2026 Charlotte Open - U2100

Open SwissStandard

62 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 17 Jan 2026 to 19 Jan 2026 in Charlotte, NC, United States. 2 titled players from 3 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1917, and top seed was Kabir Ahmed (🇺🇸 USA, 1993).

Arush Balakumar (🇺🇸 USA, 1923) won with 5.0/6, ahead of Patrick McCartney (5.0) and Aldiyar Zhandaulet (5.0). Balakumar shared the lead from round 1, winning on tie-break.

The biggest upset came in round 6: Patrick McCartney (1766) beat Kabir Ahmed (1993), a +227-point gap.

Location

🇺🇸Charlotte, NC, United States

Dates

17 Jan 2026 → 19 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: All Moves in 100 Min. Incr. 10 Sec. / /

System

Swiss · 6 rounds

Top seed

🇺🇸Kabir Ahmed1993

Avg top 10

1,917

Participants

Titled players · 2

CM×1

WCM×1

Federations · 3 represented

🇺🇸United States of America×60

🇰🇿Kazakhstan×1

🇰🇾Cayman Islands×1

Top 3

🥇
Arush Balakumar
🇺🇸USA·1923
5.0pts·2140perf+62.8
🥈
Patrick McCartney
🇺🇸USA·1766
5.0pts·2114perf+51.8
🥉
Aldiyar Zhandaulet
🇰🇿KAZ·1788
5.0pts·2096perf+45.6

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

Tight race until R4; 3 players tied at 5.0/6, decided on Buchholz.

Co-leaders

Balakumar5Zhandaulet5McCartney5Neumann4.5Nguyen4Jagga4

R4–R6 · LEAD HELD

Arush Balakumar held the sole lead from R4 through R6 without losing it.

R6 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

3 players finish on 5.0/6. Balakumar takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (19.0).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

