Tactics Tuesday: FIDE World Rapid & Blitz, Pt. 6 (Jacobson & Naroditsky)

Today's Tactics Tuesday continues a multi-week feature on the 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships, held December 26 through 31 in New York. Our coverage of the rapid and blitz events focused on the winners, but several dozen Americans competed and many gained rating and delivered some nice upsets. So, we'll be taking a look at their games for the next few weeks!

This week, we focus on two players who have made names for themselves online. GM Daniel Naroditsky is one of the internet's most prominent content creators and educators, while GM Brandon Jacobson's strong online blitz play culminated in a series of games (from an anonymous account) where he defeated Naroditsky repeatedly with 1. a4!? and 2. Ra3?!. While Naroditsky won their head-to-head encounter in New York, Jacobson relished in the opportunity to put up a strong showing in the rapid that included a win over GM Hikaru Nakamura (with 1. a4, no less). Naroditsky, for his part, showed why he is not "just" an online blitz player, too, finishing in a ten-way tie for first in the Blitz.

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