2025 Speed Chess Championship: Favourites ruling the round of 16
The round of 16 has almost concluded in chess.com’s 2025 Speed Chess Championship. Today’s matchup was Nepomniachtchi/Giri, which Nepo won by a score of 17.5 – 10.5.
He seized a huge lead early with a 6.5-1.5 session of 5+1, added to it with a 6-4 score in 3+1, and then finished it off with a 5-5 split in 1+1. With the result, the quarterfinal match Firouza/Nepomniachtchi is set, along with the matchups Nakamura/So and Lazavik/Niemann.
None of the matches have gone all the way down to the wire, though there has been a mix of tight ones and blowouts. Lazavik over Erigaisi likely counts as the most notable result, though Lazavik, and everyone else here, is a very accomplished speed player. The last round of 16 match will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET tomorrow, October 30th, when Caruana and Praggnanandhaa determine who will face Magnus Carlsen in the quarterfinals. You can follow along on your favourite chess streaming platform.
The Finals are scheduled to take place live in London, on February 7-8.
