It wasn’t even close. The much-anticipated grand final of the Speed Chess Championship quickly turned into a procession, then a demolition, as Magnus Carlsen defeated Alireza Firouzja by a score of 23.5-7.5 in an utterly dominant display, putting a stop to the young Frenchman’s white-hot form.
Even with no Nakamura, this year’s Speed Chess Championship final promised to be a fascinating affair, with both players posting incredible results in recent competitions. Firouzja, especially, has been having a banner year so far, winning the Grand Chess Tour in classical competition and the Bullet Chess Championship in faster time controls.
