Maghsoodloo Wins Two 3+0 Chess Events as Caruana Closes the Day in Style
Grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo dominated the opening half of Thursday’s fast-paced chess action, winning the first two 3+0 tournaments and putting himself within reach of a rare three-event sweep. His back-to-back victories made him the first player to win consecutive tournaments on the same day since GM Hikaru Nakamura achieved the feat across back-to-back weeks in March and April.
But the third tournament brought a change of pace. Maghsoodloo’s results dipped, while GM Fabiano Caruana carried a strong run of form into the final event and claimed first place. It was another productive day for Caruana, who had already won a game in the U.S. Championship and remained tied for the lead there as well.
The day’s results highlighted the volatility of 3+0 chess. With only three minutes per player and no increment, a single tactical oversight can quickly turn a promising position into a loss. Maghsoodloo handled that pressure superbly in the first two events, while Caruana proved the strongest finisher in the third.
First Tournament: Maghsoodloo Builds a Lead and Holds On
Maghsoodloo began the day with an exceptional streak, winning his first seven games in the opening tournament. The run included a sharp tactical victory over the event’s top seed, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, in which Maghsoodloo spotted a sudden opportunity and converted it with confidence.
His winning streak ended in the following round. GM Alexey Sarana launched a sacrificial attack, and Maghsoodloo was unable to find a defence in the rapid-fire time control. The loss brought him back to the pack, but he remained tied for first with three rounds still to play.
Maghsoodloo responded with two important wins. In round nine, he turned around a difficult position against GM Denis Lazavik. He then produced a tactical miniature against GM Dmitry Andreikin, restoring his momentum at a crucial point in the tournament. By the end of round 10, Maghsoodloo had reached nine points and held a full-point advantage.
That margin proved valuable in the final round, when he lost to GM Volodar Murzin. The defeat allowed Andreikin to catch him on points, but Maghsoodloo’s earlier results gave him the superior tiebreak score and the tournament title. Andreikin finished second, while Lazavik placed third on tiebreaks. The women’s prize went to IM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, who scored 6.5 points.
Second Tournament: A Sacrifice Sparks Another Victory
Maghsoodloo carried his momentum into the second tournament, again producing a strong performance in the 11-round Swiss. One of the defining moments came in round nine, when he sacrificed a rook against GM Arjun Erigaisi to seize the sole lead. The bold decision reflected the attacking instincts that had powered his first tournament win.
Keeping that advantage was no simple task. Maghsoodloo lost to GM Dmitry Andreikin in round 10, creating a five-way tie for first place as the final rounds approached. The crowded leaderboard left little room for error: one win could lift a player into the lead, while a draw or loss might be enough to fall behind.
Andreikin defeated GM Movahed, while Sarana scored a win against another contender. Maghsoodloo, however, took care of his own game, beating GM Ivan Cheparinov in a controlled performance. That victory secured first place, with Andreikin finishing second on tiebreaks and Sarana taking third, half a point behind the leaders.
NM Atousa Pourkashiyan won the women’s prize with seven points. Her result was particularly notable because she joined the tournament late and missed the first two rounds. In a Swiss event, where every game contributes to a player’s final score and tiebreaks, making up that early deficit is a demanding challenge.
Third Tournament: Caruana Takes Over
With two tournament wins already in hand, Maghsoodloo entered the final event seeking to become the first player to sweep all three Thursday tournaments. Instead, he struggled to find the same rhythm. He was on a minus score after seven rounds, although a strong finish brought him to 7/11 and 12th place.
Caruana, meanwhile, arrived with confidence after winning his sixth-round game in the U.S. Championship earlier in the day. He opened the final tournament with four consecutive wins, including a striking tactical demolition of GM Christopher Yoo in round three. The result set the tone for a performance built on accurate calculation and steady conversion.
Caruana suffered his first setback in round five, losing to GM Hans Niemann. He recovered immediately, winning his next five games. In round eight, IM Renato Terry tried the Jobava London System, an opening he often plays, but Caruana was well prepared. He gained a commanding position and converted it into a convincing win.
After 10 games, Caruana had scored nine points and held a full-point lead. A final-round loss to GM David Paravyan did not change the outcome: his nearest rival, GM Richard Rapport, drew and finished half a point behind. Martirosyan took third on tiebreaks, while WFM Anastasia Bodnaruk won the women’s prize with six points.
How the 3+0 Thursday Series Works
The 3+0 Thursday competition consists of three weekly Swiss tournaments for verified titled players. Each event features 11 rounds at a three-minute time control with no increment, a format that rewards fast calculation, tactical awareness and practical decision-making. The three tournaments share a combined weekly prize fund of $3,000.
Maghsoodloo’s two victories demonstrated how powerful sustained momentum can be in blitz chess, while Caruana’s final-event win showed the value of recovering quickly from a setback. The day also offered a reminder that even elite players cannot take a result for granted in 3+0: a lead can disappear in a single game, and every round can reshape the standings.
