Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen overcame an early struggle to win the Titled Tuesday online blitz tournament on January 20, 2026, scoring 9.5 out of 11. He clinched the title with a dramatic victory over GM Nihal Sarin in round 10, followed by a draw in the final round. This marks his second Titled Tuesday win of 2026.
The Titled Tuesday event, hosted by Chess.com for titled players, drew 426 entrants starting at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Carlsen faced early challenges, including a tense first-round rook ending against Venezuelan CM Christian Allen, where Allen faltered in time trouble. Opponents continued to blunder, allowing Carlsen to escape difficulties, such as in round five when GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov dropped a piece. Carlsen remarked to viewers, "If I'm going to receive gifts like this, then I certainly have a chance at this tournament."
By round six, six players reached 5/5, including Carlsen. GM Wesley So took the lead with 6/6 after defeating GM Dmitry Andreikin, while Carlsen drew So in round seven despite being down a pawn. GM Jeffery Xiong joined So at the top. Entering round eight, 14 players had six points, leading to a nine-way tie at 7/8 after several decisive games, highlighted by GM Alexey Sarana's sacrificial 33...Rxh3+!! against GM Zbigniew Pakleza.
Carlsen found his form in rounds nine and ten, defeating Xiong and then Sarin in a 61-move thriller. The game repeated an opening Carlsen used to beat GM Gukesh Dommaraju in the 2023 World Cup. Despite missing a tactical shot on move 20, Carlsen gained a decisive material edge by move 46, promoting a pawn on move 55 and checkmating on move 61. Broadcaster GM David Howell called it "one of the highest quality blitz games I've seen in ages by both sides."
Meanwhile, Sarana beat GM Benjamin Bok, and GM Denis Lazavik defeated So on move 90. In the final round, Carlsen drew Lazavik via stalemate in a rook endgame, while So drew Sarana, securing Carlsen's outright win. Lazavik finished second on nine points with superior tiebreaks. Eight players scored nine points total.
Final top six: Carlsen (9.5/11), Lazavik (9), Xiong (9), Sarana (9), Pakleza (9), GM Sam Sevian (9). Prizes included $1,000 for Carlsen and $750 for Lazavik. IM Karina Ambartsumova placed 55th as the top woman. The event contributes to the Champions Chess Tour Winter Split standings.
