Grand Chess Tour: Magnus Wins Super United Rapid And Blitz, Gukesh Finishes 3rd
Magnus Carlsen won the Super United Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament, finishing with 22.5 points. D. Gukesh finished third with 19.5 points.
World number one Magnus Carlsen once again demonstrated his supremacy by winning the Super United Rapid and Blitz Chess Tournament with a round to spare. Reigning world champion D. Gukesh finished third in the standings.
Despite trailing Gukesh by four points in the nine-round rapid event, Carlsen excelled in the blitz section games, scoring 7.5 points out of nine in the first leg. His score of four points out of the first eight games in the return games secured him another tournament victory.
Gukesh, who started impressively in the rapid section with 14 points, struggled in the blitz section, scoring only 1.5 points from his first nine games. Although he made steady progress in the last nine blitz games, it was insufficient to catch up with Carlsen.
Carlsen concluded the event with 22.5 points, 2.5 points ahead of American Wesley So, who finished second, while Gukesh came third with 19.5 points.
How Much Prize Money Did They Win?
Out of the $175,000 prize pool, Carlsen won $40,000, Wesley earned $30,000, and Gukesh received $25,000, proving his critics wrong with an exceptional performance.
Gukesh finished the event with 19.5 points, half a point ahead of Alireza Firouzja of France and Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland.
The sixth position was claimed by Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, followed by Fabiano Caruana of the United States and Anish Giri of Holland.
Gukesh could have improved his standing in a game of fluctuating fortunes had he converted his extra pawn to a victory over Praggnanandhaa in the final round. However, the duo reached a theoretical draw in the endgame, leaving little to play for.
Nonetheless, the world's youngest ever world champion can view this as a positive result in the faster version of the game.
Final standings: 1. Carlsen (Nor, 22.5) 2. Wesley So (Usa, 20); D Gukesh (Ind, 19.5); 4-5. Duda Jan-Krzysztof (Pol), Alireza Firouzja (Fra) 19 each; 6. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 18); 7-8. Fabiano Caruana (Usa), Anish Giri (Ned) 17 each; 9. R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 15); 10. Ivan Saric (Cro, 13).
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