2019 Tata Steel Rapid & Blitz Recap

At the end of another exciting day of chess, Magnus Carlsen was crowned the winner of the 2019 Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz, the last leg before the Finals of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour. Despite starting the day under the weather, he scored 5.5 points in the final 9 blitz games, netting an impressive 27 total points. This surpassed his 26.5 point record from the Cote D’Ivoire Rapid & Blitz earlier this year.

After 9 rounds of blitz, chess fans got to witness some dramatic and electrifying games. Tournament leader Magnus Carlsen continued to show his dominance over the field by scoring an impressive 6.5/9. This boosts his total score to 21.5 and he maintains a 5 point lead over Hikaru Nakamura going into the final day. In an interview at the end of the day, Carlsen said “When I’m at my best, I’m a little bit better than the others.”

The rapid portion of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz concluded in day 3 with reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen extending his lead even further over the competition. The National Library of Kolkata filled up with chess fans this Sunday afternoon as the day commenced with Magnus Carlsen facing off against Viswanathan Anand. This was their first encounter on Indian soil since the 2013 World Championship Match, in which the Carlsen dismantled Anand for the coveted world title. 

For World Champion Magnus Carlsen and India #1 Viswanathan Anand, day two began not on the chess board, but at Eden Gardens for the Cricket Test Match between India and Bangladesh. They partook in the ceremonial bell ringing to kick off day two of the test match, which has an audience of approximately one billion viewers. Back on the chess board, many decisive and exciting games were seen in the second day of Tata Steel Chess India Rapid & Blitz. After a strong performance yesterday, Carlsen continued to steal the show today with dominating play. 

The final leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour regular season kicked off today at the National Library in Kolkata, India. Over five days (November 22-26), ten of the world’s top chess players, including the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen, will compete in rapid and blitz chess for a prize fund of $150,000. The first day featured three rounds of rapid chess in which players each receive 25 minutes plus a 10-second delay. After an eventful first day, Magnus Carlsen emerged as the sole leader by scoring two impressive victories.