Cathie Wood continues to misjudge opportunities in innovation, prompting investors to look at these stocks

Cathie Wood is the founder and CEO of Ark Invest. Her firm has risen to prominence for its actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on disruptive innovation. Despite the success of some of her ETFs, especially in the early years, its hard to assert that Wood has been correct about innovation stocks. Ark Invest hasdestroyed more than $14 billion in wealthover the past decade.

Woods Ark Invest portfolio has providednegative 16% returns over the past 12 months.Thats especially concerning given theperformance of theS&P 500over the same period, up nearly 25%.

The performance of Ark Invest is less a condemnation of innovation and more so a condemnation of Cathie Woods investment prowess. Innovation has produced AI that is responsible for so much of the strength throughout markets today. Nevertheless, Woods style of innovation investing should prompt investors to consider safer choices that are less dependent on innovation overall.

Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com

Coca-Cola(NYSE:KO) continues to be an all-weather stock that performs well almost regardless of market dynamics. It is one of the least volatile mega-cap stocks with a beta of 0.59. Its also a known consumer staple and a defensive stalwart that provides safety when the broader market enters periodic turmoil.

Coca-Cola, though,isnt simplya boring brand pumping out the same cash cow products year after year.There is innovation occurringwithin the company. Step foot into a convenience store anywhere globally and you will instantly recognize the investment Coca-Cola makes in R&D. The company is constantly experimenting with new flavors and packaging while expanding into new emerging markets.

All of thatcontinued tweaking of the product mix is made possible by highmarginson core products. Coca-Colas invaluable brand drives premium prices that make everything possible.That includes astrongdividend for shareholderswhich is oneof the primary reasons to consider investing.

Source: IgorGolovniov / Shutterstock.com

Alphabet(NASDAQ:GOOG,GOOGL) iscertainlyan innovative company.And certainlythe poor performance of Cathie Woodshouldnt deter investors from investing in innovation. Yet,Google is really a simple company at its core and not the most innovative firm overall.That makes it a good choicein relation tothis discussion.

Google isessentiallyan advertising company.Most of the innovation associated with Google isgoing onthrough the other bets segmentof the firm. Itsa minor contribution to thesuccess of the company.Google, essentially a search platform, lives and dies byadvertising revenues.

Those ad revenues are primarily driven through the search bar and to a lesser degree through YouTube and the Google Network. Yes, Google does continue to grow its Cloud offering which falls under the umbrella of innovation but its simple ad revenue that drives results.

And thats fine. Its what makes Google so strong when macroeconomic trends become favorable.With rate cuts expected late this yeartheres a reason to believeGoogles ad revenues will continue to strengthen, likely rapidly at the end of the year.

Source: Michael Gordon / Shutterstock.com

Exxon Mobil(NYSE:XOM) stock is heavily influenced bythe price of oil.If oil prices rise, Exxon Mobil could see increased profitability andpotentiallya higher stock price. Investors who believe oil prices will rebound could benefit from this.

While thats an obvious statement there is a general sense that peak oil consumption has already occurred and prices will fall.Many bearscontinue to believe that yetING sees pricescontinuing upwardthrough the third quarter.

Its logical to assume that Exxon Mobils share price will rise as a consequence although the correlation is not so simple.

Overall it suggests that ExxonMobil will perform well in the second half of 2024. Investors should also consider that ExxonMobil will continue to perform well as it invests in the newfuture of energy. The company has a history ofstronginvestment performance and tends tocreate value from invested capital.

I hopethat meansthe company can successfully navigate the clean energy transition and produce shareholder returns in the process.

On thedate of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (eitherdirectly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.comPublishing Guidelines.

On thedate of publication, the responsible editor held a long position in GOOG.

Alex Sirois is a freelance contributor to InvestorPlace whose personal stock investing style is focused on long-term, buy-and-hold, wealth-building stock picks. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing.

The rest is here:
Cathie Wood Was Wrong About Innovation: 3 Stocks to Invest In Instead - InvestorPlace

No country has achieved high income without manufacturing. Resource-rich countries can rely on exporting commodities, such as oil and gas, but if they lack manufacturing, they risk falling behind once the resources run out or demand dries up in the transition to clean energy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Malaysia employed import substitution to promote manufacturing. From the 1980s, it switched to an export-driven growth model, pursuing foreign direct investment, namely the import of capital and technology from foreign firms, notably in electronics. While this enjoyed some success, the investments did not always lead to stronger manufacturing and supply chains.