Arush Balakumar 4 wins (R1–R4)Aldiyar Zhandaulet 3 wins (R4–R6)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Arush Balakumar	*	—	—	—
2Aldiyar Zhandaulet	—	*	—	½
3Patrick McCartney	—	—	*	—
4Elijah Neumann	—	½	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Balakumar, Arush	1923	USA	+25B	+19N	+9B	+5B	−6N	+7B	5.0	19.0	22.0	18.00	2140	+62.8
2	McCartney, Patrick	1766	USA	+16N	+45B	=7N	=51B	+10N	+5B	5.0	17.5	19.0	16.25	2114	+51.8
3	Zhandaulet, Aldiyar	1788	KAZ	+55B	=21N	=4B	+9N	+51N	+6B	5.0	17.0	18.0	14.25	2096	+45.6
4	Neumann, Elijah	1916	USA	+37N	=11B	=3N	+24B	=48N	+50B	4.5	16.5	18.0	12.50	1994	+22.4
5	Ahmed, Kabir	1993	USA	+50B	+17N	+13B	−1N	+14B	−2N	4.0	20.5	22.0	12.00	1944	-7.4
6	Quintans, Ruben Yanmi	1954	USA	=20N	+43B	=8B	+22N	+1B	−3N	4.0	20.0	22.0	13.50	1988	+9.6
7	Marshal, Jason	1897	USA	+29B	+22N	=2B	=8N	+50B	−1N	4.0	20.0	21.5	12.00	1989	+24.8
8	Mendenhall, Todd M	0	USA	+38N	+10B	=6N	=7B	=13N	=48B	4.0	18.0	20.0	13.25	1853	0.0
9	Jagga, Harshil	1928	USA	+44N	+24B	−1N	−3B	+41N	+19B	4.0	18.0	20.0	10.00	1925	+0.4
10	Sharma, Arya	1841	USA	+58B	−8N	+19B	+39N	−2B	+25N	4.0	17.5	18.0	9.00	1992	+36.0
11	Nguyen, John L	1766	USA	+60B	=4N	+41B	−50N	+33B	=12N	4.0	14.5	14.5	8.75	1914	+47.6
12	Sekar, Vignesh	1761	USA	=42N	=20B	+44N	=33B	+34N	=11B	4.0	14.0	16.0	10.25	1855	+15.0
13	Chen, CelineWCM	1783	USA	+54B	+26B	−5N	=27N	=8B	=40N	3.5	16.5	18.0	9.25	1870	+23.6
14	Ammasani, Smayan	1804	USA	+15N	=33B	=42N	+35B	−5N	=16B	3.5	16.0	18.0	10.00	1825	+7.6
15	Paukovitz, Samuel Anthony	1742	USA	−14B	=50N	+18B	=23N	+22B	=26N	3.5	16.0	17.5	10.25	1896	+51.2
16	Zhang, Laura	1777	USA	−2B	+62N	=23B	+53N	=21B	=14N	3.5	16.0	16.0	6.25	1826	+17.6
17	Yan, Isabella	1820	USA	+28B	−5B	−34N	+47N	=39B	+33N	3.5	14.5	16.5	8.75	1826	+2.4
18	Fischer, Robert J	1891	USA	−41N	=35B	−15N	+58B	+57N	+34B	3.5	11.5	12.0	5.25	1829	-9.0
19	Phadke, Viraj Sharad	1682	USA	+61B	−1B	−10N	+46N	+23B	−9N	3.0	18.0	18.0	5.00	1819	+21.4
20	Sun, Yi	1795	USA	=6B	=12N	+40B	=21N	=27B	F	3.0	16.5	16.5	9.50	1832	+10.4
21	Seelam, Tanish	1751	USA	+34N	=3B	=33N	=20B	=16N	F	3.0	16.5	16.5	9.50	1825	+20.8
22	Tsao, Caton	1893	USA	+36N	−7B	+47N	−6B	−15N	+42B	3.0	16.0	18.0	6.50	1811	-26.4
23	Kothapalli, Eshwar	1732	USA	−33N	+25B	=16N	=15B	−19N	+55B	3.0	15.5	16.5	7.50	1714	-5.2
24	Modaresi-Beal, Kai Ali	1819	USA	+56B	−9N	+52B	−4N	−25B	+44N	3.0	15.0	16.0	4.50	1777	-12.4
25	Allen, Garret	1751	USA	−1N	−23N	+60B	+61B	+24N	−10B	3.0	15.0	15.0	3.00	1790	+6.2
26	Zhang, Brian Qixuan	1899	USA	+30B	−13N	F	=41B	+42N	=15B	3.0	14.0	14.0	7.75	1847	-13.2
27	Singh, Arnav	1679	USA	=43N	+46B	=45N	=13B	=20N	−32B	3.0	13.5	15.5	7.25	1780	+33.6
28	Yang, Grace Siqi	1740	USA	−17N	−30N	−37B	+38B	+61N	+43B	3.0	13.5	13.5	4.50	1759	+6.8
29	Oertell, Nate	1801	USA	−7N	=36B	+38N	=43B	+45N	F	3.0	13.0	13.0	6.75	1844	+12.4
30	Chelladorai, Joshua	1769	USA	−26N	+28B	−35N	−36B	+52N	+53B	3.0	12.5	14.0	6.00	1766	-1.2
31	Garrison, Jay	1744	USA	=35N	−42B	=36N	+52B	+55N	−51B	3.0	10.0	11.0	5.00	1704	-6.4
32	Naushad, Musa	1818	USA	+47B	=41N	F	=34B	F	+27N	3.0	9.5	9.5	7.25	1948	+26.8
