Chess
Carlsen and Assaubayeva win world blitz titles; Arjun finishes with bronze yet again
GM Magnus Carlsen defeated GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2.5-1.5 to win the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship. This is his ninth world blitz title and 20th world championship title across all three-time controls. For the fifth time, Carlsen wears the double crown of both rapid and blitz world champion.
GM Bibisara Assaubayeva, at just 21 years old, won her third world blitz title at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship by defeating two-time champion GM Anna Muzychuk 2.5-1.5 in the final match. She picked up a spot in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Although it’s the ninth time, Carlsen won the world blitz title, it was far from smooth. He found himself having to win on demand in both the Swiss and Knockout. Likewise, Assaubayeva nearly lost the last two games of the Swiss but saved a lost position in the last round. Like Carlsen, she only won the final match in the last game.
In the final, Carlsen self-destructed in game one, trying too hard to win, but then won two games with the black pieces. And then Carlsen played the Game of the Day and probably the most memorable endgame of the tournament.
Arjun bags two bronze medals
Abdusattorov, who won the 2021 championship in rapid chess, had never earned a medal in blitz. He earned silver for the first time this year. Fabiano Caruana and Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi shared the bronze. The 22-year-old had won the bronze in the Rapid Championship as well, making him the first since Vishwanathan Anand (2017) to secure two medals at the World Championship.
In the knock-outs, Carlsen, who has built a career out of winning equal endgames, showed again that the endgame always seems to be “more equal” for him than anyone else. After two draws, Carlsen won the last two games of the match. The draws weren’t peaceful, as Caruana sacrificed a piece but ultimately held game one, and an attempted attack by Carlsen in game two fizzled. Caruana, in a must-win game with the black pieces, got no chances. And it was Carlsen who won with a devastating attack.
Considering the form Arjun showed in the Swiss, the match was surprisingly one-sided. The Uzbek GM won both of the first games and then settled for a draw to clinch it in just three games. After a rook endgame in game one, Abdusattorov won again by using his king as an active piece in the endgame.
The day started with drama in the very first round, that is, round 14. Carlsen, who was one of 17 players within a point of the leaders, lost against GM Haik Martirosyan. The position was equal, but with four seconds, the same as yesterday when he lost on time, Carlsen knocked over several pieces and, to avoid losing on time while resetting, hit the clock before he had fixed the board.
The game was declared a loss, and Chief Arbiter Nebojsa Baralic said that this exact situation was outlined in the technical meeting before the event. With the worst possible start to his day, the Norwegian GM said that he understood he had to score 4.5/5 in the remaining games, and thought to himself, “It’s unlikely, but not super unlikely.”
GM Bibisara Assaubayeva won her third world blitz title at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship. Photo: Lennart Ootes/FIDE
Carlsen does the super unlikely
Carlsen, in order, defeated GMs Rudik Makarian, Bu Xiangzhi, Ihor Samunenkov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before finally drawing with Abdusattorov in the last round, which was enough to advance without worrying about tiebreaks.
Arjun Erigaisi won the exchange and the game against Martirosyan in round 15. By the time he beat GM Lu Shanglei in round 16, the Indian was in the sole lead with 12.5 points. But that didn’t stop him; despite the danger, he declined each opportunity to repeat moves against GM Javokhir Sindarov in round 17 and, deservingly, won the game with the black pieces.
In overkill mode, Arjun then beat GM Teimour Radjabov, when it wasn’t even necessary, and drew GM Nihal Sarin to finish at the top of the Swiss.
Caruana entered the day in the sole lead and managed to finish second in the Swiss by drawing four games and winning two, against GMs Alexander Grischuk and Aram Hakobyan (in the last round). It seemed critical that he held a long, 128-move endgame against Martirosyan with one pawn less in the penultimate round, though in hindsight we know that he would have advanced even with a half-point less.
Abdusattorov won three games, lost one, and drew two on the second day. He finished in a six-way tie on 13 points but had the best tiebreaks. GM Vachier-Lagrave, who entered the day co-leading the event, may be kicking himself for failing to win a king and pawn endgame against World Blitz Co-Champion Ian Nepomniachtchi in the last round, which would have put him in the final four.
Nihal and Hakobyan were the only other two players who had a shot at finishing on 13.5 points, but neither was able to win. Thus, Abdusattorov got the fourth and last spot.