Alireza Firouzja Dominates 2025 Bullet Chess Championship, Retains Title in Style
On June 28, 2025, Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja delivered a masterclass in bullet chess, successfully defending his title at the 2025 Bullet Chess Championship hosted by Chess.com. The 22-year-old French-Iranian phenom clinched his third championship crown, defeating GM Oleksandr Bortnyk 19.5-5.5 in the Grand Final to secure the $10,000 prize. This victory follows his thrilling 2024 triumph over multiple times ex-champion GM Hikaru Nakamura, whom he defeated twice in the final to claim the title.
Firouzja’s 2025 campaign was a display of sheer dominance, as he won every match by a margin exceeding 10 points. He started with a 13.5-3.5 rout of GM Jeffery Xiong, followed by a 15.5-5.5 victory over GM Yagiz Erdogmus, and a 17.5-6.5 win against the Indian speed chess expert GM Nihal Sarin. In the Winners Final, he overwhelmed GM Daniel Naroditsky, who is known for exceptional tactical vision and quickness in the format, 22.5-10.5. Reflecting on his performance, Firouzja said, “After the first match, I knew I was in good shape. My opponents underperformed a bit, but I played well.” Despite the absence of bullet giants like Magnus Carlsen and Nakamura, Firouzja’s relentless precision and speed left no doubt about his supremacy. In total, Alireza amassed 88.5/121 points, and topping the rating leaderboard on the platform with 3357. Fans on X celebrated his insane domination, dubbing him the “bullet GOAT.” While acknowledging the absence of Carlsen and Nakamura, Firouzja also attributed his smooth sail to his “opponents under-performing” against him, highlighting the psychological edge Firouzja had over his opposition. While acknowledging the speed of rising stars like IM Faustino Oro, Firouzja noted, “I don’t see anyone competing at Hikaru’s level yet.” His 2025 triumph, paired with his recent Team Falcons signing, cements Firouzja’s reign as the undisputed king of bullet chess.
Photo courtesy: Chess.com
