The Sparkassen Chess Trophy 2026, the 53rd edition of the International Dortmund Chess Days, concluded on August 9 at the Alte Schmiede Cultural Centre in Dortmund-Huckarde.
Bringing together 413 players from over 40 countries across three tournaments, the fully-booked event delivered nine days of top-tier classical chess and international competition.
Entering the ninth and final round with a half-point lead and a superior tiebreak score, Norwegian rising star Elham Amar needed only a draw against Indian Grandmaster Surya Ganguly to secure the title. Playing with the Black pieces, Amar absorbed Ganguly’s pressure, remaining solid before forcing a repetition of moves just prior to the time control.
Amar’s victory was cemented on board two, where fellow title contender Sumiya Chinguun lost a wild Sicilian Najdorf battle against his Mongolian compatriot IM Amilal Munkhdalai.
Munkhdalaiโs victory propelled him into clear second place, earning him the runner-up spot on tiebreaks with 7/9 points. Polish GM Kacper Piorun rounded out the podium in third place.
The 2026 A-Open also served as a stage for major personal milestones, producing two new Grandmaster norms. IM Yu Tian Poh from Malaysia secured his GM norm with a final-round draw. IM Felix Xie from New Zealand earned his norm after surviving a lost endgame position against Norway’s Aksel Bu Kvaloy to hold the crucial draw.
The Total Prize Fund was โฌ20,000 guaranteed (โฌ16,000 for A-Open / โฌ4,000 for B-Open).
Open-A Final Standings:
1 GM Amar Elham NOR 2587 – 7.5
2 IM Amilal Munkhdalai MGL 2481 – 7
3 GM Piorun Kacper POL 2519 – 7
4 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar IND 2556 – 7
5 GM Kollars Dmitrij GER 2627 – 7
6 GM Acs Peter HUN 2558 – 7
7 GM Blรผbaum Matthias GER 2689 – 6.5
8 IM Poh Yu Tian MAS 2473 – 6.5
9 IM Xie Felix NZL 2384 – 6.5
10 GM Kvaloy Aksel Bu NOR 2498 – 6.5
11 IM Chinguun Sumiya MGL 2389 – 6.5
12 GM Svane Rasmus GER 2618 – 6.5
13 IM Chen Qi b CHN 2430 – 6.5
14 IM Song Edward USA 2379 – 6.5
15 IM Itgelt Khuyagtsogt MGL 2425 – 6
16 GM Navara David CZE 2619 – 6
17 IM Amartuvshin Ganzorig MGL 2442 – 6
18 IM Gan-Erdene Sugar MGL 2460 – 6
19 FM Korchynskyi Mykola GER 2408 – 6
20 IM Belurkar Nitish IND 2430 – 6
21 FM Sydykov Bayastan KGZ 2381 – 6
22 FM Heinrich John GER 2398 – 6
23 IM Kuegel Tobias GER 2368 – 6
24 WIM Mungunzul Bat-Erdene MGL 2392 – 6
25 IM Ulziikhishig Khishigbat MGL 2331 – 6
26 GM Raja Rithvik R IND 2530 – 6
27 GM Pavlovic Milos SRB 2400 – 6
28 IM Zwirs Nico NED 2438 – 6
29 FM Silva Pedro Gil POR 2351 – 6
30 IM Gloeckler Christian GER 2519 – 6
31 IM Xie Kaifan CHN 2452 – 6
32 IM Agibileg Uurtsaikh MGL 2432 – 6
33 IM Agrawal Vantika IND 2399 – 6
34 IM Peyrer Konstantin AUT 2492 – 6
35 FM Zuferi Enis GER 2372 – 6
36 FM Hainke GuntramDr. GER 2266 – 6
37 IM Hess Max GER 2385 – 5.5
38 FM Nothnagel Marian Can GER 2451 – 5.5
39 IM Bรคnziger Fabian SUI 2429 – 5.5
40 IM Wagh Suyog IND 2371 – 5.5
