GM Javokhir Sindarov captured both the rapid and blitz sections at the inaugural Naroditsky Memorial in Charlotte. IM John Bartholomew went undefeated to claim the separate Creator Invitational.
The event ran July 3-5 at the Marriott City Center to honor the late GM Daniel Naroditsky. Sindarov finished the seven-round rapid with 6/7 after a final-round win and then defeated GM Aravindh Chithambaram 2-0 in a blitz playoff.
In the 11-round blitz Swiss he advanced from the qualifiers via a 158-move Armageddon draw and then posted 7.5/9 in the round-robin finals. Bartholomew scored 9-0 in the ten-player Creator Blitz event.
Nine grandmasters and NM Ethan Sheehan reached the Masters Finals. The tournament offered a $50,000 prize fund and featured time controls of 10+5 for rapid and 3+2 for blitz.