Nodirbek Abdusattorov Shuffles Between Two Tournaments – Plays 8 Games in One Day
There has been an abundance of top chess action since the second quarter of the year 2025, as we have online super tournaments like the Champions Chess Tour and the Sharjah Masters – one of the strongest classical open tournaments – taking place simultaneously. While some players made the decision to participate in either one, Uzbek no. 1 Nodirbek Abdusattorov was seen shuffling between the two as he played 7 intense rapid games after finishing his round 4 game at the Sharjah Chess Club.
When we talk about stamina in chess, alongside some of the Indian prodigies, Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s name comes up, as the 20-year-old was known for playing excessively within short frames of time. Along with Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Gukesh D, Nodirbek is one of the invitees for the Chess.com Classic Champions Chess Tour, which takes place from May 20 to 23. The online elite tournament demands the players participate in two 4-game intense matches of 10+0, starting from 3:15 GMT. However, just 4 hours before the kick-off, Nodirbek starts a game of classical chess at Sharjah Masters! A game of 90m+30s can last up to 4 hours provided both the players have made over 60 moves and are playing in a mutual time scramble, which is why Nodirbek has signed up for quite the challenge. Another player in Sharjah who fancies a spot in the Esports World Cup is Anish Giri. However, Giri couldn’t make it to the Play-In stage in time on May 19.
On the first day of the CCT, May 20, Nodirbek timely beat his round 4 opponent and countryman, GM Ortik Nigmatov, in less than 3 hours and then went on to win two 4-game matches against GM Denis Lazavik and China’s no. 1 GM Wei Yi.
Abdusattorov even sealed his match against the Chinese in the just games by scoring 2 wins and a draw. This is an impressive display of not only chess strength and stamina but also adaptability. The Uzbek wonder boy has taken on the task of switching between classical and speed chess gears with no time to rest, still excelling. For Day 2, Nodirbek has a mammoth of a challenge as he faces none other than Magnus Carlsen in the semi-finals. Can he pull off the unthinkable?
Photo courtesy: Sharjah Chess Club