09:13

Malaysias transport minister eyes partnerships with China to drive infrastructure goals

Malaysias transport minister eyes partnerships with China to drive infrastructure goals

Malaysias industrialisation push took place as China was opening up, offering cheaper land, labour and a vast domestic market. China, too, relied on foreign direct investment to build its manufacturing. As they learned by doing, Chinese manufacturers supported by a well-educated workforce, an enormous pool of engineers and efficient logistics became increasingly competitive.

Malaysia, however, continues to be held back by an affirmative action programme privileging majority Malays over minority Chinese and Indians.

The latest audit report has unearthed such diversions from good governance involving billions of ringgits, and it is all public funds. Such leakages, diversions, and pilferings must be seriously tackled, she said. There are those among whom we entrust with looking after key areas of national interests who have betrayed that trust. They have been found to be negligent, remiss, incompetent and downright corrupt, with blatant abuses of authority.

11:20

The legacy of Malaysias 1MDB scandal on politics and corruption-fighting

The legacy of Malaysias 1MDB scandal on politics and corruption-fighting

Malaysia seeks to capture a share of the supply chain assumed to be leaving China because of the trade war. But that hope may be in vain. Even as China has moved up the value chain, it remains competitive in low-value sectors. It enjoys many advantages in size, productivity, infrastructure quality and industrial ecosystems.

It is extremely difficult to compete against Chinese factories on speed, cost or quality, and it makes no sense for them to outsource or relocate to a country lacking skilled manpower. Chinese entrepreneurs go where they can make a reasonable profit. Malaysias nation-building woes stem from weak governance outsiders are not in a position to remedy this.

Dr Michael Tai is research associate at the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya and a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society

Read more from the original source:
Chinese investment wont cure the cancer plaguing Malaysias economy - South China Morning Post

To the Editor:

Re Why Medical Students Are Shunning Pediatrics, by Aaron E. Carroll (Opinion guest essay, July 7):

The dwindling number of physicians choosing to pursue pediatrics is a grave concern to me as a pediatric resident physician, particularly given the increasing number of children with complex medical needs and chronic conditions.

Soaring rates of pediatric mental health challenges have also strained the general pediatricians who navigate providing care in busy clinic schedules while our patients wait months to see psychiatrists or developmental pediatricians.

Dr. Carroll notes that low reimbursement for pediatric care is a key reason for lack of interest in the specialty, with about half of American children insured by Medicaid or CHIP. The evidence is clear that health in childhood predicts health later in life.

Pediatricians have the opportunity to address issues that can lead to lifelong health challenges early, from diabetes to substance use, ultimately saving the health care system money.

If our lawmakers desire a healthier population, pediatric health care is a worthwhile investment.

Natalie LaBossier Philadelphia

To the Editor:

Thank you to Dr. Aaron Carroll for sounding the alarm about the impending shortage of pediatricians in this country. In his essay, Dr. Carroll rightly points to low compensation, compared with other specialties, to explain this phenomenon and cites inadequate Medicaid reimbursement as a main driver.

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Opinion | Investing in Pediatric Care - The New York Times

A reader asks:

As someone that spends too much time thinking about buying a lake house, I would love to hear your thoughts. The argument that you will feel tied down and obligated to go to the lake house at the expense of other travel worries me.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my all-time high in savings and why it was a mistake. Heres something I shared:

But I no longer feel its necessary to go over and above when it comes to saving. I want to enjoy some of my money now while I can.

Thats the biggest reason our savings fell off a little in 2022 and 2023. We took a bunch of trips. We did some minor renovations to the house that added hangout spaces. We bought a boat. We own a lake house.

A few people asked if I would share my experience of owning a vacation house.

Were in a fortunate position to own a house on the lake but there was also some fortuitous timing involved along with some risk.

Our oldest daughter was 3 years old when our twins were born in 2017. We quickly realized travel was going to be nearly impossible what with all the car seats, strollers, pack-n-plays and such.

That same year our good friends were building a house on a lake so we got to spend some time in a new area. We loved it. And it just so happened that a brand new development was getting underway right on the water.

