Tang Snaps Naroditsky's 3-Week Streak

GM Andrew Tang made a statement in Saturday's Bullet Brawl after winning 70 games and accruing 253 points on the way to claiming the $400 first prize and his second title. For the first time since March, a player not named GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Daniel Naroditsky, or GM Oleksandr Bortnyk won the title, and Tang did so in style, streaking his way through the last 20 games.

Naroditsky finished in second place with 238 points, GM Jose Martinez finished in third with 212, and GM Christopher Yoo rounded out the top four with 207, while WGM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya claimed the $100 best women's prize.

The next Bullet Brawl will commence on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Andrew Tang wins #BulletBrawl for a second time, and ends Daniel Naroditsky's three week streak! 👏🐧 pic.twitter.com/tttBWHlZBx

— Chess.com (@chesscom) June 22, 2024

Tang's job as a quantitative trader at longtime Chess.com sponsor SIG seems to have limited his over-the-board opportunities since January; however, the 2024 Hyperbullet Champion has continued to impress in online events.

In a field stacked with podium regulars including Naroditsky, Bortnyk, and Jospem as well as GM streamers Tuan Minh Le, Benjamin Bok, and Eric Hansen, Tang had his work cut out for him but was able to build a lead off the back of scintillating attacking miniatures. Many of these games are puzzle-worthy so we've selected a few for you to attempt.

If checkmate was not an option, Tang was able to use his tactical prowess to win material.

This puzzle features a tactical shot by one of Tang's opponents, CM Hristos Marinakis, although the 21-year-old was not able to convert his advantage.

Tang's piece de resistance, though, is a stunning game against FM Mykola Korchynskyi where the U.S. GM played no less than three brilliant moves. The following game is a work of art... if the Louvre exhibited chess games, this would be a candidate. 

Another performance worth noting is that of the 10-year-old Argentinian FM Faustino Oro. Fresh home from Madrid where he narrowly missed picking up an IM norm, Oro finished ninth in Saturday's Bullet Brawl ahead of Le, Bok, Hansen, and GM Maksim Chigaev.

Chess fans from South America and the surrounds can be excited about Oro's future and hope that the Argentinian continues to improve. GMs Jose Raul Capablanca, Carlos Torre, and Oro's compatriot GM Oscar Panno are just a few of the superstars to emerge from the region.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

Previous coverage:

• • Announcing Chess.com Community Bullet Brawl Tournaments
  • Introducing Bullet Brawls And New Arena Options