Magnus Carlsen can bleed, after all: he has finally succumbed to a defeat after fifteen straight undefeated games at GCT SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, but his incredible escapades on the first day, a 9/9 streak he called “sweeter than almost any tournament win,” was enough to get him past the finish line, earning $40,000 for his troubles.
After winning nine out of nine in the first day of blitz play, ending flawless against elite-level opposition in spectacular fashion, Carlsen comfortably closed out the event, securing overall victory with three rounds to go.
He declared the total streak “sweeter than almost any tournament win,” and though he felt “spent” heading into the final day of play, he still closed out the day in third place, just half a point behind Firouzja and Gukesh with five wins, two draws and two defeats, with a 26/36 score overall across the event.
Though he didn’t cross the 2,900 tournament performance rating barrier, which sees Firouzja stay ahead of him in the blitz rankings, it’s tough to argue the Norwegian isn’t the man to beat in the faster formats. There’s a reason why he holds both the rapid and the blitz world championship titles, after all.
Two-time classical world championship challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi finished in second, just ahead of Alireza Firouzja and Fabiano Caruana. With current world champion, Ding Liren, absent from the event (and playing hardly any classical chess since his win), these players and the rest of the chess elite are all champing at the bit for a chance to challenge him in 2024, with every event serving as a dress rehearsal for any potential title tilts.
The 2023 Grand Chess Tour will continue with the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz in November, followed by the Sinquefield Cup (the event that ignited the Hans Niemann controversy last year) almost immediately after Saint Louis.
Currently, Fabiano Caruana and Jan-Krzysztof Duda lead the field, but with tour participants only allowed to play in four out of the five events in total, it’s fourth- and fifth-placed Alireza Firouzja and Wesley So—the latter being a previous tour winner—who pose the biggest threat of catching up. Carlsen himself is not a part of the tour, but it’s a testament to his strength that he would be leading the field with just the two wildcard participations in the faster time control events.
