Chess player Nepomnyashchy defeated Murzin and became a semifinalist of the World Blitz World Cup

Russian grandmaster Jan Nepomnyashchy on December 31 defeated his compatriot Volodar Murzin in the quarterfinals of the World Blitz Championship (WBC) being held in New York.

In the playoff series, chess players play four games, each lasting three minutes with two seconds added after each move. Nepomnyashchy beat his opponent in three games with a score of 2.5:0.5.

Thanks to this victory, the chess player secured at least a bronze medal at the World Cup. In the semifinal match Nepomnyashchy will face Wesley So from the USA.

Familiar blitz: the best grandmasters gathered in New York for the tournament

The World Rapid Chess Championship will feature Russian participants, including reigning champions Gunina and Bodnaruk

Earlier, on December 28, Volodar Murzin won the World Rapid Championship, which was held in New York. Second place in the World Rapid Chess Championship went to Russian Alexander Grischuk, and third place went to Russian Jan Nepomnyashchy, who scored 9.5 points.