Mamedyarov Finishes 20th in Total Chess Blitz
Azerbaijan's Shakhriyar Mamedyarov placed 20th among 24 players in the blitz stage of Total Chess Pilot 2026 in Budapest.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in eSports
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov finished 20th among 24 participants in the blitz stage of Total Chess Pilot 2026, scoring 3.5 points over nine rounds. Magnus Carlsen won the blitz tournament with seven points.
Why it matters
The blitz stage determines standings and tie-break positions heading into the group stage, which begins November 11 in Budapest. Results in the blitz stage will be used to break ties on points.
Mamedyarov recorded three wins, one draw, and five defeats, totaling 3.5 points across nine blitz rounds. Carlsen finished first with seven points, while Vachier-Lagrave took second with 6.5 and Aronian third with six.
The players
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Azerbaijani grandmaster who competed in the blitz stage of Total Chess Pilot 2026 and finished 20th among 24 participants.
Magnus Carlsen
Norwegian chess player widely regarded as one of the strongest players in history, who won the blitz tournament with seven points.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
French grandmaster who finished second in the blitz stage with 6.5 points.
Levon Aronian
Armenian-American grandmaster who finished third in the blitz stage with six points.
The details
Mamedyarov drew with Le Quang Liem in the eighth round with the white pieces and defeated Jorden van Foreest in the final round with the black pieces. The blitz stage was played over nine rounds, with points awarded for wins, draws, and losses.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: Group stage of Total Chess Pilot 2026 begins in Budapest.
November 20, 2026: Total Chess Pilot 2026 is scheduled to end.
Season Trajectory
The blitz stage sets preliminary standings for the multi-stage Total Chess Pilot 2026 format, where tie-breaks use blitz results before the group stage starts in Budapest. Mamedyarov's 20th-place finish leaves him behind the top three of Carlsen, Vachier-Lagrave and Aronian heading into that phase.
Fans following the event can track group-stage matches starting November 11 in Budapest, where blitz results will serve as tie-break criteria. Standings from the blitz stage will matter for anyone tracking how players progress through the tournament.
The takeaway
Blitz results can decide close standings in multi-stage events, so early rounds carry more weight than they may appear to. Following the tie-break rules is useful for tracking how the Total Chess Pilot 2026 standings develop.
What happens next
The group stage of Total Chess Pilot 2026 begins November 11 in Budapest, with the tournament scheduled to conclude November 20.
Further reading
For more on competitive play, see the eSports section.
