Firouzja Goes 10/11 to Win Titled Tuesday, Nakamura Second

GM Alireza Firouzja won Titled Tuesday on November 3 outright with an undefeated 10/11. He beat tournament leader GM Hikaru Nakamura in round 10 and then won the last game easily, which left the final round feeling more like a coronation than a decider.

The win lifts Firouzja to second in the 2026-27 CCT Standings with 21 points. Nakamura still leads that table with 36.

How the day turned

Four players were perfect after six rounds: Nakamura, GM Hans Niemann, GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Sina Movahed. In round seven Niemann and Nakamura drew, while Caruana beat Movahed to reach 7/7. Caruana was down an exchange after 64 moves but had five pawns for it, and he won soon after.

His perfect run ended in round eight against Nakamura, who became sole leader. Caruana had pressed for most of that game before it turned suddenly near the end. Niemann and Firouzja drew that round.

Nakamura kept the lead for one more round despite struggling for much of his game against GM Arjun Erigaisi, who blundered it back. Niemann, Caruana and Firouzja all stayed within a half-point by beating Movahed, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda and GM Minh Le.

The decisive round

Firouzja took control of his game against Nakamura around move 20, after an early mutual tactical slip, and never gave it back. Nakamura had been in front for two rounds, so the loss was costly.

Elsewhere, Caruana beat Niemann after a sudden endgame turnaround. That kept him level with Firouzja going into round 11, though Firouzja’s final win settled the title.

Final standings and prizes

Firouzja took $2,500 for first. Nakamura finished second on 9.5 after beating GM Maxim Matlakov, and collected $1,500.

Niemann took third on 9 with a win over IM Aleksandr Usov, worth $1,000. Caruana was fourth on 9 for $700. Duda and FM Hamidreza Tahmasebi also scored 9 and took $400 each for fifth and sixth.

Nobody scored 11/11, so the perfect-score bounty rises again. It stood at $5,750 this week and moves to an even $6,000 next Tuesday.

Speed Chess Championship XI places

Eight players qualified for Speed Chess Championship XI through Titled Tuesday results since September 1. They are Nakamura, Firouzja, Movahed, Niemann, GM Dmitry Andreikin, GM Wesley So, GM Denis Lazavik and GM Vladislav Artemiev.

The cutoff was tight. Artemiev took the last spot with 17 points, one ahead of GM Vincent Keymer on 16. Andreikin and Niemann both sit on 19, and So and Lazavik on 18.

Caruana, with 14, is tied for tenth with GM Alexey Sarana and outside the top eight.

The field is 16 players, and the places below the top eight can still be filled through additional invitations and withdrawals, so Keymer, Caruana and others may yet play.

Nakamura’s 36 points are almost double anyone else’s, which fits his record in the event; see our look at Carlsen and Nakamura tied at five titles.

Titled Tuesday starts at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the next edition a week away and a $6,000 bounty on offer for anyone who can go 11/11.