41 IM Besou Hussain GER 2420 – 5.5
42 GM Mikhalevski Victor ISR 2478 – 5.5
43 FM Bashirov Kemal GER 2232 – 5.5
44 IM Panda Sambit IND 2358 – 5.5
45 GM Vaganian Rafael A ARM 2442 – 5.5
46 Ramien David GER 2247 – 5.5
47 WGM Munkhzul Turmunkh MGL 2296 – 5.5
48 WFM Visahan Chitradevi Nivedita IND 1991 – 5.5
49 Riechenberg Sebastian GER 2138 – 5.5
50 IM Wegener Olaf GER 2380 – 5.5
51 FM Pauly Carlo GER 2395 – 5.5
52 Kamp Adrian GER 2186 – 5.5
53 FM Saminskij Jan SUI 2313 – 5.5
54 FM Payyappat Sreyas IND 2200 – 5.5
55 Scholz Benedict GER 2161 – 5.5
56 IM Munguntuul Batkhuyag MGL 2318 – 5.5
57 Vyas Miransh Purven USA 2054 – 5.5
58 Tirelli Mauro ITA 2199 – 5
59 GM Bilguun Sumiya MGL 2415 – 5
60 FM Schuricht Emil Frederick GER 2219 – 5
61 CM Kumaresh Ayyachamy IND 2224 – 5
62 CM Marynychenko Yehor GER 2227 – 5
63 FM Mรถller Maurin GER 2255 – 5
64 CM Vemparala Nikash USA 2314 – 5
65 FM Zielonka Adam POL 2431 – 5
66 FM Talgatov Nazar KAZ 2357 – 5
67 Bock Jรผrgen GER 2276 – 5
68 Fruth David GER 2047 – 5
69 WCM Bayasgalan Khishigbaatar MGL 2281 – 5
70 FM Ramsdal Jens Albert DEN 2319 – 5
71 CM Bolashakov Nurali KAZ 2199 – 5
72 FM Legde Georg GER 2241 – 5
73 Korten Lando GER 2266 – 5
74 FM Rappazzo Johannes SUI 2219 – 5
75 IM Ahmadinia Ebrahim IRI 2410 – 5
76 Bhattacharyya Soham IND 2408 – 5
77 Kumbharathi Vedansh USA 2123 – 5
78 Gramb Marius GER 2237 – 5
79 FM Weidemann Jakob GER 2255 – 5
80 FM Prieb Robert GER 2195 – 5
81 FM Michalczak Thomas GER 2248 – 5
82 Kania Markus GER 1973 – 5
83 FM Malinowsky Levi GER 2332 – 4.5
84 Sommer Justus GER 2239 – 4.5
85 GM Mainka Romuald GER 2323 – 4.5
86 CM Harish Neeraj USA 2201 – 4.5
87 FM Zhong Kangmin CHN 2313 – 4.5
88 FM Chassard Cedric GER 2262 – 4.5
89 CM Anetov Amirzhan KAZ 2115 – 4.5
90 Winkler Yonathan GER 2224 – 4.5
91 Humbert Arthur GER 2083 – 4.5
92 FM Fuhrmann Bahne GER 2282 – 4.5
93 FM Thiel Thomas GER 2206 – 4.5
94 Saxena Vihaan USA 2145 – 4.5
95 FM Arsenie Cristian Marc SUI 2274 – 4.5
96 FM Grabowski Pawel POL 2265 – 4.5
97 WIM Bayarmaa Bayarjargal MGL 2100 – 4.5
98 Goldkuhle Collin GER 2152 – 4.5
99 Mukazhanov Mansur GER 2180 – 4.5
100 Leutwyler Martin SUI 2067 – 4.5
101 WFM Ejsymont Blanka POL 2054 – 4.5
102 IM Scholz ChristianDr. GER 2289 – 4.5
103 FM Batbaatar Baatar MGL 2168 – 4.5
104 FM Sam Gabriel USA 2265 – 4.5
105 Hempel Lorenz GER 2069 – 4.5
106 Slanina Aaron GER 2019 – 4.5
107 FM Weihrauch Jakob GER 2283 – 4.5
108 Hirzel Cรฉdric SUI 2108 – 4.5
109 FM Fiskaaen Martin Holten NOR 2365 – 4.5
110 Nasta Kiren Vivek USA 2153 – 4.5
111 FM Vanek Tomas CZE 2156 – 4.5
112 Krien Hartmut GER 1895 – 4.5
113 CM Zhang Junyi ENG 2191 – 4.5
114 Walter Richard GER 2223 – 4.5
115 Rogner Alexander Luis GER 1915 – 4.5
116 FM Schwitkowski Luka GER 2340 – 4
117 WIM Chitlange Sakshi IND 2224 – 4
118 Morais Miguel Almeida POR 2132 – 4
119 Piacquadio Riccardo Daniele SUI 2021 – 4
120 CM Di Fonzo Valerio ITA 2090 – 4
121 Allen Phillipp GER 2046 – 4
122 CM Derr Oleg GER 2166 – 4
