After losing Chess.com’s World Speed Chess Championship to American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura recently, world champion Magnus Carlsen rebounded to claim FIDE’s World Rapid Championship title last week.
Carlsen scored ten points from 13 games in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Vincent Keymer of Germany and the USA’s Fabiano Caruana completed the podium. Tan Zhongyi of China grabbed the gold among the women followed by Kazakhstani grandmaster Dinara Saduakassova, and Savitha Shri of India placing second and third, respectively. The field was a star-studded one with key grandmasters arriving for the World Rapid on Christmas day.
Meanwhile, in local chess the Guyana Chess Federation begins its 2023 programme of events with a nine-round rapid tournament tomorrow at the School of the Nations. It is a ten-minute plus one second increment per game contest and cash prizes will be awarded immediately after the tournament. The winner will earn $50,000; second place $30,000 and third place $20,000.
Happy New Year to all.
