The Asian Individual Chess Championship concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, after nine rounds of play on June 6, 2026. This marked the first time Mongolia has hosted a top-tier Asian chess tournament, an event that received strong support from the Mongolian government and Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor.
Held in both the Open and Women’s sections, the competition featured an impressive field of 34 Grandmasters, 12 Women’s Grandmasters, 51 International Masters, 20 Women International Masters, 49 FIDE Masters, and 18 Candidate Masters representing 30 countries.
The total prize fund for the 2026 Asian Chess Championship stood at USD 100,000, with the Open Champion receiving USD 15,000.
Open section
The open section was fiercely contested, with the lead changing hands throughout the tournament. Heading into the final ninth round, three players – IM Kong Xiangrui, GM Xiao Tong (both China), and GM Zhamsaran Tsydypov (FIDE) – were tied for first place with 6.5/8. A group of three players, including top seed Yu Yangyi, trailed them by half a point.
All three leaders drew their games, finishing on 7/9. Among their pursuers, only GM Savva Vetokhin (FIDE) made the most of this opportunity, scoring a crucial win over GM Erdem Khubukshanov (FIDE) to catch up and force a four-way tie for the top spot. Based on the average rating of opponents (the first tiebreak criterion), Kong Xiangrui claimed gold, Xiao Tong took silver, and Tsydypov completed the podium.
All four top finishers in the Open section qualified for the FIDE World Cup 2027.
The women’s event saw the triumph of the younger generation, also ending in a tie for the top position. IM Savitha Shri B of India and WGM Afruza Khamdamova of Uzbekistan scored 7.5/9 each, with Savitha capturing gold thanks to the higher average rating of her opponents. She also earned a spot in the Women’s World Cup 2027.
Six players finished a full point behind, with Song Yuxin of China taking bronze based on the same tiebreak criterion.
Photos: Asian Individual Chess Championship
Official website: https://asianchess.com/