LX Cuban Absolute (Open) Championship and XLVIII National Women's Championship were held  almost simultaneously in the different parts of the island – Holguin and Pinar del Rio, respectively.

The open tournament saw a close race of three top seeds, Luis Ernesto Quesada Perez, Omar Almeida and Carlos Daniel Albornoz Cabrera, who scored 7/9 and tied for first place in the end, finishing a half-point ahead of Lelys Stanley Martinez Duany.

To determine the winner, a three-player tiebreaker was played in which Luis Ernesto Quesada emerged victorious, taking the title of Cuban champion. Omar Almeida finished second and took silver, while the top-rated Carlos Daniel Albornoz had to settle for bronze.

Kudos to FM Kemel Antonio Gallo, who netted 6/10 and completed an IM norm.

Final standings Open:

The women's event was also a close affair as IM Lisandra Ordaz Valdes and the youngest participant, WFM Leannet Mariah Bosch Valls, totalled 7.5/10 and shared first place.

Another exciting tiebreaker took place a few hours after the final round, with Ordaz and Bosch facing each other in a duel for the national crown. After the opponents traded blows in the rapid 15+10 games, Lisandra Ordaz won both blitz games and clinched the title. 

As many as three players tied for third place, with Miranda Llanes Yerisbel winning bronze (just like in 2023) thanks to the superior rating average of the opponents.

Final standings Women:

Photos: Cuba Chess Facebook

Official website: supercubadatabase.simdif.com/