2025 Charlotte Winter Classic - Championship
SwissStandard
48 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 26 Dec 2025 to 28 Dec 2025 in Charlotte, NC, United States. 11 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2296, and top seed was Elshan Moradiabadi (🇺🇸 USA, GM, 2492).
Elshan Moradiabadi (🇺🇸 USA, GM, 2492) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Sergey Erenburg (4.5) and Magesh Chandran Panchanathan (4.0). Moradiabadi shared the lead from round 1, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 1: Neil Harit (1691) beat Aaron Wang (2030), a +339-point gap.
Location
🇺🇸Charlotte, NC, United States
Dates
26 Dec 2025 → 28 Dec 2025
Time control
Standard: 110 minutes for game with 10 sec increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Titled players · 11
GM×3
FM×4
CM×1
WGM×1
WFM×1
WCM×1
Federations · 5 represented
🇺🇸United States of America×43
🇮🇳India×2
🇲🇽Mexico×1
🇨🇦Canada×1
🇮🇱Israel×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTight race until R4; 2 players tied at 4.5/5, decided on Buchholz.
Co-leaders
12
5
2
1
2
R4–R5 · LEAD HELD
GM Elshan Moradiabadi held the sole lead from R4 through R5 without losing it.
R5 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER
2 players finish on 4.5/5. Moradiabadi takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (13.5).
R1–R4 · WIN STREAK
GM Elshan Moradiabadi won 4 in a row (R1–R4).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GMElshan Moradiabadi | * | — | ½ | — |
| 2GMSergey Erenburg | — | * | — | — |
| 3GMMagesh Chandran Panchanathan | ½ | — | * | — |
| 4FMAndrew Jiang | — | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moradiabadi, ElshanGM | 2492 | USA | +17B | +11N | +4B | +8N | =3B | 4.5 | 13.5 | 16.0 | 14.00 | 2581 | +4.4 |
| 2 | Erenburg, SergeyGM | 2466 | USA | +19B | +32N | =31B | +12N | +8B | 4.5 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 10.75 | 2533 | +3.2 |
| 3 | Panchanathan, Magesh ChandranGM | 2451 | IND | +44N | =16B | +34N | +9B | =1N | 4.0 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 9.00 | 2414 | +0.2 |
| 4 | Radhakrishnan, SharathCM | 2186 | USA | +35N | +25B | −1N | +24B | =5N | 3.5 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 7.25 | 2170 | +4.0 |
| 5 | Santosh, Saharsh | 2128 | USA | +23B | +26N | −8N | +27B | =4B | 3.5 | 10.5 | 12.5 | 7.75 | 2146 | +14.4 |
| 6 | Lee, Daniel Joshua | 1987 | CAN | =24N | +41B | −9N | +23B | +17N | 3.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 6.50 | 1994 | +5.4 |
| 7 | Jiang, AndrewFM | 2306 | USA | =10N | =24B | +33B | +43N | =31B | 3.5 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 5.75 | 2099 | -18.4 |
| 8 | Chirilov, James AFM | 2256 | USA | +39B | +13N | +5B | −1B | −2N | 3.0 | 15.5 | 17.0 | 8.00 | 2236 | +1.4 |
| 9 | Belenkaya, DinaWGM | 2230 | ISR | =36B | +18N | +6B | −3N | =20B | 3.0 | 12.5 | 14.0 | 8.00 | 2062 | -15.4 |
| 10 | Li, Allen | 1783 | USA | =7B | =14N | =26B | +37N | =11B | 3.0 | 11.5 | 13.0 | 7.25 | 2006 | +54.8 |
| 11 | Blomer, John | 1804 | USA | +48N | −1B | =22N | +45B | =10N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.5 | 4.25 | 1927 | +28.8 |
| 12 | Vanapalli, VishnuFM | 2322 | USA | F | +22B | +16N | −2B | +47N | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 6.00 | 2255 | -1.2 |
| 13 | Bartlett, Aiden Emerson | 1864 | USA | +30N | −8B | −15N | +38B | +42N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 4.50 | 2042 | +44.0 |
| 14 | Baliga, Zubin | 1990 | USA | F | =10B | =23N | +25B | +16N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 7.00 | 1994 | +1.4 |
| 15 | Duren, Andrew | 2016 | USA | F | =36N | +13B | =31N | +18B | 3.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.00 | 2109 | +9.6 |
| 16 | Meadors, Landon | 1938 | USA | +28B | =3N | −12B | +33N | −14B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 5.50 | 2030 | +14.7 |
| 17 | Zhang, Brian Qixuan | 1823 | USA | −1N | +35B | +46B | =20N | −6B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 3.75 | 1914 | +18.4 |
| 18 | Singh, Ian Avery | 1841 | USA | =21N | −9B | +41N | +34B | −15N | 2.5 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 3.75 | 1956 | +26.8 |
| 19 | Neumann, Elijah | 1920 | USA | −2N | +42B | =45N | =26B | =27N | 2.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 3.50 | 1918 | -4.4 |
| 20 | Austin, Freya | 1756 | USA | F | =21B | +32N | =17B | =9N | 2.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 5.50 | 2000 | +47.2 |