We had always discussed buying a lake house someday but never explored it too seriously until we saw this place. There were plans for a community pool, a marina, and a restaurant (that never happened), but the development was still in its infancy, so lots werent selling all that quickly. It was a risk, and prices reflected that.

We got a really good deal in 2018 and built a wonderful place right by the water. As they slowly but surely added more homes we decided we would eventually trade up when the second phase got underway and lots with better views opened up. Those conversations with the builder took place starting in 2019.

Then the pandemic hit. Plans to build more houses were shelved because of the supply chain issues. Our house skyrocketed in value. By the time we sold it in 2022, it was up ~75% in less than four years.

We used that equity to buy a new house in a better location with better lake views. The timing of that purchase will be the best investment well ever make.

The builder allowed us to lock in the price in late-2021, which was still reasonable at the time. The lender allowed us to lock in a rate before the construction even started when mortgage rates were still 3%. The house took 18 months to build as the construction industry slowly thawed. By the time it was done in the spring of 2023 mortgage rates were approaching 7% while the price of houses exactly like ours were going for 50% more than we paid.1

If you just base it on the down payments we made, were talking Nvidia-like returns here. Sure, we took some risk by buying one of the first homes in a new development but we got very lucky with how the timing of everything worked out.

Id call it 20% the risk we took2 and 80% luck.

Thats our story. Now lets discuss some pros and cons of owning a vacation home.

Lets start with the cons:

Two mortgages.Obviously, its more expensive.

Higher property taxes.The property taxes on a second home are much higher than a primary residence. The property taxes on our vacation house are roughly double what we pay on our primary home.

The upkeep. Taking care of another property when you dont live there full-time an be challenging.

Luckily, were part of an association that handles landscaping, snow removal and upkeep. Thats another monthly cost (even though its worth it).

Its also a pain to take deliveries and get things serviced since youre not there all the time.

Usage. I saw a statistic estimating that people spend an average of about six weeks a year in their vacation homes.

Were higher than that (it helps that our place is only an hour away from home base) butsome people might not use it enough to justify the cost.

I love going to the lake most weekends but some people might prefer more variety.

Concentration risk.Owning multiple homes makes you concentrated in the housing market. We have a big chunk of our net worth invested in Michigan real estate.

Im OK with this risk but its a risk nonetheless.

Now for the benefits:

It feels like a vacation every time. The anticipation of a vacation often gives you the biggest psychological boost. I get that feeling on a weekly basis in the summer.

I still get excited every time we head north.

More time spent outdoors.We spend far less time indoors looking at our phones, social media or television.

Our kids are outside all the time swimming, boating, fishing, going for walks, playing on the beach, going for bike rides, etc.

We could do more of this at home, but having a lake house forces you to be outside more.

You could rent it out.Our association doesnt allow Airbnbs and the like but I know some people who own a second home who rent it out to help cover the costs.

Remote semi-retirement. My job affords me the flexibility to work from anywhere.

We often extend our weekends in the summer to spend Friday-Monday at the lake. We were there for ten days around the 4th of July.

The ability to combine work with relaxation and fun is one of my favorite parts of having another place.

The water.Being around water puts me in a better mood.

[my happy place]

Its also a valuable selling point as an investment. A friend told me a house on the water will never go down in value.

This is an exaggeration but probably right 90% of the time.

The memories. Buying a second home was the best/luckiest financial decision weve ever made.

But even if we lost money on our second house experiment, the investment would have been worth it.

Were creating memories that will last a lifetime and its hard to put a price on that.

The best thing about having a vacation home is that it provides an excuse to spend more time with friends and family.

I discussed this question on Ask the Compound:

Bill Sweet joined me on the show to discuss questions about executing a die with zero retirement strategy, changing tax status on your tax return, tax-optimizing your retirement distributions and muni bond funds.

Further Reading: My All-Time High in Savings

1Prices caught up in a hurry. The first-mover advantage helped here too.

2We had a few friends, family members and unnamed financial advisors try to talk us out of it. Im glad they didnt.

