Teenage Grandmaster wins world rapid championship title
In the world of elite chess and with the introduction of computers, it is becoming difficult to pick winners in tournaments. In a match between two players, it is easier to choose a side. You take into consideration the participants’ ranks in addition to their tournament records and that will give you an idea of who should be successful.
Following the mid-December conclusion of the traditional classic (long game) where World Champion Magnus Carlsen enjoyed a magnificent victory, two of the most anticipated events in the chess calendar, the Rapid (15 minutes plus second increments) and the Blitz (5 minutes and second increments) began on Christmas Day.
Carlsen was the champion in all three formats and was expected to repeat his preeminent performances during 2021. He sparkled against Ian Nepomniachtchi, but failed to do the same in the Rapid segment of the competition. It was won in a photo finish by Uzbekistan Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov, 17, who has a FIDE rating of 2648. Abdusattorov, a chess prodigy, was awarded the grandmaster title in 2018. The World Championship Blitz segment was scheduled to end on December 31.