Alireza Firouzja has already produced a highlight reel most players would envy — attacking gems, fearless sacrifices, and a handful of genuinely historic results. Because so much of his story is about which events he won and who he beat, we’ll walk through his most important games and results in prose — the verified facts and what made each one special — rather than reconstructing move-by-move scores we can’t confirm here. To replay the actual moves, his Chess.com player page and public databases are the best sources.
1. Firouzja beats Carlsen — Banter Blitz Cup final, 2020
This is the result that made the wider world sit up. In April 2020, during the pandemic online-chess boom, a 16-year-old Firouzja beat reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen in the Banter Blitz Cup final, winning the match 8.5–7.5. It was a marathon 16-game blitz duel, and Firouzja trailed only once — after game 12 — before storming back with consecutive wins and taking the decisive final game by out-playing Carlsen in the endgame, of all phases.
One online match doesn’t dethrone anyone, and everyone knew it. But the symbolism was enormous: teenagers do not routinely take down the best player alive, over 16 games, in front of a global audience. It announced Firouzja as the most exciting prospect in chess and made him an overnight star far beyond hardcore fans.
2. Winning the FIDE Grand Swiss, 2021
If the Banter Blitz win was the spark, the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss was the statement. In a huge, ultra-strong open Swiss event, Firouzja won the tournament outright, powering through a field packed with elite grandmasters. The victory did two things at once: it confirmed he could win a top classical event over many rounds against the best on Earth, and — crucially — it qualified him for the 2022 Candidates Tournament, the gateway to a World Championship match.
For an 18-year-old, winning the Grand Swiss was the kind of result that turns “brilliant talent” into “genuine title contender.” It was the launchpad for the rating surge that followed.
3. European Team Championship, 2021 — a 3000-level performance
Also in 2021, playing for France at the European Team Chess Championship, Firouzja delivered one of the great individual performances of the modern era: 8/9 on his board, good for individual gold and a tournament performance rating above 3000. To put that in perspective, a 3000-level performance is the sort of number normally reserved for a world champion having the tournament of his life.
That fortnight, alongside the Grand Swiss title, is what rocketed him up the live ratings toward the record he was about to break.
4. The 2022 Sinquefield Cup — and sweeping the Grand Chess Tour
In 2022 Firouzja won the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis, tying for first with Ian Nepomniachtchi on 5/8 before winning the rapid tie-break playoff. It was a hard-fought, dramatic edition, and Firouzja’s win over Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the classical portion was a key moment that kept him in contention for the top prize.
Because he had also won the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz leg immediately beforehand, taking the Sinquefield Cup meant Firouzja won the overall 2022 Grand Chess Tour — a season-long circuit of the world’s strongest players — as a 19-year-old. Sweeping both Saint Louis legs of the tour in a single summer is a feat that speaks to his all-round strength across classical, rapid, and blitz.
5. The Candidates stage — beating the future champion, 2024
Firouzja has played the Candidates Tournament twice (2022 and 2024), the eight-player event that decides who challenges for the World Championship. He didn’t win either edition, but the 2024 event produced a memorable data point: Firouzja defeated Gukesh D, the very player who went on to win that Candidates and, later, the World Championship.
That’s the paradox of Firouzja’s Candidates appearances — he’s shown he can beat literally anyone on his day, including the eventual world champion, but hasn’t yet strung together the consistency over 14 rounds that a Candidates title demands. It’s the clearest “unfinished business” in his career.
Why these games matter
Pull back and a pattern emerges. Firouzja’s signature results aren’t quiet squeezes against weaker players — they’re big-stage wins against the strongest opponents alive: Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi, Mamedyarov, Gukesh. He raises his game when the lights are brightest, and he does it with a fearless, attacking style that makes his best wins genuinely thrilling to watch.
Want to understand how he pulls it off? See Firouzja’s playing style for the strengths behind the scoreboard, or dig into his openings to see the lines he trusts under pressure. The numbers side of the story is in his rating history.
FAQ
What is Alireza Firouzja’s most famous game? Many fans point to his 8.5–7.5 win over Magnus Carlsen in the 2020 Banter Blitz Cup final — the online result, as a 16-year-old, that made him a global name.
Did Firouzja beat Magnus Carlsen? Yes — most famously the 2020 Banter Blitz Cup final, plus wins over Carlsen in various fast-chess events. Carlsen has also beaten Firouzja many times; it’s a genuine rivalry.
What big tournaments has Firouzja won? Among others: the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss, the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, and the overall 2022 Grand Chess Tour, plus multiple online and speed-chess titles.
Has Firouzja played the Candidates Tournament? Yes — twice, in 2022 and 2024. He beat eventual world champion Gukesh D in the 2024 event but hasn’t yet won a Candidates.
Keep exploring
Back to the Alireza Firouzja profile · his playing style · his openings · his rating history · or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.