The Cuban Grandmaster Leinier Dominguezwho has represented the United States for some years, had another outstanding performance at the highest level, after finishing in fifth position in the World Rapid Games Championship of chesswhich this Sunday lowered its curtains in Doha, Qatar.
The 42-year-old player covered the schedule of games spread over three days without losing, thus accumulating 9.5 points out of a possible 13, according to the website of the international federation.
Unique bourreau de Carlsen, Vladislav Artemiev finish vice-champion du monde de rapide avec 9.5/13 thanks to son excellent départage, 1 point derrière l’ogre norvégien.
Arjun Erigaisi takes the three places between Hans Niemann and Leinier Dominguez, all with 9.5 pts. pic.twitter.com/YAf3PvR0pY— Chess.com – Français (@chesscom_fr) December 28, 2025
Leinier had a good start to the tournament, achieving two successes and three draws, one of them against the dazzling 12-year-old Argentine, Faustino Oro, who could become the youngest Grandmaster in the history of the Science Game next January.
During the second date, the Güinero maintained the successful pace by achieving two more successes and the same number of draws. For the farewell, he did not take his foot off the accelerator and signed a similar result, sealed in the closing with a victory over another child prodigy, the 14-year-old Turk Yguiz Erdugmus, who was then fighting for second position in the tournament and finished in 15th place.
In summary, Leinier imposed his law in six of the three games played and agreed to the division in the rest of his program, a performance that will surely allow him to maintain—or perhaps improve—the creditable 14th place in which he is located within the ranking for agreed upon only 15 minutes, thanks to an ELO of 2703.
With his performance, Lenier was one place behind the one achieved in the last version of the tournament held in New York, when he also closed his participation undefeated.
Chess: Leineir Domínguez, undefeated and fourth in the World Rapid Games
The best chess player born on the island after the brilliant José Raúl Capablanca will take on another immense challenge starting this Monday, when the universal event of the Blitz or lightning modality begins on the same stage.
Precisely in that specialty Leinier records one of the greatest results in his already successful career, since no one played it better than him during the 2008 world championship. Carlsen’s triumphant return.
Great expectations were generated by the presence at the Grand Master contest Magnus Carlsen; The Norwegian genius took it upon himself to please his followers with a resounding triumph, although not without dangers.
A year after his controversial departure from the previous edition, when he was accused of violating the dress code and was not allowed to play wearing jeans, Carlsen showed signs of impressive mental strength, recovering from the defeat that on Saturday made it difficult for him to return to the throne.
ANOTHER CONTROVERSY FROM CARLSEN
Magnus Carlsen pushed a journalist’s camera after losing his game against Artemiev in the World Rapid Championship.
The goat doesn’t like to lose anything.pic.twitter.com/ipavrKfBtq
— Pablo Gowezniansky (@AjedrezdPrimera) December 27, 2025
On that date, during the seventh round, his stumble against the Russian Vladislav Artemiev appeared, accompanied by more controversy, when he violently pushed the camera that was following him as he retreated from the playing area.
However, from then on he had five successes, plus the final draw against the Dutch Anish Giri that guaranteed him 10.5 points, one more than the quartet formed by Artemiev, the American Hans Niemman, the Indian Arjun Erigaisi and Leinier, in that order by the tiebreaker system.
MAGNUS CARLSEN WINS THE 2025 WORLD RAPID CHAMPIONSHIP
It is his sixth rapid title, and NINETEENTH World Championship across classical, rapid, and blitz chess. Inevitable. pic.twitter.com/zmwLaBkYxZ
— Chess.com (@chesscom) December 28, 2025
In this way, Carlsen conquered the universal crown of the modality for the sixth time, to reach 19 world titles, which could increase to 20 if he obtains, repeats now, reign in the Blitz modality.
In the women’s section, the victory went to the Russian Alexandra Goriáchkina, after an electrifying tiebreaker against the Chinese Jiner Zhu.
