Carlsen Wins His Fifth Speed Chess Championship. Lazavik Ends Nakamura's Run.
Magnus Carlsen claimed his fifth Speed Chess Championship title in the 2025 finals in London, beating Alireza Firouzja 15–12. Denis Lazavik upset Hikaru Nakamura 13.5–12.5 in the third-place match. Here's the full breakdown.
Magnus Carlsen won the 2025 Speed Chess Championship for the fifth time, beating Alireza Firouzja 15–12 in the final in London. That’s the headline. The result that generated more conversation came a day earlier.
Denis Lazavik, a 23-year-old Belarusian grandmaster ranked well outside the world top ten, beat Hikaru Nakamura 13.5–12.5 in the match for third place. Firouzja had already beaten Nakamura in the semifinals with a comeback that went to overtime. So Nakamura lost both his matches at the finals, and finished fourth.
At the Speed Chess Championship, that’s a story. Nakamura is one of the best online blitz players in the world, a multiple Titled Tuesday winner, the most-watched chess streamer on Twitch, and a former Speed Chess Championship finalist. Lazavik isn’t a name most casual chess followers knew before this tournament. He made them learn it.
The Firouzja semifinal
Alireza Firouzja’s run to the final was the dramatic story of Day 1. He beat Nakamura in the semifinals after what was described as one of the greatest comebacks in SCC history. The match went to overtime, Firouzja won by two points. The margin was close enough that the outcome felt contingent for most of the final hour.
Firouzja has been a top-three online blitz player for years. His speed at the board and willingness to play sharp, risky positions in fast formats makes him dangerous in any short-format event. He reached the final. Carlsen beat him 15–12.
What Carlsen’s fifth title means
Carlsen has won the Speed Chess Championship in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025. No other player has won it more than twice. The format (a mix of bullet, blitz, and rapid games played online over a single match) suits him because his calculation advantage over opponents compounds across formats. Bullet is where upsets happen; blitz and rapid are where Carlsen’s edge tends to reassert itself.
Five titles at a single event is the kind of record that raises a legitimate question: is there a meaningful competition here, or is it a race for second? The semifinal results suggest it’s real competition. Nakamura went out at Lazavik. Firouzja came within three points of Carlsen in the final. But Carlsen won.
The Esports World Cup connection
The top three finishers at the 2025 SCC (Carlsen, Firouzja, and Lazavik) qualified for the chess event at the 2026 Esports World Cup. That’s a different event from the FIDE circuit: a Saudi-backed esports umbrella that brings high-prize-fund chess alongside other competitive gaming titles.
The Esports World Cup chess inclusion is part of the broader online chess expansion that Chess.com has driven since around 2020. Online chess is played on computers at a venue, not online in the traditional sense. The games are broadcast, anti-cheat measures are in place, and the setting looks like any other live event. But the format is the internet time control, not the classical FIDE standard.
For anyone training seriously in fast time controls, the equipment matters more than most players realize. The Chronos GX is the dominant choice for US blitz play. The large buttons are cleaner to hit at speed. The DGT 3000 is the FIDE standard worldwide. Our chess clock comparison covers both. For the tactical pattern recognition that separates good blitz players from great ones, Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games is still the cleanest model for understanding forcing variations.
For more on Hikaru Nakamura’s career and streaming presence, see our Hikaru Nakamura profile. For Carlsen’s complete record, see his biography.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025 Speed Chess Championship? Magnus Carlsen, for the fifth time, beating Alireza Firouzja 15–12 in the London final.
Who is Denis Lazavik? A 23-year-old Belarusian grandmaster who beat Hikaru Nakamura 13.5–12.5 in the 2025 SCC third-place match, one of the tournament’s bigger upsets. He, Carlsen, and Firouzja qualified for the 2026 Esports World Cup chess event.
What is the Speed Chess Championship format? A match format played on Chess.com between two players, mixing bullet (1+0 or 1+1), blitz (3+2), and rapid (10+2) games. The player with the most points across the timed match wins. The event is run by Chess.com.
How many Speed Chess Championship titles has Carlsen won? Five. 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025. No other player has won it more than twice.
Sources
- 2025 SCC Finals Day 2: Carlsen Defends 5th SCC Title. Chess.com
- 2025 SCC Finals Day 1: Firouzja Beats Nakamura After Clutch Comeback, Chess.com
- Speed Chess Championship Semifinals, ChessBase
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Sources
Further reading
- Chronos GX Digital Game Chess Clock — Button — Black — ASIN verified via Amazon 2026-05-02. Standard US tournament clock. Speed chess and blitz training at home benefits from a proper clock, the tactile feedback of a real button matters more at fast time controls.
- DGT 3000 Digital Chess Clock — ASIN verified via Amazon 2026-05-02. FIDE standard worldwide.
- My 60 Memorable Games — Bobby Fischer — ASIN verified via Open Library 2026-05-02. Batsford 1995 edition. Fischer's annotated games remain the clearest model for tactical decision-making at speed.