Nihal Sarin won the 2026 Bullet Chess Championship on Chess.com, dethroning three-time defending champion Alireza Firouzja in stunning fashion and becoming the first Indian to win the title.
After dropping into the losers bracket, Nihal eliminated Andrew Tang and Arjun Erigaisi before facing Firouzja in the Grand Final. He won the first match 15.5-7.5 and the Grand Final reset 9.5-4.5, producing an astonishing 15-game winning streak against one of the world's best bullet players along the way.
It was Nihal's first appearance in the event's Grand Final, and his exceptional speed and clock management overwhelmed the favorite in back-to-back matches as the event concluded in late June.
Source: Chess.com