GMs Vladimir Fedoseev, David Paravyan, Sam Sevian, and Christopher Yoo fought through the Play-Ins to advance to the main event of the Bullet Chess Championship 2024.
In the first Play-In, Paravyan defeated Sevian in the Winners Final. Yet, Sevian resurged to top the Losers Bracket to also earn his seat in the main event. In Play-In 2, Fedoseev prevailed in the Winners Bracket. In the Losers Bracket, Yoo came back with three match victories in a row to clinch the last qualification spot.
The Bullet Chess Championship main event begins on Monday, June 10, at 12 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CET / 6:30 p.m. IST.
Play-In 1 - Final Bracket
Play-In 2 - Final Bracket
The players' first goal was to finish in the top eight of the arena to qualify for the knockout stage.
- Play-In 1: Paravyan Outspeeds Sevian, Sevian Comes Back to Qualify Anyway
- Play-In 2: Yoo Wins Arena and Losers Bracket, Fedoseev Prevails Despite Time Deficits
Play-In 1: Paravyan Outspeeds Sevian, Sevian Comes Back to Qualify Anyway
Two of the highest-rated players in history, GMs Levon Aronian and Alexander Grischuk, joined the first Play-In. In the later half of the arena, Aronian went on a winning streak, nearing the top eight. However, IM Toivo Keinanen stunted this streak. Unfazed by a 2800-club grandmaster breathing down his king’s neck, Keinanen discovered an insightful tactical idea to crack Aronian’s defenses.
GM Ediz Gurel dusted the field, finishing with 99 points―a 13-point margin over the field. In his penultimate game, he sacrificed a knight to build up an overwhelming attack vs. GM Denis Lazavik, a top bullet player himself.
Play-In 1 - Arena Standings (Top 10)
(Full final standings and arena games can be found here.)
The top four finishers played in the Winners Bracket, while fifth through eighth played in the Losers. The benefit of playing in the Winners Bracket is having a "second life" in the double elimination system. Instead of a Grand Final, the last ones standing in the Winners and Losers Brackets advance to the main event.
Winners Bracket
Paravyan defeated Lazavik 6-2 in the Semifinals. Then, he kicked off the Finalwith a 3-0 winning streak vs. Sevian. In game two, Paravyan caught the American grandmaster in a sudden mating net.
Midway through the match, Sevian started to bounce back, winning two in a row. The decisive moment came in game six. Paravyan shut down Sevian's comeback by catching him in the time scramble endgame.
As victor of the Winners Bracket, Paravyan qualified for the main event while Sevian would have another chance in the Losers Bracket Final.
Losers Bracket
After losing in the Winners Semifinals, Lazavik capitalized on his second chance in the Losers Bracket. He defeated GM V Pranav, scoring 7-3. Then, he gained vengeance vs. the arena winner, Gurel, with a massive 7.5-0.5 score. In their first game, Lazavik's enhanced awareness in the endgame made all the difference.
This set up an epic Losers Final between Lazavik and Sevian, who both only lost matches to Paravyan. Sevian began the match 3-1, starting with a display of tactics in the endgame.
Lazavik fought back to tie up the score 4-4 with just seconds left on the match clock. It was anyone's match as the players began the last game. Sevian was up for the challenge.
Play-In 2: Yoo Wins Arena and Losers Bracket, Fedoseev Prevails Despite Time Deficits
In the arena stage, Yoo achieved clear first as the only player to break a 100 score in either Play-In. When he faced GM Jorden Van Foreest, Yoo sacrificed a rook to set off a glorious king hunt.
Play-In 2 - Arena Results (Top 10)
Full final standings and arena games can be found here.
When he couldn't be reached after the Play-In, sixth-place finisher, GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, was replaced GM Ray Robson, who finished ninth.
Winners Bracket
Despite having some connectivity issues, Fedoseev sliced through the Winners Bracket, defeating IM Renato Terry and GM Alan Pichot.
In the Final, Fedoseev led 4-3 vs. Pichot as they entered the last game. Fedoseev gained a material edge but trailed by 12 seconds as the players faced extreme time pressure. Yet, he was able to take his advantage home, checkmating with 1.8 seconds left on his clock.
Losers Bracket
In the Losers Semifinals, Yoo started out with a stunning 4.5-0.5 lead vs. Robson, discovering a cunning tactic in game five.
The younger American maintained his lead to the end of the match. Though, in dead-lost postion in game eight, Robson reminded us: Never resign in bullet.
In the Final, Yoo and Pichot faced off: a rematch from the Winners Quarterfinals―when Pichot prevailed. Yoo seemed to be still in flow from his encounter vs. Robson. Hegained a commanding early lead, reaching 3-1 with a gorgeous attacking miniature in game four.
Pichot made a comeback in the second half to bring the match within one point, but Yoo didn't let him equalize, winning the last game.
The final game lasted under a minute, 15 moves for White to win with a forced checkmate!https://t.co/xVQmrqoD7L#BulletChess pic.twitter.com/BrJx7xzekf
— chess24 (@chess24com) May 24, 2024
How to watch?
You can watch the 2024 Bullet Chess Championship on Chess.com/TV. You can also enjoy the show on our Twitch channel and catch all our live broadcasts on YouTube.com/ChesscomLive. You can see the games on our events page here.
The play-ins were hosted by GMs Aman Hambleton, Benjamin Bok, and FM James Canty III.
The Bullet Chess Championship 2023 (BCC) is Chess.com's most elite bullet chess event where players compete to see who's the fastest chess player in the world. The event's play-ins happen on May 24, with the main event occurring on June 10-14. The fastest players in the world compete for their share of the $98,000 prize fund.
Previous coverage:
- Bullet Chess Championship Is Back With Nakamura Gunning For A Hat-Trick Of Wins
