FirstI nternational Chess Festival "Kardzali" Rapid- Under the aegis of BSCF

SwissRapid

88 players participated in this 11-round tournament, held from 25 Oct 2025 to 26 Oct 2025 in Kardzali, Bulgaria. 17 titled players from 7 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2424, and top seed was Martin Petrov (🇧🇬 BUL, GM, 2529).

Radoslav Dimitrov (🇧🇬 BUL, GM, 2465) won with 8.5/11, ahead of Martin Petrov (8.5) and Momchil Nikolov (8.0). Dimitrov shared the lead from round 3, winning on tie-break.

The biggest upset came in round 1: Necmi Ozturk (1498) beat Plamen Baldzhiev (1952), a +454-point gap.

Location

🇧🇬Kardzali, Bulgaria

Dates

25 Oct 2025 → 26 Oct 2025

Time control

Rapid: 15 minutes for game with 5 seconds increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 11 rounds

Top seed

🇧🇬GMMartin Petrov2529

Avg top 10

2,424

Participants

Titled players · 17

GM×6

IM×3

FM×3

CM×2

WFM×2

WCM×1

Federations · 7 represented

🇧🇬Bulgaria×60

🇹🇷Turkiye×9

🇬🇷Greece×8

🇷🇸Serbia×3

🇧🇪Belgium×1

🇺🇦Ukraine×1

FIDE (no federation)×1

Top 3

🥇
GMRadoslav Dimitrov
🇧🇬BUL·2465
8.5pts·2536perf+12.6
🥈
GMMartin Petrov
🇧🇬BUL·2529
8.5pts·2463perf-4.3
🥉
GMMomchil Nikolov
🇧🇬BUL·2488
8.0pts·2477perf+1.2

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 11 rounds

Tight race until R11; 2 players tied at 8.5/11, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 3 co-leaders at R4 to 2 at the finish.

Co-leaders

Petrov8.5Dimitrov8.5Nikolov8Delchev7.5Kilic7.5Iliev7.5

R11 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

2 players finish on 8.5/11. Dimitrov takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (74.0).

R7 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

GM Martin Petrov lost to GM Radoslav Dimitrov (White).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

