2026 New Zealand Major Open

Open SwissStandard

47 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 02 Jan 2026 to 10 Jan 2026 in Invercargill, New Zealand. 1 titled players from 4 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1767, and top seed was Ethan Harrison (🇺🇸 USA, 1805).

Elena Moshakova (🇷🇺 RUS, 1547) won with 7.5/9, ahead of Aidan Malcolm (7.0) and Ethan Harrison (7.0). Moshakova clinched sole first place in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 7: Sean Balbalin (1428) beat John L Gibb (1736), a +308-point gap.

Location

🇳🇿Invercargill, New Zealand

Dates

02 Jan 2026 → 10 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: 90min/40moves+30min/end+30sec increment per move starting from move 1

System

Swiss · 9 rounds

Top seed

🇺🇸Ethan Harrison1805

Avg top 10

1,767

Participants

Titled players · 1

WCM×1

Federations · 4 represented

🇳🇿New Zealand×40

🇺🇸United States of America×3

🇷🇺Russia×1

🇩🇪Germany×1

Top 3

🥇
Elena Moshakova
🇷🇺RUS·1547
7.5pts·1944perf+80.6
🥈
Aidan Malcolm
🇳🇿NZL·1802
7.0pts·1886perf+17.8
🥉
Ethan Harrison
🇺🇸USA·1805
7.0pts·1951perf+56.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

Elena Moshakova led from R9; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

Moshakova7.5Harrison7Harrison7Malcolm7Hwang6.5Law6

R9 · LEADER CHANGE10 Jan

Elena Moshakova takes the sole lead (7.5/9).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

