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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Gawain Jones (2654.0 +15.0), despite being seeded only 5th, wins the London Chess Classic with a full-point lead over the field, improving his live world ranking by more than 20 positions. 📸via London Chess Classic

🎉 Superblitz Kicks Off Today! 🎉 MVL is ready to bring the heat — but it looks like he’s brought his Olympique Lyonnais 🇬🇧🇺🇸 shirt to Arsenal home turf! ⚽️😅 Catch him and the world’s best GMs in action at the Superblitz! ⚡ 📺 Watch live: londonchessclassic.com/watch-live

Congratulations to FM's David Haydon and Alex Golding who took the final 2 qualifying places in this afternoon's SuperBlitz.

The SuperBlitz of the XTX Markets London Chess Classic is now underway - 32 players battling it out for a first prize of £5k and a total prize fund of £12k. Format is four groups of 8 in an all-play-all - with 2 qualifying from each group for a final all-play-all group to decide.

Unfortunately, Peter Svidler has had to withdraw from the SuperBlitz. The fact that Malcolm Pein repeatedly reminded him that has a lifetime plus score against him supposedly had nothing to do with it.

Youth versus experience and it’s not going to form - the SuperBlitz is well underway

It's an all GM final - qualifying from the group stages: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, GM Michael Adams, GM Vidit Gujrathi, GM Gawain Jones, GM Nikita Vitiugov, GM Ilya Smirin, GM Vignir Stefansson - will we see another English winner? It's a 3/8 chance.

Watch it live: lichess.org/broadcast/2024…

And the winner of the XTX Markets SuperBlitz is Alireza Firouzja with 5.5/7. Followed by his countryman, MVL with 4.5/7. Tomorrow we are having a Blindfold tournament to round off the XTX Markets London Chess Classic - streamed live via lichess.org (12pm GMT)

The Blindfold Challenge has begun at Home House . It is a display of superhuman skill as the 8 players from the Elite event plus MVL and Luke McShane play against each other without sight of the pieces! Who will master the mind game? 🧠♟️

Congratulations to MVL on winning the Blindfold Challenge at the XTX Markets London Chess Classic! 🏆 🧠♟️ The preparation has paid off. 💪🏻♟️

Me and the soon to be GOAT thanks John Saunders for the snap and thanks Malcolm Pein XTX Markets for another wonderful classic dinner

A very happy birthday to Gawain Maroroa Jones - the winner of this year's XTX Markets London Chess Classic. We look forward to welcoming him back in 2025 to defend his title. Photo courtesy of John Saunders

And happy birthday to the winner of the 2014 London Chess Classic Viswanathan Anand Photo courtesy of Ray Morris-Hill

Leonard Barden still sharp as ever...

Congratulations to the new World Chess Champion Gukesh D - pictured here at the 2023 London Chess Classic. A true gentleman and a fantastic ambassador for the game.

Excited to announce that Chess Masters: The Endgame will be hitting your screens soon! We put everything into this project, and it's probably the most proud/excited I've ever been😊. Episode one launches on BBC2 at 8pm on Monday 10th March. Spread the word! #ChessMasters #Endgame

It's only been 32 years, but chess is back on TV with Chess Masters !! First of 8 episodes on BBC Two on Monday 10th 8pm and it's all over BBC iPlayer as well. Hosted by Sue Perkins 💙 David Howell and Chess in Schools and Communities own Anthony Mathurin formerly of The Traitors UK #chessmasters

Tonight's the night! The series 1 finale of Chess Masters: The Endgame. For anyone in the UK, please show your support by tuning in to BBC2 tonight at 8pm. 🙏♟️