Hikaru Nakamura stands two wins away from claiming his third straight Speed Chess Championship title. But he’ll face one of his toughest challengers in his semifinal match on Wednesday when he takes on fellow American grandmaster Wesley So. Nakamura and So matched up in the final of the 2018 Speed […]
Chess
Carlsen, Nakamura Heavy Favorites in Speed Chess Championship Matches
Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen came into the Speed Chess Championship as the top two seeds and the prohibitive favorites to reach the final. On Thursday, both will get the chance to prove their dominance and move into the semifinals, though they’ll face dangerous Russian opponents gunning for upsets. Carlsen […]
Wesley So Upsets Magnus Carlsen in Final to Win Skilling Open
Magnus Carlsen won three of the four regular-season events on his namesake online chess tour earlier this year, along with the Grand Final. But Wesley So showed that it may not be as easy this time around, upsetting the World Champion to win the Skilling Open. After two days of […]
Skilling Open Final: Carlsen, So Battle for First Champions Chess Tour Title
Magnus Carlsen looks to continue his dominance of the online chess scene while Wesley So will attempt to put his stamp on the new Champions Chess Tour as the two world-class grandmasters face off in the final of the Skilling Open. Carlsen and So will battle in the first of […]
Skilling Open Semifinals: Carlsen Battles Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura Faces So
Hikaru Nakamura came back from down a set, and then again down a game in blitz tiebreakers to get past Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and advance to the semifinals of the Skilling Open online chess tournament. Nakamura moved on to face fellow American Wesley So, while World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen will […]
Skilling Open Quarterfinals: Carlsen, Nakamura Top Round Robin; Firouzja, Le Out on Tiebreaks
Alireza Firouzja lost his final two games on Tuesday to fall into a five-way tie for sixth place and miss out on the Skilling Open quarterfinals on tiebreaks, despite winning six games in the round-robin. Both Firouzja and Le Quang Liem missed out on qualification on eight points, the same […]
Skilling Open: Carlsen, Nakamura Lead 16 Grandmasters in Champions Chess Tour Opener
The new online Champions Chess Tour gets underway on Sunday as a field of 16 grandmasters takes the stage for the Skilling Open. The Skilling Open begins with a full round-robin of rapid chess, after which, the top eight players will qualify for the knockout stage where they’ll play head-to-head […]
Netflix’s ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Adds Momentum to Online Chess Boom
Chess – particularly online chess – was already experiencing one of its best years in decades in 2020 as the game thrived while people spent more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, Netflix released “The Queen’s Gambit” on Oct. 23, and the brilliant series did more than take […]
Speed Chess Championship Odds: Aronian, Caruana, Giri First-Round Underdogs
Many of the world’s top chess players are competing in the 2020 Speed Chess Championship on Chess.com, a $100,000 online knockout competition that pits grandmasters against each other in a series of blitz and bullet games. While Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are heavy favorites to get through the early […]
Play Magnus Group Launches 10-Event, $1.5 Million Champions Chess Tour
The Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour burst on the scene earlier this year to provide world-class chess players with big money online tournaments throughout the spring and summer. Now, the Play Magnus Group is expanding on that idea with the Champions Chess Tour, a 10-event series beginning later this month. The […]
Chess Betting Flourishes Alongside Online Events During COVID-19 Pandemic
When Jan-Krzysztof Duda defeated World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the fifth round of the Altibox Norway Chess tournament on Oct. 10, it caused a sensation in the chess world. The victory ended Carlsen’s 125-game unbeaten run in classical play, the longest known streak in chess history. The result also […]
Chess Bets: Carlsen Wins Norway Chess, Firouzja Takes Second
Magnus Carlsen tricked Alireza Firouzja in a theoretically drawn endgame to win their Round 9 encounter and clinch first place at Norway Chess with a round to spare. Carlsen would go on to lose his final game to Levon Aronian – his second classical loss of the tournament, after his […]
Chess Bets: Carlsen, Firouzja Face Off in Round 9 Clash of Norway Chess Leaders
Magnus Carlsen did what he needed to do in Round 8, beating Aryan Tari to take the lead at Norway Chess. Now, the world champion faces off with the hottest young talent in chess, Alireza Firouzja, who holds second place behind Carlsen heading into Round 9. Carlsen holds the Norway […]
Chess Bets: Magnus Carlsen’s 125-Game Undefeated Streak Broken in Norway Chess Shocker
The longest confirmed undefeated streak in the history of elite chess came to an end when Magnus Carlsen lost a classical game at Norway Chess on Saturday. It was Jan-Krzysztof Duda who did the deed, beating Carlsen with White in the fifth round of the Altibox Norway Chess event. Duda […]
Chess Bets: Norway Chess Round 5 Odds and Picks
Magnus Carlsen is asserting himself at Norway Chess, taking the tournament lead after defeating his closest rival, Fabiano Caruana, in the fourth round of the super tournament. Carlsen now leads Norway Chess on nine points, with Levon Aronian just one point back, while Caruana and Alireza Firouzja sit just two […]
Chess Bets: Who to Back in the Carlsen vs. Caruana Showdown at Norway Chess
After just three rounds of play, Norway Chess has already turned into a four-horse race. Both Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Aryan Tari have yet to score, while the rest of the field is separated by just 1.5 points. Fabiano Caruana still holds a share of the lead, which makes me feel […]
Chess Bets: Caruana, Firouzja Strike First at Norway Chess
Fabiano Caruana and Alireza Firouzja both won classical games with Black in the first round to take the early lead in the Altibox Norway Chess tournament on Monday. World Champion Magnus Carlsen also picked up a victory with Black, but needed an Armageddon game to get past Levon Aronian after […]
Chess Bets: Fading Magnus Carlsen in Norway Chess
Live chess is back! Norway Chess begins on Monday, and the return to over-the-board action means no more disconnects, no more mouse slips, and maybe fewer disqualifications due to computer cheating. Most importantly, it means more chances for us to bet on chess. And after going with the chalk last […]
Chess Bets: Magnus Carlsen Heavily Favored Over Wesley So in Banter Series Final
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen comes into the Banter Series final as a significant favorite over Wesley So, but the Norwegian still offers value for bettors if the price is right. The grandmasters will meet in the final on Tuesday, with the winner taking home a $12,000 top prize. Carlsen […]
Chess: Carlsen, So Dueling for Title on Final Day of Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
Magnus Carlsen and Wesley So separated themselves from the field on Friday, setting up a two-man race for the title on the final day of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz online chess tournament. Carlsen leads the way with 18.5 points following a blistering 6.5/9 performance in Friday’s blitz round-robin, […]