Read this article:
The Best Investment I Ever Made (the Pros & Cons of Owning a Vacation Home) - A Wealth of Common Sense

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

From bitcoin and Ethereum to Dogecoin and Tether, there are thousands of different cryptocurrencies, which can make it overwhelming when youre first getting started in the world of crypto. To help you get your bearings, these are the top 10 cryptocurrencies to invest in based on their market capitalization or the total value of all the coins currently in circulation.

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Created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin (BTC) is the original cryptocurrency. As with most cryptocurrencies, BTC runs on a blockchain, or a ledger logging transactions distributed across a network of thousands of computers. Because additions to the distributed ledgers must be verified by solving a cryptographic puzzle, a process called proof of work, bitcoin is kept secure and safe from fraudsters.

Bitcoins price has skyrocketed as its become a household name. In May 2016, you could buy one bitcoin for about $500. As of Jul. 16, 2024, a single bitcoins price was around $63,808. Thats a growth of 12,662%.

Related: How To Buy Bitcoin

Both a cryptocurrency and a blockchain platform, Ethereum is a favorite of program developers because of its potential applications, like so-called smart contracts that automatically execute when conditions are met and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Ethereum has also experienced tremendous growth. From April 2016 to the end of July 2024, its price went from about $11 to around $3,409, increasing 30,893%.

Related: How To Buy Ethereum

Unlike some other forms of cryptocurrency, Tether (USDT) is a stablecoin, meaning its backed by fiat currencies like U.S. dollars and the Euro and hypothetically keeps a value equal to one of those denominations. In theory, this means Tethers value is supposed to be more consistent than other cryptocurrencies, and its favored by investors who are wary of the extreme volatility of other coins.

Binance Coin (BNB) is a form of cryptocurrency that you can use to trade and pay fees on Binance, one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world. Since its launch in 2017, Binance Coin has expanded past merely facilitating trades on Binances exchange platform. Now, it can be used for trading, payment processing or even booking travel arrangements. It can also be traded or exchanged for other forms of cryptocurrency, such as Ethereum or bitcoin.

BNBs price in 2017 was just $0.10. By late July 2024, its price had risen to around $569, a gain of 568,609%.

Related: How To Buy Cryptocurrency

Developed to help power decentralized finance (DeFi) uses, decentralized apps (DApps) and smart contracts, Solana runs on a unique hybrid proof-of-stake and proof-of-history mechanisms to process transactions quickly and securely. SOL, Solanas native token, powers the platform.

When it launched in 2020, SOLs price started at $0.77. By late July 2024, its price was around $156.62, a gain of 20,241%.

Like Tether, USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin, meaning its backed by U.S. dollars and aims for a 1 USD to 1 USDC ratio. USDC is powered by Ethereum, and you can use USD Coin to complete global transactions.

Created by some of the same founders as Ripple, a digital technology and payment processing company, XRP can be used on that network to facilitate exchanges of different currency types, including fiat currencies and other major cryptocurrencies.

At the beginning of 2017, the price of XRP was $0.006. As of Jul. 16, 2024, its price reached $0.55, equal to a rise of 9,027%.

Originally developed as a layer-1 blockchain for Telegrams encrypted messaging platform, Toncoin was soon abandoned before being taken over by the TON foundation. The project name was even changed to The Open Network from its original name Telegram Open Network, both of which are referred to by their acronym: TON.

Toncoinfirst known as Gramis the native token for TON. It is an application that allows users to buy, send and store funds on TONs incredibly fast, environmentally friendly network.

Dogecoin was famously started as a joke in 2013 but rapidly evolved into a prominent cryptocurrency thanks to a dedicated community and creative memes. Unlike many other cryptos, there is no limit on the number of Dogecoins that can be created, which leaves the currency susceptible to devaluation as supply increases.

Dogecoins price in 2017 was $0.0002. By July 2024, its price was at $0.12, up 61,051%

Somewhat later to the crypto scene, Cardano (ADA) is notable for its early embrace of proof-of-stake validation. This method expedites transaction time and decreases energy usage and environmental impact by removing the competitive, problem-solving aspect of transaction verification in platforms like bitcoin. Cardano also works like Ethereum to enable smart contracts and decentralized applications, which ADA, its native coin, powers.

Cardanos ADA token has had relatively modest growth compared to other major crypto coins. In 2017, ADAs price was $0.02. As of Jul. 16, 2024, its price was at $0.43. This is an increase of 2,059%.

