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Carlsen Strikes Again, SCC 2025

09 February 2026

The Speed Chess Championship 2025 reached its thrilling conclusion this past weekend in London. After months of intense online competition that started on October 13th, the world's fastest chess players gathered at the 180 Studios for the live finals. In a showcase of incredible skill and mental toughness, Magnus Carlsen secured his 5th SCC title, further cementing his legacy as the greatest speed player in history.

The Semifinals: Road to the Finals

The semifinals featured a mix of dominant performances and nail-biting finishes:

Magnus Carlsen vs. Denis Lazavik: Carlsen showed his class early on, defeating the teenage prodigy Denis Lazavik with a commanding 17 points. While Lazavik showed great spirit, Carlsen’s control over the board was too much to overcome.

Alireza Firouzja vs. Hikaru Nakamura: This match was a classic battle of speed. Firouzja pulled off a spectacular comeback, winning with 15 points and knocking out the defending champion, Hikaru Nakamura, in a result that stunned the chess world.

The Grand Final: Carlsen vs. Firouzja

The finals in London saw a rematch of the world's two highest-rated speed players. The match followed the strict SCC time format:

90 Minutes of 5+1 Blitz: The "slowest" portion where deep strategy still plays a role.

60 Minutes of 3+1 Blitz: The pace increased, testing the players' quick reactions.

30 Minutes of 1+1 Bullet: Pure speed, where moves are made in less than a second.

In a hard-fought battle, Magnus Carlsen won the final with 15 points, defeating Alireza Firouzja. This victory marks Carlsen’s 5th Speed Chess Championship title and his third consecutive win, proving he is still the man to beat when the clock is ticking.

A Major Upset in the 3rd Place Match

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament happened in the battle for third place. Denis Lazavik faced off against the legendary Hikaru Nakamura. Historically, Nakamura and Carlsen have dominated this tournament, but Lazavik pulled off a historic upset.

In a razor-thin match, the 19-year-old Denis Lazavik secured 3rd place with 13.5 points, beating Nakamura by just a single point. This loss for Hikaru was highly unexpected, as it is one of the rare times he has finished outside the top two in SCC history.