Kateryna Lagno Wins World Women's Blitz Championship

Magnus Carlsen becomes five-time blitz champion.

The King Salman World Blitz Championships finished in the VIP zone of the Grand Sports Arena of the Luzhniki Olympic Complex in Moscow on December 30. 206 and 122 players took part in the open and women's events respectively. 

The first place of the open championship was determined on tie-break between Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA). Both grandmasters scored 16.5 points out of 21. In the playoff match, Carlsen won 1.5-0.5 to become the five-time world blitz champion and the absolute chess champion (classic chess, rapid and blitz).

After the tournament, the Norwegian confessed that the final day had been quite tough but of course he is very glad to win. "The tie-break was very nervous but I played a good game and very happy about it", said Carlsen. 

The 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), who had a long break in playing official tournaments, took the third place with 15 points. 

Kateryna Lagno (Russia) became the three-time world women's blitz champion having scored 13 points out of 17. Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) is half a point behind. A former world women's champion Tan Zhongyi (3rd place, China) and Valentina Gunina (4th place, Russia) scored 12 points. 

Kateryna Lagno: "Above all, I am very happy to repeat my last year's success. The World Blitz Championship is a very difficult tournament and it wasn't a pleasure cruise this year as well. I can say that I was lucky as the first prize-winner". 


The tournament is held with support of Gazprom and General Sports Authority.  

General partner is Saudi Chess Federation. 

Title sponsor of FIDE Women's Rapid and Blitz Championships is Total. 

CFR General Sponsor is PhosAgro. 

Partner is SILA International Lawyers.

Official water is Aquanika.


Official website  

Photos by Maria Emelianova and Lennart Ootes