Elena Moshakova 3+4 wins (R2–R4, R6–R9)Ethan Harrison 4 wins (R1–R4)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Elena Moshakova	*	—	1	1
2Jesse Harrison	—	*	½	0
3Ethan Harrison	0	½	*	½
4Aidan Malcolm	0	1	½	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Moshakova, Elena	1547	RUS	−7N	+45B	+34N	+26B	=12N	+29N	+24B	+2B	+3N	7.5	41.0	43.0	35.00	1944	+80.6
2	Malcolm, Aidan	1802	NZL	+35B	=5N	+9B	+6N	=3N	+8B	+4B	−1N	+7B	7.0	50.5	54.5	40.25	1886	+17.8
3	Harrison, Ethan	1805	USA	+23B	+27N	+28B	+8N	=2B	=4N	+5B	+9N	−1B	7.0	47.5	51.5	37.00	1951	+56.0
4	Harrison, Jesse	0	USA	+36B	+12N	=10B	+5N	+7B	=3B	−2N	+13N	+9B	7.0	47.0	50.5	37.25	1774	0.0
5	Hwang, Ryan	1711	NZL	+33N	=2B	+22N	−4B	+26N	+18B	−3N	+10B	+15N	6.5	45.0	49.0	31.50	1878	+52.0
6	Law, Bruce	1804	USA	+41N	−26B	+37N	−2B	=36N	+17B	=16N	+27B	+13N	6.0	37.0	39.5	24.25	1747	-21.2
7	Familton, Gregory	1725	NZL	+1B	+13N	+14B	=10N	−4N	−12B	+18N	+16B	−2N	5.5	47.0	52.0	30.25	1774	+10.6
8	Zhou, Martin	1786	NZL	+37N	+17B	+26N	−3B	+10N	−2N	−13B	+12N	=11B	5.5	44.0	47.5	25.75	1732	-21.6
9	Geilik, Ron	1682	NZL	=38N	+44B	−2N	+39B	+11N	+13N	+12B	−3B	−4N	5.5	42.5	44.5	22.00	1784	+43.2
10	Sussex, Taylor	1620	NZL	+47B	+15N	=4N	=7B	−8B	=14N	+29B	−5N	+37B	5.5	42.0	42.0	21.25	1751	+25.6
11	Tang, Tracy	1647	NZL	+30N	−22B	=39N	+14N	−9B	+41B	=15N	+26B	=8N	5.5	36.5	39.0	22.25	1731	+34.4
12	Lourenco, EvaWCM	1597	NZL	+45B	−4B	+19N	+32N	=1B	+7N	−9N	−8B	=20N	5.0	45.0	47.0	22.75	1686	+17.2
13	Liang, Ting	1566	NZL	+40N	−7B	+30N	+44B	+22N	−9B	+8N	−4B	−6B	5.0	41.0	43.0	19.00	1662	+13.6
14	Sarmad, Zane	1637	NZL	+16N	+34B	−7N	−11B	+20N	=10B	=23N	−15B	+26N	5.0	40.0	44.0	23.00	1728	+45.2
15	Gold, Hamish R	1770	NZL	+18N	−10B	+38N	−22B	=41N	+36B	=11B	+14N	−5B	5.0	38.5	41.0	20.50	1722	-7.4
16	Grant, Tyne	1746	NZL	−14B	−31N	+21B	+43N	+32B	+38N	=6B	−7N	=19B	5.0	37.5	40.0	20.00	1586	-59.2
17	Geilik, Ben	1714	NZL	+21B	−8N	−32B	=31N	+19B	−6N	=28B	+46N	+29B	5.0	37.5	39.5	20.00	1621	-34.4
18	Wang, Ethan Zhirui	1539	NZL	−15B	+47N	+27B	+28N	=29B	−5N	−7B	=37N	+31B	5.0	36.5	36.5	15.75	1698	+62.8
19	Miriyala, Sreenikesh	1458	NZL	−28N	+25N	−12B	=27B	−17N	+43B	+41N	+23B	=16N	5.0	34.5	37.0	18.50	1649	+68.0
20	Hurndell, Robert	1723	NZL	−22N	=39B	+31B	=24N	−14B	=32N	+46B	+30N	=12B	5.0	34.0	36.0	18.25	1620	-17.6
21	Wards, Finlay	0	NZL	−17N	−37B	−16N	=40B	+42N	+33B	+36N	+38B	=25N	5.0	31.5	34.0	16.75	1602	0.0
22	Gudoy, Paul	0	NZL	+20B	+11N	−5B	+15N	−13B	−24N	=37B	=29N	=28B	4.5	39.5	43.0	21.25	1667	0.0
23	Ashe, Michael	1639	NZL	−3N	−30B	+45N	=33B	=39N	+35B	=14B	−19N	+36N	4.5	35.5	37.5	15.50	1506	-25.4
24	Bell, Daniel	1581	NZL	+42N	F	F	=20B	+30N	+22B	−1N	−25B	+27N	4.5	32.0	32.0	17.50	1633	+14.0
25	Coleman, Phil	1759	NZL	−44N	−19B	+42N	−38B	F	+40N	+32B	+24N	=21B	4.5	29.0	29.0	16.50	1479	-35.8