GM Martin Petrov 3+3 wins (R1–R3, R8–R10)GM Radoslav Dimitrov 4 wins (R1–R4)GM Momchil Nikolov 3 wins (R1–R3)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1GMMartin Petrov	*	0	½	—
2GMRadoslav Dimitrov	1	*	½	1
3GMMomchil Nikolov	½	½	*	—
4GMAleksander Delchev	—	0	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Dimitrov, RadoslavGM	2465	BUL	+26N	+27B	+30N	+7B	=13N	=4B	+2N	=6B	=3N	+9B	=5N	8.5	74.0	80.0	61.25	2536	+12.6
2	Petrov, MartinGM	2529	BUL	+52B	+24N	+10B	−5N	+11B	+15N	−1B	+23N	+14B	+7N	=3B	8.5	73.5	78.5	58.50	2463	-4.3
3	Nikolov, MomchilGM	2488	BUL	+50N	+68B	+12N	=4B	+5B	=13N	=8B	=14N	=1B	+10N	=2N	8.0	73.5	77.5	54.50	2477	+1.2
4	Tilicheev, ViacheslavGM	2443	SRB	+31B	+19N	+11B	=3N	+14B	=1N	=5B	=8N	=13B	=6B	=9N	7.5	75.0	81.0	54.25	2441	+3.4
5	Ozen, DenizIM	2333	TUR	+35N	+18B	+39N	+2B	−3N	+16B	=4N	=9B	=6N	=13B	=1B	7.5	74.5	80.0	53.00	2416	+32.0
6	Spasov, VasilGM	2462	BUL	+44B	+32N	=15B	=14N	+29B	=17N	+10B	=1N	=5B	=4N	=7B	7.5	71.5	77.0	51.00	2356	-9.8
7	Iliev, Hristiyan	2311	BUL	+46B	+17N	+42B	−1N	+25B	−8N	+29B	+11N	+15B	−2B	=6N	7.5	71.5	77.0	48.75	2301	+7.8
8	Kilic, ErayIM	2453	TUR	+60N	+40B	+22N	−13B	+20N	+7B	=3N	=4B	−9N	=11B	+24N	7.5	71.0	75.5	49.50	2353	-8.0
9	Delchev, AleksanderGM	2476	SRB	+48B	+29N	−14B	+41N	+24B	=10N	+13B	=5N	+8B	−1N	=4B	7.5	70.5	76.0	49.25	2385	-8.0
10	Nikolov, SashoIM	2257	BUL	+43B	+45N	−2N	+18B	+32N	=9B	−6N	+30B	+21N	−3B	+13N	7.5	70.0	75.5	47.75	2313	+11.5
11	Ismail, Tamer	2111	BEL	+63N	+36B	−4N	+54B	−2N	+18B	+33N	−7B	+44N	=8N	+41B	7.5	66.0	70.5	43.25	2178	+21.6
12	Todev, SimeonCM	2150	BUL	+69B	+47N	−3B	+34N	−17B	−45N	+51B	=39N	+50B	+38N	+25B	7.5	59.5	63.5	40.25	2037	-39.6
13	Stoyanov, Stoyan OrFM	2281	BUL	+65N	+54B	+51N	+8N	=1B	=3B	−9N	+16B	=4N	=5N	−10B	7.0	71.0	75.0	44.25	2350	+26.6
14	Markidis, KonstantinosFM	2238	GRE	+57N	+56B	+9N	=6B	−4N	+42B	+17N	=3B	−2N	=24B	=16N	7.0	70.0	75.0	44.50	2286	+20.0
15	Delchev, Petar	2158	BUL	+58N	+33B	=6N	=16B	+40N	−2B	=27N	+17B	−7N	=19B	+32N	7.0	68.5	73.5	43.50	2169	+5.6
16	Trendafilov, Simeon	2170	BUL	+70B	=41N	+23B	=15N	+19B	−5N	+25B	−13N	+38B	=18N	=14B	7.0	66.5	70.5	42.75	2138	-6.0
17	Elci, ErenFM	1906	TUR	+55N	−7B	+69N	+53B	+12N	=6B	−14B	−15N	+46B	=23N	+29B	7.0	64.5	68.5	40.00	2116	+88.4
18	Elci, Yigit	1894	TUR	+82B	−5N	+43B	−10N	+35B	−11N	+69N	+53B	+22N	=16B	=21N	7.0	64.0	66.0	36.50	2043	+62.4
19	Marzakov, Mihail	1931	BUL	+85N	−4B	+58N	+51B	−16N	+26B	−23B	+31N	=20B	=15N	+40B	7.0	63.0	64.0	36.00	2039	+57.2
20	Bukhteeva, ViktoriaWFM	2099	SRB	+61B	−42N	+50B	+38N	−8B	=41N	+43B	=44B	=19N	=25N	+33B	7.0	59.5	64.0	38.75	1978	-27.8
21	Velikov, Nikola	2042	BUL	+49N	−51B	=26N	+63B	=41B	+39N	=38B	+46N	−10B	+40N	=18B	7.0	59.0	63.5	38.75	1934	-49.2
