Vaishali Stuns Niemann and So in Budapest Blitz; Carlsen Goes Unbeaten

An Upset Start in Budapest

India’s R. Vaishali made a strong impression on the opening day of the Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot in Budapest, defeating two higher-profile American opponents, Hans Niemann and Wesley So, while playing with the black pieces. Vaishali, the lowest-rated player in the 24-player field, finished the nine-round blitz event on four points, with two wins, four draws and three losses.

Her win over Niemann came after a difficult stretch in the middlegame. A mistake by Niemann in the endgame allowed her to turn the position around. She later beat So in the third round, after an earlier loss to Vladislav Artemiev. Among the players she held to draws were Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Richard Rapport, Anish Giri and Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Reflecting on the day, Vaishali told Chessbase India that it was among her best blitz performances. She had hoped for a place in Magnus Carlsen’s group but said her own pool was also demanding, featuring So, Arjun Erigaisi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Carlsen Leads the Blitz Standings

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen finished the blitz section unbeaten, collecting seven points from five wins and four draws. His final-round victory over Haik Martirosyan, playing with black, secured him first place ahead of Vachier-Lagrave, who had 6.5 points, and Levon Aronian, on six.

Arjun Erigaisi ended sixth on tie-break after 5.5 points, having lost his last game to Aronian. R. Praggnanandhaa placed 14th with 4.5 points following a win over Andrew Hong. Assaubayeva had a difficult event, winning no games and losing eight in a row, finishing last with half a point after drawing with Vaishali.

How the Standings Will Be Used

The blitz results carry no points in the main competition but matter for tie-breaks. They will decide group-stage ordering and the pairings for the knockout semifinals.

What Comes Next

The Fast Classic phase began on Wednesday, with 45 minutes per player and a 30-second increment per move. Vaishali faces Niemann and So again in Group D, which also includes Erigaisi, Vachier-Lagrave and Assaubayeva, with each player meeting the others twice. Two games are scheduled daily through November 15, with three points for a win and one for a draw. Only the group winner advances to contend for the title. Early results in the phase included a tense draw between Carlsen and Giri, a first-game draw between Erigaisi and Niemann, and a win for Aronian over Jorden van Foreest.