26	Vry, Fabian	1563	GER	+43B	+6N	−8B	−1N	−5B	+44N	+31B	−11N	−14B	4.0	42.5	44.5	14.50	1579	+1.6
27	Brockway, Andrew	1715	NZL	+31B	−3B	−18N	=19N	+44B	=37N	+38B	−6N	−24B	4.0	38.0	40.0	13.25	1575	-32.4
28	MacDonald, Caleb	1724	NZL	+19B	+46N	−3N	−18B	−38N	=30B	=17N	=33B	=22N	4.0	37.5	39.5	15.75	1470	-77.6
29	Knightbridge, Wayne	1733	NZL	=39N	=38B	+36N	+41B	=18N	−1B	−10N	=22B	−17N	4.0	37.0	39.5	13.75	1491	-46.0
30	Balbalin, Sean	1428	NZL	−11B	+23N	−13B	+35N	−24B	=28N	+34N	−20B	=33N	4.0	36.5	40.5	16.50	1595	+63.6
31	Booth, Anthony	1659	NZL	−27N	+16B	−20N	=17B	=33N	+34B	−26N	+39B	−18N	4.0	36.0	39.0	16.50	1618	-9.4
32	Pakenham, John	1558	NZL	−34N	+40B	+17N	−12B	−16N	=20B	−25N	=35B	+38N	4.0	35.5	38.5	15.50	1588	+5.4
33	Pelayo, Rundell	0	NZL	−5B	−35N	+47B	=23N	=31B	−21N	+44B	=28N	=30B	4.0	34.0	34.0	10.25	1549	0.0
34	Gibb, John L	1736	NZL	+32B	−14N	−1B	−36B	+47N	−31N	−30B	+44N	+45N	4.0	32.0	32.0	8.00	1401	-122.8
35	Hooton, Barry R	1491	NZL	−2N	+33B	−44N	−30B	+45B	−23N	=40B	=32N	+46B	4.0	30.5	32.5	11.50	1228	-27.2
36	Zhou, Adele	1560	NZL	−4N	+42B	−29B	+34N	=6B	−15N	−21B	+41N	−23B	3.5	38.0	40.5	12.00	1587	+7.6
37	Lee, Dylan E S	1548	NZL	−8B	+21N	−6B	+46N	F	=27B	=22N	=18B	−10N	3.5	37.5	37.5	13.75	1454	-11.4
38	Pene, Tiwa	1637	NZL	=9B	=29N	−15B	+25N	+28B	−16B	−27N	−21N	−32B	3.0	37.0	41.0	13.25	1623	-8.4
39	McLean, Gary	1542	NZL	=29B	=20N	=11B	−9N	=23B	−46N	+45B	−31N	−40B	3.0	33.5	35.5	11.50	1555	+4.4
40	Liu, Chuyang	0	NZL	−13B	−32N	−43B	=21N	F	−25B	=35N	+47B	+39N	3.0	28.0	28.0	7.50	1434	0.0
41	Taylor, Cole	0	NZL	−6B	+43N	+46B	−29N	=15B	−11N	−19B	−36B	−42N	2.5	34.0	36.0	7.00	1256	0.0
42	FIDE 4332261	0	—	−24B	−36N	−25B	−45N	−21B	F	+47N	=43B	+41B	2.5	24.5	24.5	3.75	830	0.0
43	Ravi, Vrajesh	0	NZL	−26N	−41B	+40N	−16B	−46B	−19N	F	=42N	+47B	2.5	24.0	24.0	4.25	784	0.0
44	McPherson, Timothy J	1545	NZL	+25B	−9N	+35B	−13N	−27N	−26B	−33N	−34B	F	2.0	35.0	35.0	8.50	1487	-24.0
45	Zhou, Guangzhao (allison)	0	NZL	−12N	−1N	−23B	+42B	−35N	+47B	−39N	F	−34B	2.0	30.5	30.5	2.50	791	0.0
46	Tang, Ava	0	NZL	F	−28B	−41N	−37B	+43N	+39B	−20N	−17B	−35N	2.0	29.5	29.5	5.50	1350	0.0
47	FIDE 4331117	0	—	−10N	−18B	−33N	F	−34B	−45N	−42B	−40N	−43N	0.0	28.5	28.5	0.00	833	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Moshakova, ElenaRUS
+80.6
7.5 pts · #3
2Miriyala, SreenikeshNZL
+68.0
5.0 pts · #23
3Balbalin, SeanNZL
+63.6
4.0 pts · #19

Top rating losers

1Gibb, John LNZL
-122.8
4.0 pts · #33
2MacDonald, CalebNZL
-77.6
4.0 pts · #37
3Grant, TyneNZL
-59.2
5.0 pts · #28

Biggest upsets

R7+308 Elo gap
Balbalin, Sean1428 beat Gibb, John L1736
R2+301 Elo gap
Miriyala, Sreenikesh1458 beat Coleman, Phil1759
R9+258 Elo gap
Moshakova, Elena1547 beat Harrison, Ethan1805