Orsha-2026: how the places were distributed at the XXIV International Chess Tournament
The results of the XXIV International Chess Tournament "Orsha-2026" have been summarized. The closing ceremony with the awarding of winners and prize-winners took place on January 25 at the Culture Center "Victory".
On the same day, the final 9th round was played in the morning, which determined the placement of participants in the tournament table.
In the main tournament A for the chess crown of the Orsha tournament, 72 participants competed. Places were distributed only based on additional indicators, as the contenders scored the same number of points. The first place was taken by international grandmaster Pavel Ponkratov (Moscow), 2nd – international grandmaster Alexander Moskalenko (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), 3rd – FIDE master Mikhail Spizharniy (Orsha). In the women's category: 1st – FIDE master candidate among women Nika Venskaya (Minsk), 2nd – Tatyana Chervyakova (Kostroma), 3rd Victoria Dorosheva (Gomel).
Tournament B was held without rating calculation. The best results were shown by FIDE master from Smolensk Dmitry Kononenko and Ekaterina Rabkovskaya (Glubokoe) among women.
In tournament C, chess players born in 2012 and younger participated. The winners were Alexander Gankov (Mogilev) and Milana Zotova (Smolensk). In tournament D (2014 and younger): Kiril Zhuk (Gomel) and Kristina Melnik (Mogilev). In tournament E (2016 and younger): Amvrosiy Averkhin (Smolensk) and Miroslava Shatilo (Gomel). In tournament F (2018 and younger): Nikita Obodnyuk (Gomel) and Yulia Apalkova (Ryazan).
Two tournaments with the norm of an international master were held with 10 participants each. The winners were international master Dmitry Kushko, a representative of the chess federation of Ireland, and FIDE master Kiril Bazyrtsirenov from Russia.
In the rapid tournaments, the Minsk players won. In the rated tournament – Matvey Saveliev, and in the tournament without rating calculation among participants born in 2014 and younger – Danila Milyanenko. Blitz winners: in the rated tournament – Pavel Ponkratov (Moscow), without rating calculation – Kiril Zhuk (Gomel).
In two simultaneous play sessions with international grandmasters, three draws were made, indicating the high level of participants in the tournament in Orsha.
According to the team standings, the 1st place was taken by the team from Gomel, 2nd – SDYUSHOR No. 8 from Vitebsk, 3rd – SDYUSHOR from Minsk. The decisive round was the last one, when unexpectedly many losses were made by representatives of the Smolensk team, which was in the lead but ultimately took fourth place out of nine.
The awarding ceremony was attended by the head of the sports department of the Orsha district executive committee Snezhana Bryuzgina, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Chess Federation Nikolai Zarubitsky and the director of the Republican Center for Olympic Preparation in Chess and Checkers Igor Oberemko. Winners and prize-winners received commemorative medals, cups, and valuable prizes. Volunteers from the Orsha district committee of the BRSM were recognized with gratitude for their assistance in organizing and conducting the event. Creative teams from the RCC "Victory" prepared a bright concert program for the participants of the event.
Sergey SLEPTSOV.
Photo by the author.
Source orshanka