MANILA, Philippines — Prodigious Alireza Firouzja shattered reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen’s aura of invincibility by carving out a sensational 8.5-7.5 win to claim the Banter Blitz Cup title done online Friday night.
Tied at 7.5 points each going into the 16th and final game, Firouzja, 16, ended the way he started it — by checkmating the heavily favored Carlsen — to seal the crown and the $14,000 purse that went with it.
It was a shocking result for Firouzja, who came into their duel as the complete underdog having finished second behind Carlsen in the World Blitz Championship last December.
Firouzja made it this far by turning back India’s Srinath Narayanan, 9-6, while Carlsen had a contrastingly impressive and quick 9-0 demolition of Russia’s Sanan Sjugirov.
Firouzja, who left Iran to live in Paris, France because he didn’t like his hometown country’s policy of forbidding games against Israeli foes, have been making heads turn for years now after he topped the Iranian Championship at 12 years old and gained the Grandmaster title two years later.
After his recent conquest of Carlsen, the current world champion in classical, rapid and blitz, Firouzja drew everyone’s full attention.
Firouzja will try to ride the crest of his recent feat as he sees action in the All-GM Invitational tilt that Carlsen organized and funded himself.