The 16th Annual Central California Open took place from August 14 to 16, 2026 at the Doubletree Hotel in Fresno, California.
Offering 100 Enhanced US Chess Grand Prix points and a $10,000 guaranteed prize fund, the 5-round Swiss tournament drew competitive fields across four rating divisions.
The premier Major Section (1900+) featured 44 competitors, including veteran grandmasters, international masters, and rising FIDE-rated talents.
After five rounds of intense play (40/80, SD/30; d30), three players shared first place with identical scores of 4.0/5 points:
GM Nick de Firmian – $1,000 prize, FM Austin Mei – $900 prize and GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez – $900 prize.
Three-time U.S. Champion Nick de Firmian secured the top payout with the tiebreak/clear 1st bonus included in the distribution.
Major section final standings:
1-3 GM Nick De Firmian 2452 CA, FM Austin Mei 2338 CA and GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez 2574 CA – 4.0
4-7 CM Jashith Karthi 2347 CA, Vishva Nanugonda 2249 CA, FM Dylan Tang 2349 CA and Archit Dasika 2212 CA – 3.5 etc
The tournament offered flexible playing schedules (3-day and 2-day options) across four distinct rating divisions:
Major Section (open to 1900/up): $1500-800-400-300, clear/tiebreak 1st $100 bonus, top USCF U2300 $600-300. Also FIDE rated.
Under 2100 Section: FIDE rated. Top prizes of $1,000–$500–$250–$150, with Under 1900/Unrated bonuses.
Under 1700 Section: Top prizes of $700–$400–$200–$150.
Under 1300 Section: Top prizes of $500–$250–$150–$100.
Mixed Doubles Bonus: $300 ($200–$100) awarded to the top male-female two-player team across all sections with a combined average rating under 2200.
