The race for tournament supremacy in Titled Tuesday came down to the final round, with several contenders in the mix after nine rounds of play. Firouzja took control in the 10th round against Nakamura, building his advantage gradually from move 20 onward and maintaining his grip through the endgame. Caruana kept pace by converting a dramatic endgame turnaround against Niemann, setting up a decisive clash between Firouzja and Caruana in the last round that the former won comfortably.

Nakamura started strong and held the lead for multiple rounds, including after defeating Erigaisi in a game where his opponent blundered away a winning position. Caruana's unbeaten run lasted through seven rounds despite material disadvantage in one game, when five pawns compensated for the loss of the exchange against Movahed. The leaders remained tightly bunched, with Niemann, Caruana, and Firouzja all staying within a half-point of Nakamura through round nine.

The tournament's final standings saw Nakamura secure second place outright with a victory over Matlakov, while Niemann moved into third by defeating Usov and Caruana finished fourth. The competitive field included multiple strong players trading wins throughout the event, keeping the outcome uncertain until the very end.

Eight players have now officially qualified for the Speed Chess Championship based on their Titled Tuesday performances since September. The qualified field includes Nakamura, Firouzja, Movahed, Niemann, Andreikin, So, Lazavik, and Artemiev. Lower-ranked players may still have opportunities to reach the final 16-player field through invitations or withdrawals.

The perfect score bounty, which has grown by $250 per week without a winner, now stands at $6,000 for next week's competition. Firouzja's unbeaten 10/11 performance moved him into second place in the 2026-27 CCT Standings.