*Market caps and pricing sourced from coinmarketcap.com, current as of 8:31 a.m. UTC on Jul. 16, 2024.

Cryptocurrency is a form of currency that exists solely in digital form. Cryptocurrency can be used to pay for purchases online without going through an intermediary, such as a bank, or it can be held as an investment.

Cryptocurrencies are various forms of digital money that are usually based on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology allows most cryptocurrencies to exist as trustless forms of transactions. This means there is no centralized authority overseeing the transactions on a cryptocurrencys blockchain.

Cryptocurrency is an emerging area with more than 9,000 crypto projects in existence as of March 2024.

While some crypto function as currencies, others are used to develop infrastructure. For instance, in the case of Ethereum or Solana, developers are building other cryptos on top of these platform currencies, and that creates even more possibilities (and cryptos).

There are both pros and cons to investing in cryptocurrencies. Some of the most common ones an investor might run into are:

When choosing the best cryptocurrency to invest in, it is important to consider your individual goals, investing timeline and risk profile, just as you would with any investment. Additionally, you should do your due diligence to make sure that any crypto project you are interested in is legitimate and secure.

In general, investors should consider the following when evaluating a crypto:

When exploring cryptocurrency investments, first consider the exchanges where the token is listed. Tokens featured on major exchanges generally offer better liquidity, attracting larger investors and reaching a broader audience, which in turn increases the potential buyer base.

Maksym Repa, analyst at Symbolic Capital

You can buy cryptocurrencies through crypto exchanges, such as Coinbase, Kraken or Gemini. In addition, some brokerages, such as WeBull and Robinhood, also allow consumers to buy cryptocurrencies.

How much it costs to buy cryptocurrency depends on a number of factors, including which crypto you are buying. Many small altcoins trade for a fraction of a cent, while a single bitcoin will cost you tens of thousands of dollars. However, many brokerages and exchanges now allow fractional trading, offering investors the option to buy a portion of a cryptocurrency.

There are also often costs and fees associated with having a crypto wallet and/or an account on a brokerage or crypto exchange. Be sure that you understand all of the costs associated with buying and holding any cryptocurrency before you invest.

If you buy and sell coins, its important to pay attention to cryptocurrency tax rules.

Cryptocurrency is treated as a capital asset, like stocks, rather than cash. That means if you sell cryptocurrency at a profit, youll have to pay capital gains taxes. This is the case even if you use your crypto to pay for a purchase. If you receive a greater value for it than you paid, youll owe taxes on the difference.

Is Robinhood Right For You?

Learn more about Robinhood's Trading App

While you can invest in cryptocurrencies, they differ a great deal from traditional investments, like stocks. When you buy stock, you are buying a share of ownership of a company, which means youre entitled to do things like vote on the direction of the company. If that company goes bankrupt, you also may receive some compensation once its creditors have been paid from its liquidated assets.

Buying cryptocurrency doesnt grant you ownership over anything except the token itself; its more like exchanging one form of currency for another. If the crypto loses its value, you wont receive anything after the fact.

There are several other key differences to keep in mind:

Given the thousands of cryptocurrencies in existence and the high volatility associated with most of them, its understandable you might want to take a diversified approach to investing in crypto to minimize the risk that you might lose money.

There are exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, that trade in both bitcoin futures and bitcoins spot price. The bitcoin ETF that is right for you, however, depends upon many factors, including your risk tolerance and investment horizon.

When we first think of crypto, we usually think of bitcoin. Thats because bitcoin represents more than 45% of the total cryptocurrency market. So when we talk about any cryptos outside of bitcoin, all of those cryptos are considered altcoins.

Ethereum, for instance, is regarded as the most popular altcoin.

Part of what makes bitcoin so valuable is its scarcity. Bitcoins maximum supply is limited to 21 million coins. Currently, there are 19 million coins in circulation.

To create supply, bitcoin rewards crypto miners with a set bitcoin amount. To be exact, 6.25 BTC is issued when a miner has successfully mined a single block. To keep the process in check, the rewards given for mining bitcoin are cut in half almost every four years.

While the initial premise of cryptocurrency was to fix the problems with traditional currencies, there are now a whole host of utility cryptocurrencies that have sprung up, thanks to the creation of the blockchain.

