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.
Though it was Alireza who struck first, there was no stopping Carlsen today. After an even-keeled start in the 5+1 portion, the Norwegian turned the tide with successive wins to take a 6-3 lead into the 3+1 segment, where he utterly dominated his younger opponent—who did just the same to Hikaru Nakamura a mere two days ago—with seven wins and two draws to a single loss.
Though the match was all but settled heading into the bullet, Firouzja was clearly on tilt, and Carlsen was not holding back. Ultimately, he racked up 9.5 points to the Frenchman’s 2.5 in the final segment of the match for an incredible 23.5-7.5 victory. The SCC’s live finals were full of beatdowns, but this one took the cake.
“I just collapsed, and I couldn’t come back,” said Firouzja when summarizing the match. As for Carlsen, he clearly had a point to prove. “I was thinking a lot clearer with little time, and I think feel that’s usually the clearest indication that I’m having a good day,” he said, saying that his opponent is “usually a lot better than I am in these situations.”
But who could forget his past comments? “My goal for this season, also for the last two seasons, has been very clear: to, in a major way, establish the pecking order when it comes to speed chess. And, to be honest, I’ve failed miserably in that.” This is what Carlsen said after winning last year’s SCC in a one-point buzzer-beater over Nakamura, and based on his performance today, his campaign is progressing along just fine.
The chess action never stops, though. In just a few days, the elite of the royal game will congregate in Budapest for the 45th Chess Olympiad, the most prestigious international team event of the sport—and one of the few competitions where Magnus Carlsen isn’t a runaway favorite.
