Magnus Carlsen added another milestone to his illustrious career by winning the World Blitz Chess Championship for the ninth time on Tuesday, just two days after clinching the rapid title. The 35-year-old Norwegian defeated Uzbek grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov 2½-1½ in the final held in Doha, Qatar.
This victory marks Carlsen's fifth rapid and blitz double, having previously achieved the feat in 2014, 2019, 2022, and 2023. Despite relinquishing his classical world champion title earlier, citing a lack of motivation, Carlsen demonstrated his enduring dominance in faster time controls. He recovered from a slow start in the 19-game preliminary stage to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
In the semi-finals, Carlsen defeated American Fabiano Caruana 3-1 before facing the 21-year-old Abdusattorov in the final. After losing the first game, Carlsen bounced back to win the second, drew the third, and held his nerve in a time scramble to win the fourth game and seal the title.
In the women's event, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Uzbekistan defeated Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk 2½-1½ to claim the women's blitz world championship.
