Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura claimed his 55th Bullet Brawl victory on May 2, 2026, maintaining his perfect win record in the event for the year. He scored 52.5 out of 65 games for 172 points, finishing 20 points ahead of GM Oleksandr Bortnyk. This marks Nakamura's sixth Bullet Brawl win in 2026.
GM Hikaru Nakamura returned to Chess.com's Bullet Brawl on Saturday, May 2, after a break since January, dominating a 130-player field to secure his record-extending 55th title. Following the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, Nakamura posted 52.5/65 for 172 points, outpacing second-place GM Oleksandr Bortnyk by 20 points. He earned $400, while Bortnyk received $250, GMs Dmitry Andreikin and Tuan Minh Le took $150 and $100 for third and fourth, and FM Anastasia Avramidou won the $100 best women's prize with 103 points. The weekly 1+0 time control arena carries a $1,000 prize fund and features top bullet specialists each Saturday. Nakamura overcame early losses to GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra and CM Nika Volkov, then unleashed a 15-game winning streak highlighted by tactical brilliance. Against IM Yuri Hambardzumian, he unleashed a Fishing Pole trap-inspired 10.h4!! to provoke a blunder. He defeated Andreikin with an eight-move combination for a four-point material edge, winning their head-to-head 8.5-1.5 despite three draws. Nakamura also swept Bortnyk 3-0. Only GM David Paravyan and FM Havard Haug beat him more than once. Avramidou excelled, beating IM Michael Concio Jr. when he missed a tactic leading to insufficient material, and finished 20 points ahead of FM Rose Atwell. Nakamura now holds double the Bullet Brawl titles of any other player. The next Bullet Brawl is scheduled for May 9 at 12 p.m. ET.
