Sevian Bolsters Esports Credentials With Bullet Brawl Win

In the week that top chess players signed with esports organizations, GM Sam Sevian made a statement by winning Saturday's Bullet Brawl and the $400 top prize, 24 hours after claiming his first Freestyle Friday victory. Sevian outscored GM Daniel Narodisky, world number-five GM Arjun Erigaisi, and 191 other titled players. 

Georgian IM Maka Purtseladze won the $100 women's prize for the first time ahead of IM Anna Sargsyan, while "Macmasterr" fended off Sundram "SpeedyBoss" Kumar to claim another community brawl title.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will commence on Saturday, February 22, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

If Chess.com selected a "Player of the Week," Sevian would be a top contender this week. The 24-year-old's domination of Saturday's brawl and undefeated run in Freestyle Friday were not his only successes. He also finished second in the most recent early Titled Tuesday after recovering from a 0.5/2 start.

🔥 @SamSevian dominated today's #BulletBrawl finishing 25 points clear of a field including Naroditsky and Arjun! pic.twitter.com/gr4cQS4za0

— Chess.com (@chesscom) February 15, 2025

To win this week's brawl, Sevian had to overcome a field brimming with talent. Vying for the title were no fewer than 11 GMs with bullet ratings over 3000—Sevian, Naroditsky, Arjun, Jose Martinez, Christopher Yoo, Ediz Gurel, Matthias Bluebaum, Aleksandr Shimanov, Dmitry Andreikin, David Paravyan, and Oleksandr Bortnyk, who streamed the event on Twitch.

Naroditsky was Sevian's chief challenger and at the halfway mark led Sevian by a small margin, courtesy of his trademark ability to work his way through a high number of games. The pinnacle of Naroditsky's tournament was a 20-move win over Arjun that featured an opportunistic queen sacrifice.

Sevian kept in touch with Naroditsky with quick wins, such as in his game with IM Nitish Belurkar, where he spotted a puzzle-worthy checkmate.

Despite a fast start, Naroditsky's lackluster second half left the door open for Sevian's ascendancy, and unbeaten streaks lasting 13 and 11 games pushed Sevian into the lead. By the time the arena clock expired, Sevian had extended the gap at the top to 25 points.

During the longer streak, Sevian took every opportunity to throw his opponents off. One player who felt the full force of the two-time winner was Chess.com's Head of Community, NM Sam Copeland.

Copeland's unorthodox Queen's Pawn Opening: Levitsky Attack seemed to be paying off as he took control of the center; however, Sevian riposted by inserting a knight behind enemy lines and called Copeland's king's safety into question.

Sevian's run of good form couldn't have come at a better time, given that the qualification path for the 2025 Esports World Cup commences on Sunday. Esports organizations have already snapped up the signatures of several of the world's best players, and off the back of his recent performances, Sevian may catch the attention of an ambitious outfit.

You want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet. What’s up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine, and best of all, kids? I am… @TeamLiquid pic.twitter.com/NaE8rOvSuo

— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) February 14, 2025

All-Time Leaderboard

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:

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