Carlsen and Nakamura return with five Speed Chess titles each
Chess.com announced a $250,000 tournament, with Sindarov making his debut and live finals in London on February 5–7, 2027.
Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura have won every edition of the Speed Chess Championship. Both will compete in SCC XI, announced by Chess.com on November 3, with five titles apiece.
Carlsen won the first two editions. Nakamura then won five straight, from 2018 through 2022, before Carlsen won the next three. Among their opponents this time: Javokhir Sindarov, making his SCC debut, and Alireza Firouzja, whom Carlsen defeated in the last two finals.
Firouzja qualified through the Champions Chess Tour standings after winning the November 3 Titled Tuesday undefeated on 10/11. Nakamura finished second on 9.5/11. Sina Movahed, Hans Niemann, Dmitry Andreikin, Wesley So, Denis Lazavik and Vladislav Artemiev also qualified through the standings.
The 16-player knockout starts November 16. Players compete in two blitz sections and one bullet section per match, with a $250,000 total prize fund. The live finals take place at 180 Studios in London on February 5–7, 2027.
The winner earns 150 Champions Chess Tour points. At the end of the tour, the top 12 players qualify for the 2027 Esports World Cup.
Chess.com · SCC XI announcement, November 3 · Chess.com · November 3 Titled Tuesday results