See more here:
Top 10 Cryptocurrencies Of July 16, 2024 - Forbes

Some tests are just harder and more nerve-inducing than others. After IM Levy Rozman in January, then GM Magnus Carlsenand GM David Howell in April, this month, it was time to submit GM Hikaru Nakamura to the polygraph. And as if he didn't get enough of it with Levy, IM Danny Rensch became the first person to come back for more "Lie Detector Chess."

The results were just as chaotic as before, with no subject too delicate to discuss: career regrets, cheating in chess, drinking before tournament games... whether you'd ever attributed your flatulence to someone else. Before it all, Hikaru would declare, "For me it's very hard to actually lie, so I'm going to try but probably fail miserably." The statement passed the polygraph, but would Hikaru be better at fooling the contraption than he gave himself credit for?

For me it's very hard to actually lie, so I'm going to try but probably fail miserably.

- Hikaru Nakamura

Examiner Orjan Hesjedal, who also monitored the machine with Carlsen and Howell, suspected Hikaru of manipulating his breathing to trick the test. Sure enough, after he was finally unhooked from the "medieval device," as Danny called it, Hikaru admitted he'd gotten away with a few things. But it took a lot of efforthe allowed Danny to get a draw in the ongoing chess game.

As for Danny's turn hooked up to all the wires and whatnot, well, we got some "TMI" related to undergarments, in addition to more serious insights into his thoughts about the popularization of chess, cheating in Titled Tuesday, whether there is an intimidation factor between himself, Hikaru, and Magnus; and more.

To find out exactly what Hikaru and Danny think about these things, or about Levy's chances at becoming a grandmaster, or the likeability of the world's top 10 chess playerswell, maybe not exactly what they thinkyou'll just have to watch. Don't worry, no one will be wiring you up to measure your vitals.

And we're still looking to make more "Lie Detector Chess" videos. Who else would you like to see? Be honest!

Original post:

Hikaru Nakamura and Danny Rensch Face the Polygraph - Chess.com

One of the quiet joys of being a restaurant pastry chef is that you arrive early, typically before anyone else, probably just an hour or two after the last of the line cooks are done scrubbing and sanitizing the splashbacks and lowboys. The room invariably still smells like degreaser and leftover wine, no matter how immaculate. That is, at least until you pop your first espresso shot, then a third and a fourth. Here you make yourself a kind of force field. You get to take time to enjoy the kind of inspiration that being alone in a giant kitchen full of your tools and favorite recipes might bring.

On those mornings, I would use my early arrival as a chance to thumb through my cookbooks. Some of these books were by renowned pastry chefs, but a majority were castoffs from rummage sales and free bins at the library. They were full of recipes that people once exchanged verbally before eventually typing them up and binding them with plastic spirals. In these volumes, I found inspiration and personal stories and often scrap papers with handwritten recipes tucked among the pages.

Then I would get to work on my own recipes. I would roll out a dozen or two pie shells to pop in a freezer and begin my near-daily dance with buttermilk chess pies, where I would be at the center of a carefully choreographed performance of whisking, filling, baking, rotating, cooling.

While it was a very simple recipe, I had, without knowing it, created quite an art of the thing. Timing was essential: never missing a step, never letting my timer outsmart my sense of smell, never letting a young baker crack the door too soon to check the wiggle. I aimed for nothing less than a particular type of perfection with that pie. I knew it, and it knew me. It wasnt quite right unless the crackle appeared on top, the edges were flaky and tender and the bottom was both crisp and soft.

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The Pie Ill Never Shut Up About - The New York Times

GM Daniel Naroditsky has moved one step closer to seizing the top spot on the all-time Bullet Brawlleaderboard after winning the latest edition ahead of GMs Arjun Erigaisi, Hikaru Nakamura, and 132 other titled players.

Now sitting on 21 victories, Naroditsky has won over $10,000 in prize money from Bullet Brawl tournaments since its inception and is just four wins shy of Nakamura's record of 25.

The $100 top women's prize was won by the prolific IM Meri Arabidze, who outpaced regulars FM Anastasia Avramidou and WGM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, while the community brawl was won by AiriChesslol.

The next Bullet Brawl will commence on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at noon ET/18:00 CEST.

