside from GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Daniel Naroditsky, who almost seem to share the Bullet Brawl crown in perpetuity, Bortnyk is the most successful player when it comes to titles in the event—the latest was his sixth. However, his route to victory was far from simple. A shaky 4.5/10 start to the event left the Alekhine's Defense exponent with work to do.

GMs Martinez, Spain's Jose Ibarra, and Azerbaijani Vugar Rasulov were just a few of the threats to Bortnyk's title aspirations in this week's Brawl and of them, Martinez had the best start. Needing to play only 338 moves to secure a 9/10 start, the 25-year-old was able to put a buffer between himself and the rest of the field. His win over FM Dachey Lin displayed his eye for tactics.

At the halfway point the eventual winner clicked into gear and suddenly the tournament became the Bortnyk show. Shrewdly sweeping aside titled challengers, Bortnyk's best wins showcased his versatility—on the one hand, his tactical skill...

 ...and on the other, familiarity with Tal-esque plans worthy of "Casablanca Chess."

The tournament's climax was undoubtedly the chance final pairing between Bortnyk and Martinez. With two points separating them, the winner was destined to take the top spot and after Bortnyk opted to play the Modern Defense, the clash promised to be a blockbuster finish. Sadly for Martinez, a pre-move blunder on the seventh move allowed Bortnyk to take control of the position and the tournament.

Sitting third on the all-time Bullet Brawl leaderboard, Bortnyk will look to add to his trophy cabinet as he prepares to contest the 2024 Chess.com Bullet Chess Championship over the next month but will need to bring his best against the likes of GM Magnus Carlsen, Nakamura, Naroditsky, and 12 other players who are among the world's best bullet chess players.

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