Alireza wins a 13th Titled Arena.
GM Alireza Firouzja won his 13th Titled Arena on Saturday, bringing him almost even with the record 14 won by GM Magnus Carlsen. (EDITORS NOTE: Upon further review, it seems Magnus has actually won 15 Titled Arenas.) Firouzja was quickly among the leaders and eventually pulled away, finishing in 1st by a comfortable 20 point margin. Magnus played in the event too but started late, something that, as we’ve discussed before, is not necessarily a big disadvantage. His first game was played 42 minutes into the 2 hour event. By the time he surged into the top spots, the leader was just too far ahead and Magnus finished third behind Firouzja and GM Daniel Naroditsky.