22	Andreev, Simeon	2037	BUL	+73B	+53N	−8B	−42N	+48B	−38N	+52B	+45N	−18B	+57N	+31B	7.0	57.5	61.5	36.00	1919	-26.6
23	Ivanov, Bogidar	2140	BUL	+28N	−39B	−16N	+49B	+60N	+40B	+19N	−2B	−24N	=17B	+48N	6.5	64.5	69.0	38.00	2000	-32.0
24	Ivanov, SvetlenCM	2010	BUL	+79N	−2B	+60N	+56B	−9N	−33B	+26N	+54B	+23B	=14N	−8B	6.5	64.0	67.0	34.00	2093	+43.6
25	Baldzhiev, Plamen	1952	BUL	−66N	+75B	+65N	+39B	−7N	+51B	−16N	+33B	+30N	=20B	−12N	6.5	59.5	63.0	33.50	1996	+25.2
26	Vangelov, Atanas	1757	BUL	−1B	+71N	=21B	=50N	+72B	−19N	−24B	+78N	+45B	=34N	+38B	6.5	59.0	62.0	31.00	1893	+59.6
27	Dimitrova, ElenaWFM	1962	FID	+71B	−1N	−44B	+64N	+31B	+52N	=15B	−38N	+39B	−41N	+46B	6.5	58.5	62.5	34.00	1906	-13.6
28	Ismailov, Nedim	1669	BUL	−23B	+80N	−34B	+78N	−38B	−31N	=37B	+66N	+61B	+42N	+39B	6.5	52.5	54.5	27.50	1782	+24.8
29	Shvenk, Denis	1986	BUL	+67N	−9B	+35N	+33B	−6N	+47B	−7N	−50N	+52B	+36B	−17N	6.0	63.0	67.0	32.50	1981	-9.2
30	Mishev, Liubomir	2127	BUL	+64B	+38N	−1B	=47N	=42B	+34N	+45B	−10N	−25B	−31N	+50B	6.0	61.5	66.0	32.00	1960	-41.2
31	Mutlu, Burak Alp	1734	TUR	−4N	+85B	−40N	+67B	−27N	+28B	+32N	−19B	+54N	+30B	−22N	6.0	61.0	62.0	28.50	1907	+90.4
32	Tsolov, Aleksandar	1947	BUL	+76B	−6B	+57N	+52N	−10B	−43N	−31B	+35B	+47N	+50N	−15B	6.0	60.0	63.5	30.00	1906	-21.7
33	Mihailidou, Magdalini	1851	GRE	+81B	−15N	+73B	−29N	+57B	+24N	−11B	−25N	+68N	+53B	−20N	6.0	58.5	60.5	26.50	1911	+13.4
34	Marinov, Petyo	1879	BUL	=75N	=66B	+28N	−12B	+65N	−30B	=67N	+60B	=36N	=26B	=37N	6.0	55.0	58.5	30.00	1812	-15.4
35	Krastev, Stanislav	1725	BUL	−5B	+82N	−29B	+59N	−18N	−67B	+77B	−32N	+73B	+54N	+52B	6.0	53.0	55.0	24.50	1770	+11.2
36	Salif, Eminali	1825	BUL	+87B	−11N	−53B	−61N	+76B	=64N	+63B	+48N	=34B	−29N	+57B	6.0	52.0	52.5	24.25	1796	-6.2
37	Bilyal, Kyamran	1757	BUL	F	F	F	F	+81N	+85B	=28N	+65B	+79N	+43N	=34B	6.0	28.0	28.0	21.75	1931	+25.6
38	Ozen, Medeni	1834	TUR	+62N	−30B	+55N	−20B	+28N	+22B	=21N	+27B	−16N	−12B	−26N	5.5	66.0	70.5	33.00	1921	+15.6
39	Yanev, Yordan	1841	BUL	+80B	+23N	−5B	−25N	+69N	−21B	+55N	=12B	−27N	+44B	−28N	5.5	62.5	64.5	26.75	1874	+2.6
40	Petkov, Rostislav	1917	BUL	+86B	−8N	+31B	+44N	−15B	−23N	+58B	=43N	+42B	−21B	−19N	5.5	62.5	63.0	25.25	1891	-9.6
41	Kamperidis, Charalampos	1863	GRE	F	=16B	+66N	−9B	=21N	=20B	−44N	+61N	+43B	+27B	−11N	5.5	62.0	62.0	31.00	1956	+46.4
42	Rasheva, NoraWCM	1822	BUL	+88N	+20B	−7N	+22B	=30N	−14N	−46B	+67B	−40N	−28B	+63N	5.5	60.5	60.5	25.50	1881	+20.0
43	Margkarian, Alexandros	1692	GRE	−10N	+74B	−18N	+55B	+56N	+32B	−20N	=40B	−41N	−37B	+62N	5.5	59.0	63.0	27.25	1788	+14.8
44	Carraro, Luciano	1754	BUL	−6N	+76B	+27N	−40B	=62N	+68B	+41B	=20N	−11B	−39N	=47N	5.5	59.0	62.5	28.00	1926	+41.0
