View source for Speed Chess Championship

[[File:MagnusCarlsen24b.jpg|thumb|[[Magnus Carlsen]], four-time speed chess champion.]]
{{distinguish|World Blitz Chess Championship|World Rapid Chess Championship}}
The '''Speed Chess Championships''' are a family of annual [[blitz chess]] tournaments held and hosted by the [[online chess]] platform [[Chess.com]]. The reigning Speed Chess Champion is Norwegian grandmaster [[Magnus Carlsen]], who has won the main event four times out of six appearances.<ref name=":0" /> American grandmaster [[Hikaru Nakamura]], who has played in every single edition to date, won the event a record five times consecutively from 2018 to 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=West (NM_Vanessa) |first=Vanessa |date=2022-12-18 |title=Nakamura Wins 5th Speed Chess Championship |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2022-speed-chess-championship-final-nakamura-carlsen |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref> He had also reached every final until 2024, when he was knocked out in the semifinals for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colodro |first=Carlos Alberto |date=2024-09-07 |title=Speed Chess Championship: Carlsen and Firouzja advance to the final |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/speed-chess-ch-final-2024-sf |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ChessBase |language=en}}</ref>

Since 2019, Chess.com has also held the [[Women in chess|Women's]] and Junior Speed Chess Championships.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chess.com (News) |date=2019-03-08 |title=Nakamura Defeats So To Repeat As Speed Chess Champion |url=https://www.chess.com/article/view/2019-speed-chess-championship |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Chinese grandmaster [[Ju Wenjun]] is the reigning Women's Speed Chess Champion,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colodro |first=Carlos Alberto |date=2024-09-05 |title=Ju Wenjun outscores Shuvalova, wins Women's Speed Chess Championship |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/women-scc-2024-final-report |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=ChessBase |language=en}}</ref> and Indian grandmaster [[Gukesh D]] is the reigning Junior Speed Chess Champion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=West (NM_Vanessa) |first=Vanessa |date=2023-06-19 |title=Unbelievable Counterstrikes: Gukesh Wins 2023 JSCC |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2023-jscc-final-gukesh |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2020, the Youth Speed Chess Championship and IM Not A GM Speed Chess Championship were introduced as further spin-off events.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klein (MikeKlein) |first=Mike |date=2020-03-04 |title=ChessKid.com Youth Speed Chess Championship Coming This Summer |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/chesskid-youth-speed-chess-championship |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chess.com (News) |date=2020-04-14 |title=Saturday: IM Not A GM Speed Chess Championship Finals |url=https://www.chess.com/article/view/im-not-a-gm-speed-chess-championship-2020 |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The 2024 Finals, for the first time, were held live in Paris. The event attracted media attention due to the matchup between Carlsen and American grandmaster [[Hans Niemann]], which was their first live meeting since their [[Carlsen–Niemann controversy|2022 controversy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morse |first=Ben |date=2024-09-07 |title=Magnus Carlsen beats Hans Niemann in first match since infamous cheating scandal |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/07/sport/carlsen-niemann-chess-first-match-scandal-spt-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Although the players were physically present at the venue, the games were played online on on-site computers in an [[esports]]-style format, with a live audience present.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Levin (AnthonyLevin) |first=Anthony |date=2024-09-08 |title=2024 SCC Final: Carlsen Proves He's The Best Again, Wins 4th SCC Title |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2024-scc-title-match-carlsen-wins |access-date=2024-09-09 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

== List of winners ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Speed Chess Championship finals
!No.
!Year
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Final score
!Prize fund
|-
|1
|[[#2016|2016]]
|{{Flagicon|NOR}} [[Magnus Carlsen]]
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Hikaru Nakamura]]
|14.5-10.5
|$40,000
|-
|2
|2017
|{{Flagicon|NOR}} Magnus Carlsen
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|18-9
|$50,000
|-
|3
|2018
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|{{Flagicon|USA}} [[Wesley So]]
|15.5-12.5
|$55,000
|-
|4
|2019
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Wesley So
|19.5-14.5
|$50,000
|-
|5
|2020
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|{{Flagicon|FRA}} [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]]
|18.5-12.5
|$100,000
|-
|6
|2021
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Wesley So
|23-8
|$100,000
|-
|7
|2022
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|{{Flagicon|NOR}} Magnus Carlsen
|14.5-13.5
|$100,000
|-
|8
|2023
|{{Flagicon|NOR}} Magnus Carlsen
|{{Flagicon|USA}} Hikaru Nakamura
|13.5-12.5
|$150,000
|-
|9
|2024
|{{Flagicon|NOR}} Magnus Carlsen
|{{Flagicon|FRA}} [[Alireza Firouzja]]
|23.5-7.5
|$175,000
|}
Nakamura has only ever lost four matches in the Speed Chess Championship; three against Carlsen, and one against Firouzja. Carlsen has only lost two matches, to Nakamura and Vachier-Lagrave.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Women's Speed Chess Championship finals
!No.
!Year
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Final score
!Prize fund
|-
|1
|2019
|{{Flagicon|ARM}} [[Elina Danielian]]
|{{Flagicon|RUS}} [[Valentina Gunina]]
|15-13
|$20,000
|-
|2
|2020
|{{Flagicon|UKR}} [[Anna Ushenina]]
|{{Flagicon|RUS}} [[Alexandra Kosteniuk]]
|14.5-13.5
|$52,000
|-
|3
|2021
|{{Flagicon|CHN}} [[Hou Yifan]]
|{{Flagicon|IND}} [[Harika Dronavalli]]
|15-13
|$66,000
|-
|4
|2022
|{{Flagicon|RUS}} [[Kateryna Lagno]]
|{{Flagicon|CHN}} [[Hou Yifan]]
|15-13
|$70,000
|-
|5
|2023
|{{Flagicon|CHN}} [[Hou Yifan]]
|{{Flagicon|IND}} [[Harika Dronavalli]]
|15-11
|$75,000
|-
|6
|2024
|{{Flagicon|CHN}} [[Ju Wenjun]]
|{{Flagicon|FIDE}} [[Polina Shuvalova]]
|12.5-9.5
|$75,000
|}
From 2020 to 2022, the Women's Speed Chess Championship was jointly presented by Chess.com and [[FIDE]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team (CHESScom) |first=Chess com |date=2021-05-06 |title=2021 Women's Speed Chess Championship Presented By FIDE And Chess.com |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2021-wscc-announcement |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=FIDE |date=2021-05-07 |title=FIDE Chess.com Women's Speed Chess Championship announced |url=https://www.fide.com/news/1071 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=International Chess Federation |language=en}}</ref> The event originally served as a qualifier to the main Speed Chess Championship, just like the Junior Speed Chess Championship, but has since been held as a standalone event.

