GM Hikaru Nakamura claimed his ninth title and the $400 prize for first place in September’s first Bullet Brawl after a tense battle with GMs Daniel Naroditsky and Andrew Tang, who finished second and third respectively. GMs Oleksandr Bortnyk and Hans Niemann rounded out the top five in one of the most tight-knit editions in the event’s history.

WGM Meri Arabidze clutched the top female spot for the fourth week in a row after finishing three points ahead of the multi-time winner IM Karina Ambartsumova, while “advancedrook” won the community event for the second week straight with a score of 225.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place next week on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 1 p.m. ET/19:00 CEST.

Nakamura added yet another online trophy to his ever-growing cabinet on Saturday after scoring 237 points with 64 wins, one draw, and six losses. With Naroditsky hot on his heels as the event drew to a close, the world number-three held his nerve and chalked up 11 wins in a row to quash any attempt at a late challenge.

The most impressive part of Nakamura’s run was his 40-game unbeaten streak in the middle of the event which featured wins over GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Jorden van Foreest, Naroditsky, Bortnyk, and many others. The game against van Foreest would have made IM Levy Rozman proud as a well-timed rook sacrifice allowed Nakamura to finish the game in style.

A rook sacrifice continued to feature prominently in Nakamura’s run. Against IM Jake Kleiman, one such tactic resulted in a beautiful checkmate. See if you can find his finish below.

Streaming from a remote location and with diminished internet speed, Naroditsky did well to score 62 wins, 11 draws, and just three losses en route to a 218 score (19 points shy of Nakamura). While blitzing out an Alapin Sicilian, the U.S.-based content creator remarked: “I’m very lucky to have a good connection normally.”

Arabidze has tightened her grip on the top female prize over the last few weeks and needed every second of the two-hour arena to ensure she finished ahead of her Bullet Brawl rival Ambartsumova on Saturday. A powerful win over Polish GM Marcin Krzyżanowski in the final game of the event guaranteed her the $100 prize.

The up-and-coming 15-year-old Turkish IM Ediz Gurel also managed a 12th-place finish and even scored two wins against the eventual winner Nakamura. Gurel shot to fame after a remarkable win with the white pieces over Serbia’s GM Velimir Ivic at the 2023 FIDE World Cup and shows that he is right up to speed with the world’s best at bullet chess.

With over 450 players participating in September’s first Bullet Brawl, the event is quickly becoming a popular recurring event in the Chess.com calendar. For those looking to hone their bullet chess skills, ensure to join each Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.

Standings

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new titled arena that features Chess.com’s top bullet specialists and now takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $2,500.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

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