Jan-Krzysztof Duda wins FIDE World Cup 2021

23-year-old Grandmaster, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, climbed to the top of the FIDE World Cup with a decisive win against Sergey Karjakin in the final. Duda had an incredible run defeating GMs Sevian, Idani, Grischuk, Vidit, Carlsen, and Karjakin, becoming the first Pole to win the World Cup.

The ceremonial first move of Day 2 Final was made by Sergey Tolchinsky, Russian professional ice hockey, and both finalists seemed to enjoy the fact that he attempted to start Duda’s game with the b-pawn!

Duda had a confident start of the game, showing excellent preparation and kept pushing until the end. The result was inevitable, even though it could have been achieved earlier, giving Karjakin a bit of hope to turn things around. Eventually, Duda beat Karjakin convincingly in the second game to win the Final 1.5-0.5.

Duda’s victory against the reigning World Champion and the 2016 World Title Challenger in proper matches made him undefeated in the tournament with 12½/18, and Magnus Carlsen congratulated him instantly with a firm handshake.

Congratulations to Duda and his team for a fantastic unbeaten performance! We are looking forward to watching your Candidates’ games.