GM Daniel Dardha and WIM Hanne Goossens are newly crowned Belgian Chess Champions, claiming their fourth and fifth national titles, respectively.
The 2026 edition of the Belgian Chess Championships was held from July 4-12 at the Xaverius College in Borgerhout, Antwerp, the Xaverius College in Borgerhout, Antwerp, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the local Borgerhoutse Chess Club. The event featured 10-player round-robin invitational sections for Experts and Ladies, alongside a large Open tournament for players of all levels.
Somewhat unexpectedly, the open event developed into a close race between the top-seeded Dardha and IM Elias Ruzhansky, rated 164 points lower. Ruzhansky defeated Dardha in Round 3 and took the lead but then slowed down making several draws and allowing his main rival to catch up.
It all came down to the ninth and final round, which Ruzhansky and Dardha entered as joint leaders on 5.5/8. Ruzhansky managed only a draw against FM Amir Zouaghi, while Dardha scored a crucial victory over FM Maxime Hauchamps to clinch the title.
Mher Hovhannisyan completed the podium after edging out GM Alexandre Dgebuadze thanks to a superior Buchholz tiebreak.
Hanne Goossens, representing Borgerhout district of Antwerp, dominated the women’s tournament, securing the title with a perfect score of 9/9. Diana Musabayeva enjoyed a strong run but lost to the eventual champion in the penultimate round and had to settle for silver with 7.5/9, while Radoslawa Lascar finished third with 7/9.
Arne Nemegeer triumphed in the Open event, edging out Olivier Verheyen on the Bucholz tiebreak.
Photos: Official website
Official website: https://bk.schaakliga-antwerpen.be/en/main-event/