The thrilling final round decided this year’s chess champions of the Czech Republic. In the women’s category, Tereza Rodshtein clinched the title, defeating Julia Movsesian in the final of the elimination tournament. In the open round-robin event, seventh seed Štěpán Hrbek emerged as a surprise winner, while Jan Vykouk and Tadeáš Kriebel claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
The Czech Championship returned to Plzeň after a five-year break. While David Navara dominated the 2020 open tournament, this year he did not take part due to a scheduling conflict. Nevertheless, he attended the final two rounds at the Plzeň Congress Center Parkhotel as a commentator—much to the delight of the spectators.
The games certainly lived up to expectations: only 22 out of 45 ended in draws. With two rounds remaining, eight of the ten players were still in contention for gold, underscoring the tournament’s competitiveness.
Jáchym Němec and Jan Vykouk traded the lead for much of the tournament, but neither managed to convert their chances in the decisive final round. Vykouk drew his game, while Němec lost—to none other than 19-year-old Štěpán Hrbek, who thereby secured his unexpected national title. His final score of 5.5/9 reflected the remarkable balance of the event. The pre-tournament favorites struggled: Václav Finěk finished fifth, and Štěpán Žilka placed eighth.
The women’s championship, held for the third consecutive year in a knockout format, began with a preliminary round followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. Each round featured two classical games, two rapid games, blitz, and, if necessary, an Armageddon decider. Several junior players also participated but were unable to match the experience of their older opponents.
Tereza Rodshtein overcame all challengers on her way to the title, defeating Karolína Pilsová, Anna Lhotská, and finally two-time defending champion Julia Movsesian. In the bronze medal match, Kristýna Petrová outplayed Anna Lhotská.
Tournament director and Chairman of the Czech Chess Association Martin Petr reflected positively on the event:
“I am thrilled with the course of this year’s Czech Championship. I would like to thank all the players for their fighting spirit and fair-play approach. The spectators certainly enjoyed the exciting games and the tournaments—and I did too.”
The organizer, Chess Club 64 Plzeň, expressed gratitude to all who supported the 2025 Czech Championship: the City of Plzeň, the Czech Chess Association, Plzeňská teplárenská, Parkhotel Plzeň, Ubytování U Foltýnů, PROdiamant, Calliditas Edutainment, NODAK, and the 64 Foundation.
This article is based on a report by the Czech Chess Federation
Official website: chess.cz/