45	Simeonov, Velin	1873	BUL	+84N	−10B	=63N	+68B	=47N	+12B	−30N	−22B	−26N	=55B	+61N	5.5	58.0	59.5	25.00	1890	+4.4
46	Fangarliev, Anil	1711	BUL	−7N	−55B	+75N	+85B	=54N	+56B	+42N	−21B	−17N	+62B	−27N	5.5	56.5	57.5	22.00	1834	+44.0
47	Zhelev, Momchil	1843	BUL	+77N	−12B	+49N	=30B	=45B	−29N	−53B	+69N	−32B	+58N	=44B	5.5	56.0	59.5	26.50	1865	+8.0
48	Velchev, Yoan	1761	BUL	−9N	+67B	=68N	+66B	−22N	−54B	+71N	−36B	+49N	+63N	−23B	5.5	54.0	58.0	24.00	1800	+16.0
49	Syuleyman, Iliyaz	1594	BUL	−21B	+78N	−47B	−23N	−74B	+82N	+80B	=51N	−48B	+65B	+60N	5.5	47.0	49.0	18.00	1731	+39.2
50	Keshev, Alper	1783	BUL	−3B	+59N	−20N	=26B	+75N	+62B	=54N	+29B	−12N	−32B	−30N	5.0	61.5	65.0	24.75	1840	+7.0
51	Kalaydzhiev, Yasen	1795	BUL	+78B	+21N	−13B	−19N	+61B	−25N	−12N	=49B	−53N	+71B	=55N	5.0	59.0	62.0	23.75	1833	+7.6
52	Shahbazyan, Norayr	1792	BUL	−2N	+79B	+62N	−32B	+53N	−27B	−22N	+55B	−29N	+67B	−35N	5.0	58.5	61.5	21.50	1678	-50.8
53	Topal, Sinan I.	0	BUL	F	−22B	+36N	−17N	−52B	+66B	+47N	−18N	+51B	−33N	+56B	5.0	57.5	57.5	25.50	1830	0.0
54	Georgiev, Georgi J	1875	BUL	+72B	−13N	+70B	−11N	=46B	+48N	=50B	−24N	−31B	−35B	+73N	5.0	57.0	61.0	22.75	1767	-31.8
55	Chaushev, Stanimir	0	BUL	−17B	+46N	−38B	−43N	+73B	+70N	−39B	−52N	+69B	=45N	=51B	5.0	52.5	56.5	22.75	1727	0.0
56	Kamenov, Valentin	1869	BUL	+83B	−14N	+64B	−24N	−43B	−46N	+74B	+58N	−57B	+70N	−53N	5.0	52.0	54.0	19.50	1706	-37.4
57	Georgiev, Marin J.	1687	BUL	−14B	+83N	−32B	+82N	−33N	=71B	+62N	=68B	+56N	−22B	−36N	5.0	51.5	53.5	17.50	1699	-1.4
58	Kamber, Aydan	1679	BUL	−15B	+81N	−19B	−72N	+82B	+74N	−40N	−56B	+80N	−47B	+78B	5.0	45.0	47.0	13.00	1128	-20.0
59	Yanchev, Manol	1557	BUL	−68N	−50B	+84N	−35B	+83N	=65B	−60N	−62B	=72N	+80B	+70B	5.0	40.0	41.5	13.50	1573	+1.6
60	Sadula, Sevim	1741	BUL	−8B	+86N	−24B	+73N	−23B	=61N	+59B	−34N	−63B	+64N	−49B	4.5	54.5	55.0	16.25	1669	-25.0
61	Gyulestan, Fikri	1617	BUL	−20N	−62B	+74N	+36B	−51N	=60B	+65N	−41B	−28N	+66B	−45B	4.5	52.5	56.5	20.25	1695	+14.4
62	Neichev, Kyrylo	0	UKR	−38B	+61N	−52B	+70N	=44B	−50N	−57B	+59N	+64B	−46N	−43B	4.5	51.0	55.0	20.75	1640	0.0
63	Koroglu, Huseyin	1620	TUR	−11B	+87N	=45B	−21N	−68N	+84B	−36N	+77B	+60N	−48B	−42B	4.5	50.5	51.0	12.75	1631	-1.6
64	Srebrev, Biser	1641	BUL	−30N	+77B	−56N	−27B	+85N	=36B	−68N	+72B	−62N	−60B	+76N	4.5	47.5	48.5	15.00	1652	-2.8
65	Karadzhov, Hristo	1707	BUL	−13B	+72N	−25B	+71N	−34B	=59N	−61B	−37N	+78B	−49N	=66N	4.0	52.5	55.5	15.50	1499	-49.0
66	Ozturk, Necmi	1498	TUR	+25B	=34N	−41B	−48N	−70B	−53N	+75B	−28B	+77N	−61N	=65B	4.0	51.0	54.5	18.50	1565	+10.8
67	Theodorou, Marios	1549	GRE	−29B	−48N	+83B	−31N	+88B	+35N	=34B	−42N	=70B	−52N	−69B	4.0	50.0	50.0	13.00	1560	+0.4
