Four grandmasters advanced to the winners semifinals of the 2026 Bullet Chess Championship after winning their matches on day one. The double-elimination event continues on Thursday with several elimination rounds.
GMs Alireza Firouzja, Nihal Sarin, Andrew Tang and Arjun Erigaisi each secured two victories on the opening day to remain in the winners bracket. They will face each other in the semifinals on day two.
Firouzja defeated Gurel 10-7 while Nihal defeated Maghsoodloo after starting with six consecutive wins. Tang beat Bortnyk 10.5-6.5 and Arjun overcame Paravyan in tiebreaks to finish 12-9.
The 16-player field competes in a 1+0 time control format with a total prize fund of $50,000. Day two begins at 12:00 p.m. ET and includes the first eliminations from the losers bracket.