Standings

Naroditky's mastery of the arena format has never been in doubt but in 2024, the U.S.-based content creator has stepped it up a notch and learned how to frequently usurp the previously indomitable Nakamura.

The aura stemming from Naroditsky's recent performances has transcended the Twittersphere and one chess fan (Steve Leibrock) has called for Bullet Brawl to be renamed "DanyaBrawl," though it has to be said that the best pun involving the eventual winner is still the self-titled "Danya Naroblitzky."

Naroditsky kicked off the event with a punchy, 19-move win over the world number-four Arjun on the white side of the Caro-Kann Defense, Fantasy Variation. Opting for a move-six pawn gambit, Naroditsky confused Arjun and capitalized on several consecutive mistakes.

GMs Emin Ohanyan, Tuan Minh Le, Andrew Tang, and IM-elect Faustino Oro were all opponents that Naroditsky had to face in his first 10 games, and he scored 8/10 against them, allowing him to stay just in front of Nakamura, who scored 7/10 against similar opposition.

The quality that seems to separate Naroditsky from his GM colleagues is his ability to procure more miniatures, and this is what allowed him to surge further ahead of his chasers.

In the first half of the event, he was able to produce six miniatures; two lasted just 13 moves (one was also finished in 11 but this was the result of a catastrophic blunder). The first of these, against French FM Tristan Breuil, features an aesthetically pleasing knight sacrifice.

In the second game, against Spanish CM Javier Ruiz Vasquez, Naroditsky showed that aggressive moves that would be considered suboptimal in classical chess can turn into wrecking balls in quicker time controls.

Before Bullet Brawl began, Naroditsky showed off just how quick he is in a match against NM James Chirilov while streaming on Twitch.

Arjun's second-placed finish was also impressive as he played nine fewer games than the winner. Earlier in the day, Arjun was announced as the board one for team India at the 45th Chess Olympiad alongside GMs Gukesh Dommaraju, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and Pentala Harikrishna.

With three of the world's top 10 on this team, expect it to contest the podium come September.

Because the Olympiad will see many of the world's top players unavailable for two of September's Bullet Brawls, we may see the emergence of new winners.

How to review games? The games from this week's Bullet Brawl can be found here.

Bullet Brawl is an exciting titled arena that features Chess.com's top bullet specialists and takes place weekly on Saturdays. The format is a two-hour arena with a 1+0 time control; the prize fund is $1,000.

Much like Titled Tuesday and Arena Kings, Bullet Brawl often features top GMs, including Hikaru Nakamura, Daniel Naroditsky, Andrew Tang, Tuan Minh Le, and many more!

Previous coverage:

Read the rest here:

Bullet Brawl July 13, 2024: Naroditsky Wins 21st Brawl, Closes In On Nakamura's All-Time Record - Chess.com

Sigrun en (1963-2024), a chemical engineer and the mother of 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, passed away in Oslo on Tuesday at the age of just 61. She died peacefully with her family around her after suffering a long illness.

Sigrun was the mother of the former world chess champion and three daughters, Ingrid, Ellen, and Signe, and the wife of Henrik. Ellen shared the news of her mothers death in a Facebook post that linked to a memorial page: My dear, good mother and the childrens grandmother passed away far too soon. The loss is great.

On the page Henrik writes: Farewell my dear irreplaceable Sigrun. Thank you for everything for more than 41 years.

The sad news explains Carlsens withdrawal from the Grand Chess Tour event in Croatia.

Sigrun was a rock of support for Carlsen during his chess career, with the family taking a European trip together to enable a young Magnus to pursue his chess dreams.

Although it was later Henrik who would usually travel with their son, Sigrun would occasionally travel to events, often with the whole family.

The funeral will take place on July 17, with the family suggesting donations to the Norwegian Cancer Society as an alternative to flowers.

We extend our condolences to all Sigruns family and friends. May she rest in peace.

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Sigrun en, Mother Of Magnus Carlsen, Passes Away At 61 - Chess.com

GMs Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura won the July 9 editions of Titled Tuesday. It's the fourth time the world's two best blitz chess players have each won one of the Tuesday events, but only the first time this year, last occurring on December 19, 2023.

Carlsen won the early event on 10 points after defeating GM Hans Niemann in the final round. Nakamura then blew away the late field with 10.5 points. Additionally, IM Anna M. Sargsyan swept both women's prizes.

