Overview

• D Gukesh secured the rapid crown with 14 out of 18 points in Zagreb, overturning an opening loss with a five-game winning streak.
• Gukesh’s momentum collapsed in the blitz phase as he lost five of his first six games and scored just 1.5 out of nine.
• Magnus Carlsen delivered a commanding blitz display, accumulating 7.5 points to leap from fourth to first in combined rankings.
• The contrast between Gukesh’s rapid dominance and his blitz struggles highlights the distinct demands of each format.
• With nine blitz rounds remaining, Carlsen leads the overall standings 17.5 to 15.5 as both players vie for the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour title.