2025 Australian Open, and 2025 New Zealand Championship

 Two important events kicked off today, with both the 2025 Australian Open and 2025 New Zealand Championship up and running. The New Zealand Championship has the distinction of being one of the oldest championships in the world (along with Scotland), being held regularly since 1889. 

The strength of both events seems similar, although the NZ event looks to have more international federations represented. Top seed for the Australian Open is IM James Morris, while GM Gabor Nagy is the top seed in NZ.

Both events can be followed online, at lichess.org. The link for the Australian Open is https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-australian-open--premier/round-1/MfE3W8Xn  ehilr the NZ event can be followed at https://lichess.org/broadcast/new-zealand-chess-congress-2025/round-1/spI5tcia

Kissing your sister

 The way the 2024 World Blitz Championship pretty much sums up the whole week in New York. After the top 8 players qualified for the final may agreeing to quick draws in the final round of the qualifiers, they spent the next day playing a series of knockout matches to determine a winner.

Except after 7 games in the final (4 regular games + 3 drawn tiebreaks), Carlsen proposed to Nepomniachtchi that they split the title and go home. Although this wasn't in the rules (https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/wrbc_regulations_2024_open.pdf ) Nepo agreed to this result, leaving FIDE with it's hands tied on the matter. 

The general online opinion hasn't bee particularly kind to all involved, although some people think it was the best outcome* There is still a lot to be unpacked about this tournament, and the various tournament incidents** but I suspect this will happen much later in the year. For now, there are joint Open Blitz Champions. At least in the Women's event Ju Wenjun won the title according to the regulations, winning the final 3.5-2.5

* Use of the expressions 'general ... opinion' and 'some people' is very poor journalism, and is something you condemn.

** Earlier in the event, someone was actually arrested trying to enter the venue without the correct accreditation!