123 CM Hu Junyan ENG 2009 – 4
124 Baljรฉ Jan NED 2123 – 4
125 FM Kummerow Heiko GER 2140 – 4
126 WCM Drishtee Ghosh IND 1969 – 4
127 Linde Wolfgang GER 2083 – 4
128 CM Sonnenschein Philipp GER 2213 – 4
129 Mann Gergely GER 2179 – 4
130 IM Parvanyan Ashot GER 2429 – 4
131 Hofmann Benjamin GER 2001 – 4
132 Nolte Gerhard GER 1849 – 4
133 Pfaltz Maximilian SUI 2001 – 4
134 Menzel Maximilian GER 2229 – 4
135 Zander Vincent GER 1946 – 4
136 Weidert Florian BEL 2000 – 4
137 Moritani Sho JPN 1985 – 4
138 Klings Peter GER 2073 – 4
139 Nguyen Thanh An GER 2163 – 4
140 Wang Nathan Zian CAN 2028 – 4
141 Zhang Xiheng NED 1952 – 4
142 Celmer Ole GER 1958 – 4
143 Hagenmeyer Felix GER 2139 – 4
144 Amini Yusuf GER 2185 – 3.5
145 Webster Dex USA 2208 – 3.5
146 FM Wagner Alexej GER 2183 – 3.5
147 Bonade Massimo ITA 2041 – 3.5
148 Roebers Bregje NED 1998 – 3.5
149 Salsa Nicola ITA 2047 – 3.5
150 Moreto Quintana Alex ESP 2141 – 3.5
151 Brockhoff Moritz GER 2130 – 3.5
152 Neuschild Marius SUI 1945 – 3.5
153 Tugsbilguun Davganamdag MGL 2091 – 3.5
154 CM Pradeep Harshill GER 2081 – 3.5
155 Berkle Pascal GER 2031 – 3.5
156 Moreira Ronaldo Alonso BRA 2092 – 3.5
157 Vinod Arav IND 1996 – 3.5
158 IM Contin Daniel ITA 2218 – 3.5
159 Doedens Julian GER 1897 – 3.5
160 Tokhyan Feliks ARM 2001 – 3.5
161 FM Jaidambareesh Namesh Ramalakshm IND 2300 – 3.5
162 CM Bekker Gary D AUS 2004 – 3.5
163 Rebelo da Silva Lourenco POR 2047 – 3.5
164 Engemann Till GER 2108 – 3.5
165 Kastek Thomas GER 2101 – 3.5
166 Surender Anil SWE 2029 – 3.5
167 Ehrke Michael GER 2079 – 3
168 Saveljevs Aleksandrs LAT 2047 – 3
169 Poon Pak Yu HKG 2124 – 3
170 FM Dahl Christoph GER 2398 – 3
171 Riabtsev Ivan UKR 2064 – 3
172 FM Roebers Jan NED 2108 – 3
173 Helms Finn GER 2099 – 3
174 Hirzel Renรฉ SUI 2057 – 3
175 FM Clemens Adrian NED 2061 – 3
176 Najar Arrieta Oriol ESP 2105 – 3
177 Boer Alef NED 2079 – 3
178 FM Nezhyvenko Mykhailo GER 2270 – 3
179 IM Javakhishvili Lela GEO 2430 – 3
180 Ramsdal Lasse DEN 2031 – 3
181 Marzatico Luca ITA 2094 – 3
182 Philippe Denis-Emmanuel BEL 1987 – 3
183 Sutharjan Dakxwin GER 1969 – 3
184 Ramsdal Mikkel DEN 2015 – 2.5
185 Althoff Ralph GER 2002 – 2.5
186 Wilde Justin GER 2060 – 2.5
187 Ejsymont Eryk POL 2022 – 2.5
188 WFM Shuqja Klean ALB 2041 – 2.5
189 CM Parvanyan Alfred GER 2200 – 2.5
190 GM Hong Andrew USA 2604 – 2.5
191 Leusch Gernot GER 2095 – 2.5
192 WFM Avelino Camila Biscaya POR 1945 – 2.5
193 Conrad Joachim GER 1969 – 2.5
194 Muranyi Erich GER 1980 – 2
195 Glasschrรถder Maximilian GER 1914 – 2
196 Li Joshua GER 1896 – 2
197 Wille Thomas GER 2062 – 2
198 Merz Martin GER 2015 – 2
199 Reis Pedro Rafael Melo POR 2072 – 2
200 Liesendahl Felix GER 1977 – 2
201 Leers-Fischer Hans GER 2004 – 2
202 Kock Stefan GER 2017 – 1.5
203 FM Panjer Sidney GER 2313 – 1.5
204 Reinhardt Johannes GER 1961 – 1.5
205 Hulshof Peter NED 2115 – 1.5
206 Tarasenko Nazar GER 2102 – 1
207 WFM Challa Niharika IND 2245 – 1
208 Mรผller Frank GER 2038 – 0.5