68	Bayatov, Mario	1992	BUL	+59B	−3N	=48B	−45N	+63B	−44N	+64B	=57N	−33B	F	F	4.0	49.5	49.5	19.25	1754	-103.6
69	Osman, Erkin	1673	TUR	−12N	F	−17B	+80N	−39B	+72N	−18B	−47B	−55N	+81B	+67N	4.0	49.5	49.5	12.00	1578	-14.8
70	Shterev, Ivaylo	1686	BUL	−16N	+84B	−54N	−62B	+66N	−55B	=72N	+71B	=67N	−56B	−59N	4.0	47.5	49.0	13.50	1605	-36.4
71	Panagiotopoulos, Christos Mich	1526	GRE	−27N	−26B	+81N	−65B	+78B	=57N	−48B	−70N	+75B	−51N	=74B	4.0	47.0	49.0	13.00	1337	-40.8
72	Ismail, Yuksel	0	BUL	−54N	−65B	+79N	+58B	−26N	−69B	=70B	−64N	=59B	−73N	+80N	4.0	45.0	47.0	14.50	1525	0.0
73	Tiakoudis, Zaharias	1594	GRE	−22N	+88B	−33N	−60B	−55N	−83B	+85N	+81B	−35N	+72B	−54B	4.0	42.5	42.5	7.00	1497	-15.0
74	Faik, Ferdun	0	BUL	F	−43N	−61B	+81B	+49N	−58B	−56N	F	=76B	+77N	=71N	4.0	40.5	40.5	14.75	1478	0.0
75	Evgin, Mehmed	0	BUL	=34B	−25N	−46B	+86N	−50B	−77N	−66N	+85B	−71N	−76B	+82B	3.5	41.0	41.5	6.50	1405	0.0
76	Bachkarov, Gancho	1476	BUL	−32N	−44N	−80B	+77B	−36N	+88B	−78N	−79B	=74N	+75N	−64B	3.5	41.0	41.0	9.00	934	-40.4
77	Musa, Myumyun	0	BUL	−47B	−64N	=86B	−76N	+87B	+75B	−35N	−63N	−66B	−74B	+85N	3.5	37.0	37.5	5.25	1294	0.0
78	Solakov, Ervin	0	BUL	−51N	−49B	F	−28B	−71N	+86N	+76B	−26B	−65N	+79B	−58N	3.0	43.5	43.5	7.00	1421	0.0
79	Mestan, Kazim	1571	BUL	−24B	−52N	−72B	−83N	+86B	−80N	F	+76N	−37B	−78N	+81B	3.0	36.0	36.5	6.00	1557	-7.6
80	Mustafa, Mehmed	0	BUL	−39N	−28B	+76N	−69B	−84N	+79B	−49N	F	−58B	−59N	−72B	2.0	46.0	47.5	6.50	1440	0.0
81	FIDE 2973367	0	—	−33N	−58B	−71B	−74N	−37B	+87N	F	−73N	+82B	−69N	−79N	2.0	38.5	38.5	2.50	864	0.0
82	Emin, Gyursel	0	BUL	−18N	−35B	+88N	−57B	−58N	−49B	F	F	−81N	+85B	−75N	2.0	38.0	38.0	1.00	1396	0.0
83	Mahmud, Yumer	0	BUL	−56N	−57B	−67N	+79B	−59B	+73N	F	F	F	F	F	2.0	26.0	26.0	7.00	1513	0.0
84	FIDE 2973375	0	—	−45B	−70N	−59B	=87N	+80B	−63N	F	F	F	F	F	1.5	21.5	21.5	2.25	884	0.0
85	Paschos, Grigorios	1432	GRE	−19B	−31N	+87B	−46N	−64B	−37N	−73B	−75N	F	−82N	−77B	1.0	42.5	42.5	0.50	912	-20.8
86	FIDE 2976536	0	—	−40N	−60B	=77N	−75B	−79N	−78B	F	F	F	F	F	0.5	23.0	23.0	1.75	943	0.0
87	FIDE 2973359	0	—	−36N	−63B	−85N	=84B	−77N	−81B	F	F	F	F	F	0.5	18.5	18.5	0.75	826	0.0
88	FIDE 2976544	0	—	−42B	−73N	−82B	F	−67N	−76N	F	F	F	F	F	0.0	19.0	19.0	0.00	810	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Mutlu, Burak AlpTUR
+90.4
6.0 pts · #26
2Elci, ErenFMTUR
+88.4
7.0 pts · #37
3Elci, YigitTUR
+62.4
7.0 pts · #34

Top rating losers

1Bayatov, MarioBUL
-103.6
4.0 pts · #46
2Shahbazyan, NorayrBUL
-50.8
5.0 pts · #69
3Velikov, NikolaBUL
-49.2
7.0 pts · #16

Biggest upsets

R1+454 Elo gap
Ozturk, Necmi1498 beat Baldzhiev, Plamen1952
R10+393 Elo gap
Mutlu, Burak Alp1734 beat Mishev, Liubomir2127
R2+299 Elo gap
Yanev, Yordan1841 beat Ivanov, Bogidar2140