2023 FIDE World Blitz Championships: Carlsen Makes it a "Double-Double," Gunina Earns Gold

The 2023 FIDE World Blitz and Women's World Blitz championships concluded Saturday, December 30 after two days and 21 rounds (17 for the women's section) of blitz with two familiar champions. 

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Dubov (L), Carlsen, and Artemiev (photo courtesy Anastasia Korolkova/FIDE)

In the open, GM Magnus Carlsen made it a "double-double," winning both the rapid and blitz championships for the second consecutive year, this time with a 15/21 score. Russian GM Daniil Dubov was clear second with 14½/21, and his countryman GM Vladislav Artemiev was clear third with 14/21. Full results are available here. 

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Gunina (R) celebrates with Nepomniachtchi after ending her 11-year drought at the World Blitz (courtesy Lennart Ootes/FIDE)

In the women's section, GM Valentina Gunina also earned a second gold medal in blitz, although this one came a full 11 years after her initial gold. The Russian player started the tournament with an 8½/9 score on the first day and held on to win with a 14/17 score a half-point ahead of her former Olympiad teammate GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (who now plays for Switzerland). Chinese GM Zhu Jiner was third, with 12½/17. Full results can be found here.

GM Fabiano Caruana entered the tournament with the second-highest blitz rating, but finished in a tie for ninth with 13½/21. The top American finisher was GM Levon Aronian, who finished in a tie for fifth with 14/21, ending up sixth behind Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi on tiebreaks. 

Dubov and Carlsen discuss matters before the final round (courtesy Lennart Ootes/FIDE)

Nepomniachtchi (L) and Dubov made headlines for their 11th round "game" (courtesy Lennart Ootes/FIDE)

"Nepo" made headlines in the penultimate round of the first day, when his game with Dubov ended up being ruled a double-forfeit. After a length delay following round ten, the players found a less conventional way to earn a quick draw, and FIDE was not amused. The result eventually kept Nepo off the podium and Dubov behind Carlsen.

WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan was the top American finisher with a 9/17 score. Although she did not live up to her rapid performance, WGM Jennifer Yu had the most impressive win of any of the Americans, upsetting Indian GM Humpy Koneru (with the black pieces, no less) in the first round: