New Delhi: For the first time in the history World Blitz Championship, reigning Champion Magnus Carlsen shared the title with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in Wall Street, New York on Wednesday. Both players decided to share the title after playing three consecutive draws in the sudden death.
Before this, Carlsen started the final with consecutive victories and needed just a draw to win but Nepomniachtchi showed a brilliant fight and won on-demand twice, forcing sudden death after the final was tied at 2-0 each.
Both players were inseparable in three sudden-death matches and Norway’s Carlsen offered Nepomniachtchi to share the title. The World Blitz Championship final was a repeat of the 2021 Classical World Championship match where Carlsen defeated Nepomniachtchi. Carlsen also broke Nepomniachtchi’s curse of finishing in the second position.
He has won a silver medal in the World Rapid Championship in 2013, 2015 and 2021. He also won a silver in the 2014 World Blitz Championship and in the 2022 World Fischer Random Championship. Nepomniachtchi also had a second-place finish in the 2021 and 2023 Classical World Championship.
This is Carlsen’s 18th major Championship triumph and eighth Blitz title. He won five Classical World Championships and as many Rapid World Championships ahead of this shared victory.
Carlsen defeated USA’s Hans Nieman 2.5 – 1.5 in the quarterfinal after that he beat Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda 3.0 – 0.0 and stormed into the final. Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi started with a 2.5 – 0.5 victory against newly crowned Rapid champion Volodar Murzin before defeating Wesley So 3.0 – 2.0 to reach in the final.
Ju Wenjun champion in women’s section
In the Women’s section, China’s Ju Wenjun defeated compatriot Lei Tingjie and won the Women’s World Blitz Championship title. The final of the Blitz Championship was a repeat of the World Championship match between Wenjun and Tingjie which was played in 2023 and Wenjun defeated her Chinese counterpart twice after drawing five straight games in the final.
Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi share the World Blitz Chess Championship 2024 title and Ju Wenjun wins in the women’s section. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
