Aronian Sparks Bullet Comeback vs. Andreikin

GM Levon Aronian defeated GM Dmitry Andreikin in the 2022 Speed Chess Championship in an electrifying duel on Wednesday. The match between these two exceptional grandmasters was loaded with imaginative play and rivalrous chess to culminate in a sensational finale. 

GM Magnus Carlsen will face GM Gukesh D in the next round of 16 match on December 6 at 8 a.m. PT / 17:00 CET.

• Blitz 5|1
• Blitz 3|1
• Bullet 1|1

Blitz 5|1: Aronian-Andreikin 5-4

Aronian drew first blood, breaking Andreikin's attempt at a fortress in a rook vs. knight ending.

Game four was a thrilling battle where both sides fought to be the one sacrificing pieces to hunt down the enemy king.

For much of the match, Aronian's profound understanding of the position clashed with the quick time controls, leading to missed opportunities, especially against an opponent as resourceful and fast as Andreikin. In game seven, Aronian played a masterful positional game but later overlooked a tactic―just as he was about to cash in and win a pawn he'd worked for 10 moves to gain. 

Aronian ended the segment with a one-point lead, winning a cold-blooded last game by allowing Andreikin to rip open his kingside and fearlessly warding off his threats. 

Blitz 3|1: Aronian-Andreikin 2-6

In the second game of the 3+1, Andreikin played a glorious queen sacrifice allowing his two bishops and rook to break through on the kingside, yet Aronian's king managed to sneak away unscathed. This is our Game of the Day, annotated by GM Rafael Leitao. 

Andreikin uncorks a queen sacrifice 💥, but Aronian defends impressively to take a two-point lead 🛡️!#speedchess pic.twitter.com/cViwhtMkfd

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) November 30, 2022

In the next game, Andreikin struck back with an unexpected tactical idea. Can you find it?

Andreikin closed out the 3+1 segment with a five-game winning streak, giving him a three-point lead heading into the bullet. 

Andreikin is on 🔥 as he finds the best moves and sails to his fourth win in a row.#speedchess pic.twitter.com/8qXDhanKM3

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) November 30, 2022

Bullet 1|1: Aronian-Andreikin 7-4

Entering the 1+1 portion down three points, Aronian faced a huge challenge in trying to ignite a comeback in the time control considered to be most in favor of his opponent. 

Out of the gate, Aronian showed that he was up for the challenge. In game one, he outpaced Andreikin so much that he exited the opening 30 seconds ahead, following Nakamura's approach: Good moves fast are better than perfect moves slow. Although the former world blitz champion gained his advantage on the clock at the cost of a slightly worse position, he gradually fought back on the board while maintaining his huge time edge and won the ending beautifully.

In game six, Aronian tied up the score, showing us that one doesn't reach his caliber without developing some serious resilience. With less than seven minutes left on the match clock, the match started anew.

In the penultimate game, Andreikin flagged Aronian in an otherwise drawn position, putting the fourth highest-ranked player in history in a must-win position. 

After incredible defense to nearly save a tough game, Aronian flags! He must win the next game to stay in.#speedchess pic.twitter.com/DQ47DpxcZn

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) November 30, 2022

Aronian came through, dismantling Andreikin's unexpected French Defense, which he pulled out for the first time in the match, and sending the match into a playoff.

After three bullet playoff games, these incredible fighters found themselves tied yet again, leaving everything on the line in the fourth and final game when Aronian prevailed in the intense time scramble. 

In the post-game interview, Aronian was in jovial spirits, humorously revealing that his shocking bullet comeback was his plan all along: "It was all planned, of course. I was thinking, you know, I shouldn't show my skills before the bullet to surprise him."

Aronian won $3,034.48 in addition to advancing to the quarterfinals while Andreikin earned $965.52 for his efforts.

All Games - Round of 16

The 2022 Speed Chess Championships Main Event started on November 23 and will conclude on December 16. Top speed-chess players are competing at three different time controls in a 16-player knockout as they vie for a share of the $100,000 prize fund along with the most prestigious title in online chess.

The likes of GMs Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and many more will battle it out to determine the 2022 speed chess champion.

Previous reports:

• Vachier-Lagrave Stuns Nepomniachtchi In Bullet Blowout
• Ding Wins Blockbuster Match Against Grischuk
• Caruana Survives Scare Against Erigaisi
• Chess.com Announces 2022 SCC Bracket Contest
• Grischuk Masterclass Seals Qualifying Spot
• Unstoppable Paravyan Qualifies For SCC Main Event
• Announcing The 2022 Speed Chess Championship