Van Foreest and Martirosyan Secure Wins at Total Chess Fast Classic
Jorden van Foreest and Haik Martirosyan achieved decisive victories after losing their opening matches in the Total Chess World Championship Tour.
BUDAPEST, Nov 12: Grandmasters Jorden van Foreest and Haik Martirosyan rebounded from initial defeats to secure wins against fellow Grandmasters Levon Aronian and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov at the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot 2026 in Budapest. This event features a new fast-classical chess format, allowing players 45 minutes per game along with a 30-second increment for each move.
Both players’ victories were significant in the second round, where Van Foreest stated he took a ‘high risk, high reward’ approach, which paid off against Aronian. Conversely, Martirosyan had a challenging start but found redemption by winning against Mamedyarov. The victories allowed them to outscore players who ended the day with draws.
Among the leaders after the initial rounds are GMs Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, each earning four points from one win and one draw. Magnus Carlsen faced tough competition, managing only two draws against GM Anish Giri. Carlsen commented on the difficulties of the fast format, stating, “To play a second game is very difficult, but it’s life!”
The group stage of the tournament includes a total of five days, where players face each opponent twice. As the competition unfolds, only the top players from each group will advance to the knockout rounds, in which matches will test talent across various chess formats.
Day three of the tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 12, featuring additional rounds in this unique chess competition.