Chess Slovak Open® 2026 Crowns Its Champions: Mittal and Mishra, Rakhmangulova, Sedlák and Rupais

History, NewsBy Milan Roman 30. August 2026

The nine-day Chess Slovak Open® 2026 festival in Skalica is over. The strongest Masters in Slovak history has two champions: unbeaten Aditya Mittal and Abhimanyu Mishra finished with identical points and tie-breaks, with Daniel Dardha third. Anastasiya Rakhmangulova dominated the Queen Masters with 7/9, Nikola Sedlák won Open A with 7.5 points and a place in the 2027 Masters, and the Kvarteto Cup went to Gustavs Rupais.

Who Wins Open A and the Kvarteto Cup Tomorrow? A Draw Is Enough for Sedlák, Four in the Hunt in Open B

NewsBy Milan Roman 29. August 2026

Ahead of the final round of the Chess Slovak Open® 2026 open tournaments, Serbian grandmaster Nikola Sedlák leads Open A by a full point and needs only a draw to win. In Open B, played for the Kvarteto Cup, Latvia’s Gustavs Rupais leads by half a point over Lakota, Macošek and Bjolek. Round nine starts on Sunday at 9:30.

Mittal Beats Mendonca and Leads the Masters Alone Before the Final Round

NewsBy Milan Roman 29. August 2026

Aditya Mittal beat compatriot Leon Luke Mendonca with the black pieces in round eight and goes into Sunday’s final round as the sole leader on five points. Daniel Dardha, Abhimanyu Mishra and Anton Korobov are half a point behind. David Navara beat Donchenko, Pecháč drew with Samunenkov. The final round is played on Sunday from 9:30.

Anastasiya Rakhmangulova Wins the Queen Masters — Title Secured With a Round to Spare

NewsBy Milan Roman 29. August 2026

Ukrainian grandmaster Anastasiya Rakhmangulova is the winner of the women’s closed Queen Masters tournament at Chess Slovak Open® 2026. Her round-eight win over Oľga Sikorová took her to 6.5 points and a 1.5-point lead that can no longer be caught. Haritomeni Markantonaki and Evgeniya Doluhanova are fighting for second place, with a WIM norm also at stake.

Movsesian Wins the Rapid, Ondřej Šigut Is the Sensation of Skalica

NewsBy Milan Roman 29. August 2026

Saturday’s Rapid tournament at Chess Slovak Open® 2026 was dominated by festival ambassador GM Sergei Movsesian with 6.5 points from seven games. The surprise was second place for Czech player Ondřej Šigut (rated 2019), who beat grandmaster Pecháč and IM Bochnička. Jerguš Pecháč finished third. Movsesian added the title to his Wednesday win in the Chess 960 event.

Samunenkov Stuns the Leader: Five Players Share the Masters Lead After Round Seven

NewsBy Milan Roman 29. August 2026

Round seven of Chess Slovak Open® 2026 produced a shock in the Masters: bottom-placed Ihor Samunenkov beat leader Leon Luke Mendonca, and with two rounds to go five players share the lead on four points — Dardha, Mendonca, Mittal, Mishra and Korobov. Fier defeated Pecháč. Rakhmangulova leads the Queen Masters by a full point after Iveković’s second straight loss. Sedlák leads Open A alone, while Lakota and Macošek are level in Open B.

Mendonca Alone at the Top of the Masters After Round Six, Rakhmangulova Wins the Battle of the Leaders

NewsBy Milan Roman 28. August 2026

Round six of Chess Slovak Open® 2026 produced four decisive games out of five in the Masters. Leon Luke Mendonca beat Fier to lead alone on 4 points, Abhimanyu Mishra defeated Navara and Donchenko scored his first win. In the Queen Masters, Anastasiya Rakhmangulova won the head-to-head clash with Iveković and took over the lead. Sedlák and Neuhoff top Open A, while Lakota dropped his first half point in Open B.

Four-Way Tie Atop the Masters After Round Five, Iveković Heads Into the Queen Masters Showdown

NewsBy Milan Roman 27. August 2026

After five of nine rounds the closed Masters tournament could hardly be tighter — Dardha, Mendonca, Mittal and Korobov share the lead and eight players sit within half a point. Tihana Iveković tops the Queen Masters on 4.5 points ahead of today’s direct clash with Rakhmangulova. Vladimír Bochnička leads Open A, Ján Lakota is perfect in Open B.

Pecháč Takes Down the Top Seed, Iveković Completes Her WIM Title in Skalica

NewsBy Milan Roman 25. August 2026

Round three of the Chess Slovak Open® 2026 produced the most decisive games so far. Jerguš Pecháč beat top seed Alexander Donchenko to join the Masters lead, while Tihana Iveković tops the Queen Masters on a perfect score — and has fulfilled the final requirement for the WIM title.

Chess Slovak Open® 2026 Is Under Way: Skalica Hosts the Strongest Tournament in Slovak History

NewsBy Milan Roman 22. August 2026

On Saturday 22 August, the Chess Slovak Open® 2026 festival was ceremonially opened at the House of Culture in Skalica. The closed Masters tournament, with an average ELO of 2603, is the strongest-ever event held on Slovak soil. Donchenko, Mendonca, Mishra and Navara lead the field, with home hero Jerguš Pecháč flying the Slovak flag. This edition honours the memory of GM Ján Plachetka.

Monthly Archives: August 2026