GMs Hikaru Nakamura, Sam Sevian, Nihal Sarin, and Daniel Naroditsky Advance to Winners Semifinals of Bullet Chess Championship 2024

Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura, Sam Sevian, Nihal Sarin, and Daniel Naroditsky showcased their exceptional skills as they advanced to the Winners Semifinals of the Bullet Chess Championship 2024 (BCC) on Monday. Sevian made a remarkable debut by defeating the 2021 champion, GM Alireza Firouzja, in the Quarterfinals. Nihal Sarin had a nail-biting match against GM Andrew Tang, which went into overtime before he emerged victorious. Nakamura and Naroditsky also secured their spots in the Semifinals with impressive wins.

Despite their losses, Firouzja, Tang, Paravyan, and Bortnyk are still in the running in the Losers Bracket along with eight other grandmasters who faced defeat in Round 1. The action will continue on Tuesday, June 11, with more thrilling matches scheduled.

In the Winners Round 1, we saw a mix of bullet specialists and super-GMs battling it out. Anish Giri took a surprising lead against Tang but ultimately fell short in a thrilling match. Naroditsky’s expertise shone through as he overcame Praggnanandhaa in a close contest. Nihal’s speed prowess was on full display as he defeated world number three, Fabiano Caruana, with an impressive margin.

The day also saw intense matchups in the Winners Round 1 – Part 2, with reigning champion Nakamura and 2021 champion Firzouja entering the fray. Nakamura secured a dominant win over Christopher Yoo, while Firouzja defeated Vladimir Fedoseev. Sevian’s surprising strength in bullet chess was evident as he outplayed Jose Martinez to advance to the Semifinals.

As the competition heats up, fans can look forward to exciting matchups between Sevian and Naroditsky, as well as Nakamura and Nihal in the upcoming rounds. The event promises to be a thrilling display of speed and skill as players compete for their share of the $100,000 prize fund. Stay tuned for more updates on the Bullet Chess Championship 2024.