Naroditsky Bolts To 28th Title, Outdoes Super-GM Trio

GM Daniel Naroditsky attained his 28th Bullet Brawl title and the $400 first prize after scoring 247 points on Saturday. GM Hikaru Nakamura was Naroditsky's main adversary but couldn't keep pace with Naroditsky, who worked through a record-breaking 92 games in the two-hour arena.

Having outpaced super-GM participants Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Parham Maghsoodloo, GM Andrew Tang and IM Yoseph Taher finished third and fourth, respectively, and will receive $150 and $100 for their efforts. FM Anastasia Avramidou won the $100 best women's prize.

The next edition of Bullet Brawl will commence on Saturday, May 31, at noon ET/17:00 CEST.

Standings

(Full final standings here.)

Daniel Naroditsky secured his 28th #BulletBrawl victory today by just 4 points! 🔥

Only Hikaru (40) has won more. pic.twitter.com/B2oCpg71AD

— Chess.com (@chesscom) May 24, 2025

Saturday's Bullet Brawl was a very strong edition, and the top 13 spots were filled by players with Chess.com bullet ratings over 3000. Three FIDE classical super-GMs—Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa, and Maghsoodloo—joined bullet specialists Tang, Taher, GMs Jose Martinez, Oleksandr Bortnyk, and 170 other titled players in pursuit of a Bullet Brawl crown.

Any new winner would have their name etched alongside illustrious company—just 12 individuals have managed to win despite 106 editions occurring since 2023.

All-Time Leaderboard

While the thought of a first-time winner sounded tantalizing, Bullet Brawl's most prolific duo, Nakamura and Naroditsky, showed why so few have won. They started strongly, posting 7.5 and 8/10 scores, and the arena quickly became a two-horse race. In his ninth game, a brilliancy in the Closed Sicilian Defense: Grand Prix Attack highlighted what the 40-time winner is capable of.

Nakamura and Naroditsky's strategies starkly contrasted with each other, though—Nakamura prioritized gritty streaks and high accuracy, whereas Naroditsky went for the throat in his games, even at the expense of his position. This was a key factor that led to Naroditsky finishing first despite losing eight more games than Nakamura.

Against NM Mike Sailer, Naroditsky showcased his strategy, gambling with 14.Qf3??, and anticipating Sailer's 14...0-0-0?. Moments later, he capped off the game with a stunning sacrifice to checkmate his opponent on the 17th move.

Naroditsky also notched 11- and 19-move wins over Tang and Praggnanandhaa, capitalizing on his opponent's dubious premoves. His most important miniature, however, was a 20-mover that snapped Nakamura's nine-game streak.

In the end, a miniature-laden 9.5/10 finish secured the top prize for Naroditsky, and the American never stopped dishing out tactical punishment to his challengers.

When the arena clock expired, 39 points stood between Naroditsky and the third-placed Tang, who himself has successfully won past Bullet Brawls with high volume playing a part. Several juniors also finished in the top 20 in this week's brawl, and these are names worth keeping an eye out for in the future: GM Xue, FM Rustam Rustamov, FM Sergey Sklokin, and FM Jiri Bouska.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting arena featuring Chess.com's top bullet specialists. It takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000. Like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

Previous coverage:

• • Announcing Chess.com Community Bullet Brawl Tournaments
  • Introducing Bullet Brawls And New Arena Options