The Revelation of the Tournament: Volodar Murzin, Alexander Grischuk, and Ian Nepomniachtchi dominate the podium.
Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza
1-2-3 for the Russians at the Rapid World Championship in New York
December 28, 2024, New York. Let’s break it down into three points: 1) in what’s widely regarded as the world’s financial capital, 2) after Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the Rapid World Championship for refusing to comply with the tournament’s dress code, 3) the young Russian prodigy Volodar Murzin, alongside his seasoned and highly respected compatriots Alexander Grischuk and Ian Nepomniachtchi, secured the top three spots.
Let’s go step by step. From December 26 to 28, Cipriani Wall Street, in Manhattan’s financial district, hosted top-level players from diverse chess traditions and backgrounds. This was the first time since 2012, the year the World Rapid and Blitz Championship began its annual tradition, that the tournament was held on U.S. soil. The excitement among players was palpable during FIDE’s broadcast.
Past personal rivalries were resolved on the board. In the final round, a clash between American players saw Hans Moke Niemann defeat the popular Hikaru Nakamura. In the previous round, Round 12, Grischuk had drawn against Nepomniachtchi.
Generational battles were another highlight. The 55-year-old Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk faced the 18-year-old Uzbek Mukhiddin Madaminov. Grischuk, 41, played against a range of younger opponents, including India’s Arjun Erigaisi (21), Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov (20), the American Brandon Jacobson (21), Belarusian prodigy Denis Lazavik (18), and the tournament’s breakout star, Volodar Murzin (18). Eleven-year-old Argentine International Master Faustino Oro scored an impressive 6.5 points out of 13. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Tani Adewumi, a Nigerian refugee who fled Boko Haram with his family to the U.S., scored 7 points.
Before the third and final day, four players were tied for first place with 7 points each: Erigaisi, Grischuk, Duda, and Volodar. Ten players, including Leinier Dominguez, Anish Giri, and Ian Nepomniachtchi, followed closely with 6.5 points. In terms of nationalities, Russia led with four players in contention, followed by the U.S. with three, and Uzbekistan with two; while India, Poland, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan and Belarus had a player competing for the top spots.
Volodar Murzin during the third day of the world rapid championship in New York, 2024. Photo: FIDE / Lennart Ootes
The winner, Volodar Murzin, faced a formidable lineup, including Levon Aronian, Arjun Erigaisi, Fabiano Caruana, Leinier Dominguez, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Anish Giri, Alexander Grischuk, Hikaru Nakamura, and Praggnanandhaa. However, he admitted in the press conference that his toughest match was the final one against Armenia’s Karen Grigoryan, mainly due to the pressure of being so close yet so far from victory.
Magnus Carlsen’s “Tantrum”
Magnus Carlsen withdrew on the second day after refusing to comply with FIDE’s dress code, exiting the tournament in a less-than-graceful manner by making an offhanded rude comment in an interview.
This incident could be seen as another one of Carlsen’s infamous tantrums. Given FIDE’s emphasis on ethical and sportsmanship principles, his actions set a poor example for the chess community, especially for aspiring players.
However, Carlsen’s apparent disdain for FIDE may stem from a growing divide between two emerging models. On one side, Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Danny Rensch (President of American Chess Events LLC and chief chess officer of Chess.com) are pursuing personal projects under the Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC). On the other side is FIDE, the official governing body for chess as a sport.
The private, profit-driven model focuses heavily on entertaining the masses, while FIDE aims to promote Olympic values, educate, and develop future generations through chess. While both claim to be growing the game, their methods diverge significantly.
On December 21, the FCPC announced an agreement with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, facilitated by Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Danny Rensch and Jan Henric Buettner (on behalf of Freestyle Chess). The deal ensured that top players participating in FCPC Grand Slams would not jeopardize their FIDE careers. It also hinted at ongoing talks about mutual recognition of championship titles.
Days later, on December 24, Vladimir Kramnik posted on X that Carlsen and Nakamura might have pressured FIDE to recognize FCPC in exchange for their participation in New York—a potential case of blackmail.
If true, Carlsen’s tantrum and premature exit were likely premeditated, aiming both, perhaps, to challenge FIDE directly and to promote the upcoming Grand Slam in February.
Or perhaps it is a win-win for both FIDE and the FCPC, as both have very different roles in terms of the growth of chess. One will do so in terms of education and sport, while the other in terms of entertainment. What is clear is that this is the immediate future of chess.
The Competitive Chess Landscape of 2024
2024 has been a landmark year for Indian chess, with Dommaraju Gukesh winning the World Chess Championship and India claiming gold at the Chess Olympiad. Humpy Koneru’s victory in the Women’s Rapid World Championship added another feather to India’s cap—Wenjun Ju of China came in second place and Katerina Lagno of Russia came in third.
The U.S., despite integrating high-level players from abroad, settled for silver at the Olympiad, with Uzbekistan taking bronze. The Rapid World Championship in New York was a prime opportunity for American players to shine, but despite strong starts from players like Samuel Sevian and Daniel Naroditsky, they fell short.
Russia’s historic 1-2-3 finish in New York is noteworthy, especially since their team couldn’t compete in the Chess Olympiad due to sanctions over the war in Ukraine. Russian players, however, were allowed to participate in this tournament under FIDE’s flag.
On December 27, Kramnik posted a cryptic message on X: “Something is telling me the second act will happen. Time for another player to appear on stage?”. His prediction seemed to materialize with Murzin’s emergence as a new star. Murzin’s rise, coupled with India’s chess dominance, marks a promising future for competitive chess.
It was also heartening to see the legendary Grischuk and two-time Candidates Tournament winner Nepomniachtchi standing beside Murzin on the podium.
The following is the twelfth game between Praggnanandhaa, playing White, and Volodar, playing Black. With this victory, Volodar took a half-point lead over his closest competitors, allowing him to rely solely on his own performance to secure the championship in the final game of the day.
Move 24: According to Volodar, the king begins to advance to activate itself, as the bishop on b6 is trapped, immobilized, and useless on the board. The king now becomes an additional attacking piece. At this point, Pragg’s advantage is minimal.
Move 30: It almost seems like a joke—the Black king is on e2! White has a decisive advantage. However, Pragg’s error (34. R1b2) is entirely human and understandable, given that he was playing with less than a minute on the clock. The winning line after 33. Rb3 Ke2 requires precise continuation with 34. f7 Rf8 35. R1b2+ Kf1 36. f4 Be1 37. Rd3 Rxf7 38. Rd1 Rxf4 39. Rbb1 Rg1 40. Bxg1.
What’s remarkable is that Volodar didn’t crumble under the less favorable position. Instead, he fought back, kept pressing for the win, and ultimately provoked the critical mistake from Pragg.
Diagonales Abiertas
