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Alireza Firouzja defeats Magnus Carlsen in final of Banter Blitz Cup

The chess world has been turned on its head by a 16-year-old stateless nomad who just did the unthinkable to the world champion grand master.

Alireza Firouzja defeats Magnus Carlsen in final of Banter Blitz Cup

The chess world has been turned on its head by a 16-year-old stateless nomad who just did the unthinkable to the world champion grand master.

Firouzja became a grand master at the age of 14 — and was crowned Iran’s chess champion at the age of 12.

However, Firouzja last year announced he would no longer be playing under Iran’s flag after the country’s ban on Iranian athletes competing against Israeli competitors.

Despite living in France since he was eight-years-old when his family fled from Iran, Firouzja has elected to compete as a stateless competitor that doesn’t represent any country.

Now the rest of the world is beginning to see what the freak is capable of.

He sealed victory over Carlsen in the final match of the final to take the $22,000 championship prize money, sending Norway’s Carlsen home with $14,000.

Firouzja’s lightning speed during the tournament is quickly making him one of the most popular players on the planet, with his notoriety far exceeding his current FIDE world ranking of No. 20 in the world.

“I think we can expect to see a lot more from Firouzja,” Carlsen said in defeat. It’s a massive understatement.

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