Gurel Wins 10th Bullet Brawl Title, Ends Nakamura’s Perfect 2026 Record

Turkish Prodigy Captures Crown with Historic Winning Streak

GM Ediz Gurel’s dominant performance at this week’s Bullet Brawl tournament has broken through one of chess’s most impressive recent streaks. The 17-year-old Turkish grandmaster clinched his 10th Bullet Brawl title by defeating an elite field that included GM Hikaru Nakamura, who had previously maintained a perfect record in 2026.

Gurel’s path to victory was extraordinary. He stormed through the opening rounds with 17 consecutive wins, demonstrating the tactical brilliance and speed required to excel in one-minute bullet chess. This remarkable run proved decisive, as he ultimately edged out second-place finisher GM Nihal Sarin by just one point with a final score of 160 to 159.

An Outstanding Opening Performance

The Turkish grandmaster’s early dominance showcased exceptional tactical vision. In his first game against Norwegian FM Havard Haug, Gurel found three brilliant sacrifices within four moves and concluded the match in just 24 moves. Later during his streak, he demonstrated superior endgame understanding by discovering a winning plan against GM Tuan Minh Le in a complex knight and pawn ending that extended to move 55.

Indian IM Nitish Belurkar came remarkably close to halting Gurel’s run while streaming the event on YouTube. Belurkar had traded off nearly all of Gurel’s pieces but ultimately fell victim to the clock, being flagged just one move before achieving his goal.

The Streak Ends, Competition Intensifies

Nakamura broke Gurel’s winning run with a 7-5 victory in their head-to-head matchup. However, the American grandmaster’s longest personal streak of just six consecutive wins limited his ability to accumulate points and mount a serious title challenge. Despite playing below his peak form, Nakamura remained dangerous throughout, finishing fourth overall.

Nihal Sarin mounted a more consistent threat to Gurel’s lead. Unlike Nakamura, Sarin managed to build several impressive streaks of his own, steadily closing the gap and ultimately coming within one point of the leader heading into the final moments.

A Dramatic Final Game

The tournament scripted a dramatic finale as Gurel and Nihal faced off in their final game with championship implications. Time was a critical factor, with less than ninety seconds remaining on the arena clock for both players. With the white pieces, Nihal employed the Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack and capitalized on an inaccurate move by Gurel at move 25.

Nihal played with precision and speed, building a commanding advantage of nine points of material by the 66th move. Checkmate appeared inevitable with Gurel holding only seven seconds on his clock. However, the game ended controversially when the arena clock expired before the final moves could be completed. Under the tournament rules, Gurel was declared the winner, preserving his one-point advantage and securing the $400 first prize.

Nihal claimed the $250 second-place prize, while GM Christopher Yoo finished third with $150 and Nakamura earned $100 for fourth place. FM Anastasia Avramidou won the women’s category.

A New Force Emerges

This victory represents a significant moment in Bullet Brawl history. Since the tournament’s inception in 2023, Nakamura had never failed to finish first in any edition. His loss of dominance, combined with Gurel’s extraordinary performance, signals a shift in the competitive landscape.

Nakamura himself has acknowledged the emerging threat. He has stated on multiple occasions that both Gurel and fellow Turkish grandmaster Yagiz Erdogmus represent serious challenges to his future dominance in the format. Notably, despite his 2641 FIDE rating and this championship performance, Gurel remains outside his country’s top-rated junior rankings.

The next Bullet Brawl tournament will commence on Saturday, June 27 at 12 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CET. Players interested in reviewing the games from this week’s event can find them archived on Chess.com’s website.