| 21 | Bellamy, Chase | 1948 | USA | =18B | =20N | −43B | =29N | +28B | 2.5 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 5.50 | 1783 | -43.2 |
| 22 | Harit, Neil | 1691 | USA | +37B | −12N | =11B | −47N | +33B | 2.5 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 4.50 | 1919 | +53.2 |
| 23 | Webb, Benjamin | 1650 | USA | −5N | +30B | =14B | −6N | =41B | 2.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 4.00 | 1843 | +39.2 |
| 24 | Uthra, P.WFM | 1866 | IND | =6B | =7N | +40B | −4N | F | 2.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 5.00 | 2089 | +20.6 |
| 25 | Srivastava, Arav | 1831 | USA | +31B | −4N | =37B | −14N | =29B | 2.0 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 3.25 | 1948 | +24.8 |
| 26 | Menon, Aum | 1662 | USA | F | −5B | =10N | =19N | +43B | 2.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.75 | 1905 | +46.0 |
| 27 | Martinez Flores, MatiasFM | 2088 | MEX | F | =40N | +36B | −5N | =19B | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 3.50 | 1949 | -28.4 |
| 28 | Webb, Nikolai | 1697 | USA | −16N | =44B | =38N | +32B | −21N | 2.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 2.75 | 1823 | +28.8 |
| 29 | Vinodh Kumar, Trishona | 1767 | USA | =38N | −34B | =44N | =21B | =25N | 2.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 3.50 | 1850 | +21.2 |
| 30 | Katta, Sriansh | 1893 | USA | −13B | −23N | =35B | +48N | =46N | 2.0 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 1.75 | 1716 | -47.6 |
| 31 | Wu, Andrew | 2124 | USA | −25N | F | =2N | =15B | =7N | 1.5 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 5.50 | 2068 | -15.2 |
| 32 | Arun, Raghav | 1688 | USA | +42N | −2B | −20B | −28N | =35B | 1.5 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 1.75 | 1666 | -10.8 |
| 33 | Sun, Yi | 1801 | USA | =34N | +38B | −7N | −16B | −22N | 1.5 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 2.25 | 1792 | -7.2 |
| 34 | Chen, Alan Zishun | 1931 | USA | =33B | +29N | −3B | −18N | F | 1.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 2.75 | 1849 | -24.0 |
| 35 | Sommerstein, Adrian Harrison | 1786 | USA | −4B | −17N | =30N | =39B | =32N | 1.5 | 9.5 | 11.0 | 2.50 | 1743 | -15.6 |
| 36 | Ramkumar, Aditya | 1834 | USA | =9N | =15B | −27N | −42B | =39N | 1.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 3.75 | 1841 | -4.0 |
| 37 | Wang, Aaron | 2030 | USA | −22N | +39B | =25N | −10B | F | 1.5 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 2.50 | 1707 | -66.4 |
| 38 | Malik, Arjun | 1941 | USA | =29B | −33N | =28B | −13N | =45B | 1.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 2.50 | 1631 | -81.6 |
| 39 | Zhang, Royce | 1869 | USA | −8N | −37N | =48B | =35N | =36B | 1.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 1.75 | 1798 | -24.0 |
| 40 | Ramnath, Architsai | 1913 | USA | =41N | =27B | −24N | =46B | F | 1.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 2.00 | 1768 | -32.0 |
| 41 | Thottimpudi, Anjana | 1653 | USA | =40B | −6N | −18B | F | =23N | 1.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 1.75 | 1656 | -2.4 |
| 42 | Khariouk, Andrew | 1747 | USA | −32B | −19N | F | +36N | −13B | 1.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1.50 | 1634 | -22.8 |
| 43 | Ma, Cuihan | 1855 | USA | F | F | +21N | −7B | −26N | 1.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 2.50 | 1830 | -8.0 |
| 44 | Sinkar, Anagha AniketWCM | 1959 | USA | −3B | =28N | =29B | F | F | 1.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 2.00 | 1816 | -26.0 |
| 45 | Williams, Christopher | 1770 | USA | F | F | =19B | −11N | =38N | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 2.00 | 1763 | -0.6 |
| 46 | Nguyen, John L | 1812 | USA | F | F | −17N | =40N | =30B | 1.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.75 | 1752 | -9.2 |
| 47 | Tisserand, Miles | 1869 | USA | F | F | F | +22B | −12B | 1.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 2.50 | 1981 | +3.8 |
| 48 | Basavaraju, Siddharth Sriram | 1826 | USA | −11B | F | =39N | −30B | F | 0.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.75 | 1582 | -35.2 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Li, AllenUSA+54.83.0 pts · #10
- 2Harit, NeilUSA+53.22.5 pts · #16
- 3Austin, FreyaUSA+47.22.5 pts · #20
Top rating losers
- 1Malik, ArjunUSA-81.61.5 pts · #37
- 2Wang, AaronUSA-66.41.5 pts · #36
- 3Katta, SrianshUSA-47.62.0 pts · #26
Biggest upsets
- R1+339 Elo gap
- R1+293 Elo gap
- R4+247 Elo gap