33	Saha, Aaryav	1708	USA	+23B	=14N	=21B	=12N	−11N	−17B	2.5	18.0	21.0	8.25	1715	+0.8
34	Haripradeep, Sanchit	1700	USA	−21B	+56N	+17B	=32N	−12B	−18N	2.5	17.0	18.0	6.00	1736	+10.4
35	Cheek, Charlie Scott	1688	USA	=31B	=18N	+30B	−14N	=53B	−49N	2.5	15.0	16.5	7.00	1758	+20.4
36	Gan, Aiden	1808	USA	−22B	=29N	=31B	+30N	=49B	−39N	2.5	14.5	16.5	7.00	1738	-24.0
37	Phadke, Anvay	1808	USA	−4B	−54N	+28N	−55B	+60N	=46B	2.5	12.0	12.0	4.00	1680	-43.2
38	Peela, Nischay Shyam	1593	USA	−8B	=58N	−29B	−28N	+56B	+61N	2.5	11.5	11.5	1.25	1776	+47.6
39	Vinodh Kumar, Trishona	1707	USA	F	F	+55N	−10B	=17N	+36B	2.5	11.0	11.0	5.25	1869	+34.8
40	Gao, Jonathan	1660	USA	F	F	−20N	+44B	+43N	=13B	2.5	10.5	10.5	5.75	1866	+44.0
41	Poppante, Leo	1879	USA	+18B	=32B	−11N	=26N	−9B	F	2.0	17.5	17.5	6.50	1788	-25.2
42	Sharda, Arsh Amit	1700	USA	=12B	+31N	=14B	−48N	−26B	−22N	2.0	16.5	18.5	6.75	1693	-2.4
43	Tumuluri, Vasishta	1794	USA	=27B	−6N	+58B	=29N	−40B	−28N	2.0	15.5	16.0	3.50	1656	-22.2
44	Rowe, Gabriel	1719	USA	−9B	+60N	−12B	−40N	+58N	−24B	2.0	14.0	14.0	0.50	1655	-18.8
45	Ching, Mike Wai Chong	1768	USA	+62B	−2N	=27B	=49N	−29B	F	2.0	13.0	13.0	2.50	1696	-19.6
46	Khariouk, Andrew	1724	USA	=52B	−27N	F	−19B	+47B	=37N	2.0	12.0	12.0	4.00	1642	-22.8
47	Keskar, Raghav	1767	USA	−32N	+61N	−22B	−17B	−46N	+60B	2.0	11.5	11.5	0.00	1655	-35.6
48	Padron, Antonio	1812	USA	F	F	F	+42B	=4B	=8N	2.0	10.5	10.5	6.25	2001	+9.8
49	Pfeifer, Dylan Liu	1855	USA	F	F	F	=45B	=36N	+35B	2.0	7.0	7.0	4.75	1880	+3.6
50	Khariouk, Matthew	1814	USA	−5N	=15B	F	+11B	−7N	−4N	1.5	20.0	20.0	5.75	1713	-27.6
51	Cutitaru, Marius	1767	USA	F	F	F	=2N	−3B	+31N	1.5	13.0	13.0	5.50	1766	0.0
52	Shrivastava, Aayush	1639	USA	=46N	=53B	−24N	−31N	−30B	=56B	1.5	12.5	13.5	2.25	1573	-19.2
53	Murthy, Ayush	1825	USA	F	=52N	=54B	−16B	=35N	−30N	1.5	12.0	12.0	2.75	1578	-66.4
54	Mc Intosh, Shawn	1761	USA	−13N	+37B	=53N	F	F	F	1.5	7.5	7.5	3.25	1806	+3.8
55	Neema, Mukund	1626	USA	−3N	F	−39B	+37N	−31B	−23N	1.0	16.0	16.0	2.50	1516	-25.2
56	Chelladorai, Isabelle	1716	USA	−24N	−34B	=59N	−57B	−38N	=52N	1.0	10.5	11.0	1.00	1414	-89.6
57	Williams, Christopher	1764	USA	F	F	F	+56N	−18B	F	1.0	4.5	4.5	1.00	1804	+2.0
58	Shaw, CliffordCM	1858	CAY	−10N	=38B	−43N	−18N	−44B	F	0.5	14.0	14.0	1.25	1400	-51.6
59	Nair, Arjun	1610	USA	F	F	=56B	F	F	F	0.5	1.0	1.0	0.50	1716	+6.0
60	Mayank, Reyansh	1658	USA	−11N	−44B	−25N	F	−37B	−47N	0.0	13.5	13.5	0.00	960	-71.6
61	Boucher, Lincoln	1765	USA	−19N	−47B	F	−25N	−28B	−38B	0.0	13.5	13.5	0.00	905	-116.4
62	Santosh, Siddharth	1740	USA	−45N	−16B	F	F	F	F	0.0	5.5	5.5	0.00	973	-36.4

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Balakumar, ArushUSA
+62.8
5.0 pts · #1
2McCartney, PatrickUSA
+51.8
5.0 pts · #3
3Paukovitz, Samuel AnthonyUSA
+51.2
3.5 pts · #13

Top rating losers

1Boucher, LincolnUSA
-116.4
0.0 pts · #62
2Chelladorai, IsabelleUSA
-89.6
1.0 pts · #55
3Mayank, ReyanshUSA
-71.6
0.0 pts · #60

Biggest upsets

R6+227 Elo gap
McCartney, Patrick1766 beat Ahmed, Kabir1993
R4+182 Elo gap
Neema, Mukund1626 beat Phadke, Anvay1808
R6+172 Elo gap
Peela, Nischay Shyam1593 beat Boucher, Lincoln1765