Nakamura Sets 59-Game Streak Record, Captures 20th Title

GM Hikaru Nakamura posted a commanding 307 score and confirmed his 20th Bullet Brawl title on Saturday after outpacing his rivals GMs Daniel Naroditsky and Andrew Tang by margins of 59 and 69 points respectively.

Winning $400 for his efforts ahead of 130 titled players, Nakamura was able to defeat 81 opponents during the two-hour arena, all the while streaming on his Kick channel. The top-performing women's player was IM Karina Ambartsumova, and the experienced brawler managed to dispatch several GMs on her way to securing the $100 prize.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Back in February, Nakamura achieved what was one of the "greatest bullet [arena] performances ever" when he notched 82 wins, one draw, and one loss on his way to a record-breaking 320 score; however, his latest performance is comparable.

Another ridiculous score from @GMHikaru today as he claims his 20th #BulletBrawl victory!

81 wins
1 draw
4 losses

🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/pge35ZMy7O

— Chess.com (@chesscom) March 16, 2024

Among the contenders for Saturday's Bullet Brawl were the usual suspects: Naroditsky, Tang, GMs Oleksandr Bortnyk, and Tuan Minh Le, as well as dangerous over-the-board players including GMs Nihal Sarin and Nils Grandelius. Yet, Nakamura seemed unfazed by the illustrious lineup.

Locked in from the get-go, Nakamura started with an 11-game streak before falling to 13-time winner Naroditsky. In the opening stages of the arena, Nakamura lit up the board with dazzling tactics and, in particular, showed no mercy against Caro-Kann Defense practitioners.

Though his start looked promising, it was a record-breaking 59-game streak at the tail end of the event that opened up a sizeable buffer between Naroditsky and himself. Upon reviewing Nakamura's opponents, a long list of GMs—Tang, Grandelius, Christopher Yoo, Pranav Venkatesh, David Paravyan, Bortnyk, Sergei Zhigalko, Nitzan Steinberg, and Harmen Jonkman—were all toppled during the streak.

Tang came the closest to knocking over Nakamura after "cheesing" or "Lefonging" (a trap popularized by FM Lefong Hua where you take advantage of an opponent's pre-moved fianchetto) Nakamura, but the world number-three was able to win that match despite the deficit.

Ambartsumova impressed as the top-scoring women's player, and wins over GMs Constantin Lupulescu and Grandelius were major highlights. Playing the Lion Defense against Grandelius, Ambartsumova capitalized on an attacking oversight before putting on a positional masterclass to maintain an edge for the rest of the game.

With yet another record falling at the hands of Nakamura, it is obvious that any bullet chess feat is within reach for the Candidates hopeful. The American's 20th title is another addition to his lengthy online resume, and he is undoubtedly the most decorated player on Chess.com when it comes to tournaments such as Titled Tuesday, Bullet Brawl, and Speed Chess Championships.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting new titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

Previous coverage:

• • Announcing Chess.com Community Bullet Brawl Tournaments
  • Introducing Bullet Brawls And New Arena Options