Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi secured victory in the XXI Aeroflot Open chess tournament for the second consecutive year. He finished with 7.5 points out of nine, remaining unbeaten after drawing his final game against Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov of Uzbekistan. The event took place in Moscow and featured participants from 22 countries.
The final ninth round of the XXI International Chess Festival Aeroflot Open 2026 occurred on Thursday, March 5, at The Carlton hotel in Moscow. Ian Nepomniachtchi's draw in the last round clinched his top position with a score of 7.5 points from nine games. Fifteen players trailed him by one point, but superior tiebreakers awarded second place to fellow Russian David Paravyan and third to Rudik Makarian.
Among the women, Afruza Khamdamova from Uzbekistan achieved the highest score of 5 points. In the U13 open category, Kirill Zhelonkin of Moscow won with 7 out of 9 points, followed by Artem Tsepilov from Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and Ivan Belik from Rostov Oblast, each with 6 points. The girls' tournament saw Alisa Genrietta Yunker from Moscow take first with 7.5 points, Iliana Masaeva from Moscow Oblast second with 7 points, and Maryana Osipova from the Chuvash Republic third with 6.5 points.
Following the tournament, an autograph and photo session featured Nepomniachtchi, current Russian champion Arseniy Nesterov, and other grandmasters. At the closing ceremony, Vladimir Medinsky, Aide to the President of Russia, addressed the audience, stating: “Chess isn’t merely a game – it’s a way of life.” He highlighted ongoing initiatives, including chess boulevards and schools across Russia, and expressed hopes for continued partnership between Aeroflot and the Chess Federation of Russia.
Anatoly Karpov, a former world champion, thanked organizers for including the Chess Legends Tournament, which brought together his rivals such as Rafael Vaganian and Eugenio Torre. Andrey Filatov, President of the Chess Federation of Russia, praised Aeroflot's support, noting the achievement of gathering players from 22 countries amid challenges. Ilya Perfiliev from Aeroflot presented awards and business-class flight certificates to Nepomniachtchi and Khamdamova.
The tournament was organized by the Chess Federation of Russia and the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, with Aeroflot's support and Odnoklassniki as the media partner.
