GM Oleksandr Bortnyuk delivered a commanding performance at the CCC Rapid & Blitz tournament, achieving a perfect 9-0 score in the blitz section to claim first place. The Ukrainian grandmaster’s flawless execution earned him 11 FIDE blitz rating points, propelling him to approximately 7th place in the world blitz rankings.

It was the first American event for Anna Cramling in the USA.The other notable chess personalities included GothamChess,GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Pia Cramling and Dina Belenkaya. The event featured a $1,000 guaranteed prize fund split between rapid and blitz formats, with the rapid section offering $400 in prizes across multiple rating categories and the blitz section providing $600 in total prizes.

Competition took place at the Charlotte Chess Center’s main location on Kettering Drive. The rapid section utilized G/10+5 time controls over 5 rounds, while the blitz format featured G/3+2 time controls across 9 rounds, both rated for US Chess and FIDE standings.

Final standings: https://events.charlottechesscenter.org/rapidblitz/standings?SectionID=17713

Photo by: Michal Walusza/FIDE