Two gold medals and two tight races at the World Junior Blitz

Valeria Kleymenova won the girls’ under-20 blitz title in Al Ain with 10 points. Afruza Khamdamova and Veronika Iudina both finished on 9½. One half-point covered the entire podium.

A point clear in the other race

Pranav Venkatesh scored 10½ to win the other under-20 blitz title. Eldiyar Orozbaev and Robert Piliposyan each finished a point behind. FIDE noted that Pranav had already won a world junior title in classical chess before adding the blitz title.

The field behind the results

The November 1–7 championships in the United Arab Emirates drew 185 players from 40 countries across rapid and blitz, according to FIDE. When you look up a name in the standings, check which event you’ve opened. Players may appear in both lists, and the two scores tell you how they did under different clocks.