In the field of 706 players, Carlsen and GM Andrey Esipenko both started on 7/7, but would draw their game in the eighth round before Carlsen drew and Esipenko lost in round nine. Now five players shared the lead, but only two of them would win in the 10th round.

Carlsen was one of them, of course, beating 13-year-old GM-elect Ivan Zemlyanskii in 37 moves with the unusual 3.Bc4 in the Sicilian.

The only player to keep up with Carlsen was Niemann, who did so with a win against GM Aleksandar Indjic. It took Niemann a bit longer, 54 moves, but again the result was a White win on time with checkmate imminent.

And so the showdown between these two adversaries was set. Niemann had the advantage of moving first and built up a solid center, but Carlsen found four "only moves" in a stretch of five turns from 19-23, and coasted to victory from there. Niemann played to the bitter end and was checkmated on move 41.

Niemann still finished in third place but was leapfrogged by GM Denis Lazavik who, like Carlsen, won his last two games. A single blunder on move 49 from 12-year-old FM Ethan Vaz dropped a pawn, deciding the game as Lazavik finished an outright second place on 9.5 points.

July 9 Titled Tuesday | Early | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

Carlsen won $1,000 for his efforts while Lazavik earned $750. Niemann claimed $350 in third place, GM Jose Martinez $200 in fourth, and 12-year-old CM Dau Khuong Duy $100 in fifth, while four other players on nine points missed out on the top five by tiebreaks. Sargsyan won the $100 women's prize by scoring eight points.

For Nakamura, his victory over a field of 520 players was his second straight late event win. After needing tiebreaks last week, this performance was far more dominant, with a sixth-round draw against GM Christopher Yoo the only thing keeping Nakamura from his third perfect score in Titled Tuesday. Instead, he "only" earned his sixth 10.5-point Tuesday.

Because his draw came somewhat early, Nakamura didn't take sole lead of the tournament until his eighth-round win over IM Luke Harmon-Vellotti. Despite having the second move, Nakamura won the game rather easily after Harmon-Vellotti decided not to play the usual 2.exd5 against Nakamura's Scandinavian Defense.

After that, it was smooth sailing for Nakamura. He defeated GM Arjun Erigaisi in round nine and GM David Anton in round 10, ballooning his lead to a full point as the final round began. GM Fabiano Caruana was his opponent, and had a chance to take a share of the lead.

The game was a 61-move battle in which Caruana's ambitious 15th move didn't quite pay off. Still, Nakamura had to win the game three times in a tricky endgame. Caruana's 53.Nf2 was the final blow to his chances.

With the final result, Caruana fell to sixth place, while Nakamura put together his 15th Titled Tuesday win of the year and 60th of the two-a-day era.

July 9 Titled Tuesday | Late | Final Standings (Top 20)

(Full final standings here.)

Nakamura won the $1,000 first-place prize while Harmon-Vellotti claimed second place and $750. Arjun finished third for $350 and GM Maksim Chigaev fourth for $200. In a relative rarity, 8.5 points was good enough for fifth place, which went to GM Javokhir Sindarov for $100. With 7.5 points, Sargsyan won another $100 women's prize, for $200 on the day.

Nakamura is three more 10.5-point performances from an unthinkable 200 points in the Titled Cup standings, and given he has five already, he is actually on pace to pull it off. Meanwhile we are down to five points of separation between first and fifth in the women's standings, with only one point different between first-place GM Alexandra Kosteniuk and second-place GM Aleksandra Goryachkina. Despite her sweep this week, Sargsyan has only played 18 events so far and currently ranks 15th.

Juniors: GM Denis Lazavik (180.0 points)

Seniors: GM Gata Kamsky (167.5 points)

Girls: WCM Veronika Shubenkova (113.5 points)

The Titled Cup fantasy game Chess Prophet continues as well. Current standings can be found here. (Login required.)

Titled Tuesday is Chess.com's weekly tournament for titled players, with two tournaments held each Tuesday. The first tournament begins at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time/17:00 Central European/20:30 Indian Standard Time, and the second at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time/23:00 Central European/2:30 Indian Standard Time (next day).

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Titled Tuesday July 9, 2024 - Chess.com