Hikaru Nakamura is a point ahead of everyone else after the first day of the blitz in the Open tournament. In the Women’s event, Polina Shuvalova and Valentina Gunina are tied for first place.
The World Blitz Chess Championship got underway today in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with the sound of chess clocks ticking quickly throughout the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace. There are 174 players in the Open tournament and 98 in the Women’s section, totalling 272 participants from more than 50 countries.