The first day of the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship in New York delivered several shocking results.
Legendary chess player Magnus Carlsen suffered a surprising loss to Denis Lazavik (FIDE). Playing with black pieces, Carlsen was defeated by the young opponent and currently holds only 2.5 points, Idman.biz reports.
After five rounds, U.S. players Leinier Domínguez and Daniel Naroditsky are co-leaders in the open section with 4.5 points each.
In the women's section, 15-year-old American prodigy Alice Lee leads with a perfect score. She defeated reigning blitz world champion Valentina Gunina in the fourth round. Azerbaijan's Gunay Mammadzada is among the five players trailing Lee by half a point.
Meanwhile, the championship has added significance for two players aiming to secure spots in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Fabiano Caruana currently leads Arjun Erigaisi by six points in the FIDE rankings. However, a first-place finish or shared victory in one of the championships could allow Erigaisi to overtake Caruana. As of now, Erigaisi has 4 points, while Caruana trails slightly with 3.5.
Idman.biz
