Why did Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi share 2024 World Blitz Championship title?

At the 2024 World Blitz Championship in Wall Street, New York on Wednesday, Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi shared the title after the final ended in a tie. The decision came after three sudden-death games failed to produce a winner.

Carlsen started strong in the final, winning the first two games. He needed only a draw in the third game to win the Championship, but Nepomniachtchi fought hard and made a comeback. He won two games in a row, levelling the score at 2-2 and forcing a tiebreak.

In the sudden-death games, neither player managed to secure a win, with all three games ending in draws. Carlsen then suggested sharing the title with his opponent.

After some discussion and delay FIDE approved the decision.

For Nepomniachtchi, this result ended a series of runner-up finishes in major tournaments. For Carlsen, it reflected his willingness to acknowledge an evenly matched opponent.

This outcome was a rare event in chess history which instantly sparked controversy about whether it was right to culminate the title this way.

However, it also showed how closely matched the two players were. It also brought a different conclusion to their rivalry, which included Carlsen’s victory over Nepomniachtchi in the 2021 World Championship.