== Events by year ==

=== 2016 ===
The inaugural event was called the '''Grandmaster Blitz Battle Championship'''. Carlsen, Nakamura, Vachier-Lagrave, [[World Blitz Chess Championship|World Blitz Champion]] [[Alexander Grischuk]], [[Levon Aronian]], [[Fabiano Caruana]] and [[Pentala Harikrishna]] were invited by Chess.com, while [[Tigran L. Petrosian]] entered through a qualifier event.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pete (Pete) |date=2016-01-19 |title=The $40,000 GM Blitz Battle Championship |url=https://www.chess.com/article/view/announcing-the-grandmaster-blitz-battles-championship |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The format for the matches was 90 minutes of 5 minute games with an increment of 2 seconds, followed by 60 minutes of 3 minute games with an increment of 2 seconds, and finally 30 minutes of 1 minute games with a 1 second increment. The first game of each segment was a [[Fischer random chess|Chess960]] game.

The final, held on October 27, was Carlsen's last public tournament appearance before the classical [[World Chess Championship 2016]]. Carlsen won the first segment by a score of 5.5-3.5, and extended his lead with a 5-2 win in the next segment. Although Nakamura won the final segment by a score of 5-4, Carlsen still won the match convincingly thanks to his wins in the first two segments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klein (MikeKlein) |first=Mike |date=2016-10-27 |title=Carlsen Beats Nakamura To Win GM Blitz Battle Championship |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/carlsen-takes-early-lead-beats-nakamura-in-blitz-battle-finals-3295 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{8TeamBracket
| RD1 =
| RD1-seed1   =  '''1'''
| RD1-team1   =  {{flagicon|NOR}} '''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''
| RD1-score1  =  '''21'''
| RD1-team2   =  {{flagicon|ARM}} [[Tigran L. Petrosian]]
| RD1-score2  =  4
| RD1-seed3   =  '''4'''
| RD1-team3   =  {{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Alexander Grischuk]]'''
| RD1-score3  =  '''11.5'''
| RD1-team4   =  {{flagicon|ARM}} [[Levon Aronian]]
| RD1-score4  =  9.5
| RD1-seed5   =  '''2'''
| RD1-team5   =  {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Hikaru Nakamura]]'''
| RD1-score5  =  '''16'''
| RD1-team6   =  {{flagicon|IND}} [[Pentala Harikrishna]]
| RD1-score6  =  9
| RD1-seed7   =  '''3'''
| RD1-team7   =  {{flagicon|FRA}} '''[[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]]'''
| RD1-score7  =  '''15.5'''
| RD1-team8   =  {{flagicon|USA}} [[Fabiano Caruana]]
| RD1-score8  =  9.5
| RD2 =
| RD2-seed1   =  '''1'''
| RD2-team1   =  {{flagicon|NOR}} '''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''
| RD2-score1  =  '''16'''
| RD2-seed2   =  4
| RD2-team2   =  {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Alexander Grischuk]]
| RD2-score2  =  8
| RD2-seed3   =  '''2'''
| RD2-team3   =  {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Hikaru Nakamura]]'''
| RD2-score3  =  '''21.5'''
| RD2-seed4   =  3
| RD2-team4   =  {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]]
| RD2-score4  =  10.5
| RD3 =
| RD3-seed1   =  '''1'''
| RD3-team1   =  {{flagicon|NOR}} '''[[Magnus Carlsen]]'''
| RD3-score1  =  '''14.5'''
| RD3-seed2   =  2
| RD3-team2   =  {{flagicon|USA}} [[Hikaru Nakamura]]
| RD3-score2  =  10.5
}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Fast chess]]
[[Category:Chess competitions]]