Herkules-Cup 2025
Open SwissStandard
54 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 28 Nov 2025 to 30 Nov 2025 in Kassel, Germany. 2 titled players from 4 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2112, and top seed was Hagen Poetsch (🇩🇪 GER, GM, 2456).
Markus Schmidt (🇩🇪 GER, 2096) won with 4.0/5, ahead of Philipp Mester (4.0) and Artur Steinhauer (4.0). Schmidt shared the lead from round 3, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 1: Edward Miller (1515) beat Lothar Zilch (1896), a +381-point gap.
Location
🇩🇪Kassel, Germany
Dates
28 Nov 2025 → 30 Nov 2025
Time control
Standard: All Moves in 90 Min. Incr. 15 Sec. / /
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Titled players · 2
GM×1
FM×1
Federations · 4 represented
🇩🇪Germany×47
🇧🇪Belgium×1
🇹🇷Turkiye×1
🇺🇦Ukraine×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsTight race until R5; 8 players tied at 4.0/5, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 5 co-leaders at R4 to 8 at the finish.
Co-leaders
25
14
6
5
8
R5 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER
8 players finish on 4.0/5. Schmidt takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (15.0).
R3 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
Markus Schmidt beat Silas Cassel (Black).
WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers
Markus Schmidt 3 wins (R1–R3)GM Hagen Poetsch 3 wins (R1–R3)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Markus Schmidt | * | 1 | — | ½ |
| 2Silas Cassel | 0 | * | — | — |
| 3GMHagen Poetsch | — | — | * | ½ |
| 4Artur Steinhauer | ½ | — | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schmidt, Markus | 2096 | GER | +13N | +29B | +6N | =2B | =3N | 4.0 | 15.0 | 17.0 | 13.00 | 2205 | +15.2 |
| 2 | Mester, PhilippFM | 2285 | GER | +16B | +46N | +10B | =1N | =4B | 4.0 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 11.50 | 2216 | -4.8 |
| 3 | Steinhauer, Artur | 2094 | GER | +52B | +19N | +11B | =5N | =1B | 4.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 10.50 | 2226 | +17.2 |
| 4 | Heinelt, Manfred | 2079 | GER | +34B | +17N | +15B | =7N | =2N | 4.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 12.00 | 2163 | +12.2 |
| 5 | Poetsch, HagenGM | 2456 | GER | +27N | +14B | +32N | =3B | =9N | 4.0 | 12.5 | 14.5 | 10.75 | 2324 | -5.1 |
| 6 | Cassel, Silas | 1903 | GER | +41B | +12N | −1B | +16N | +26B | 4.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 9.00 | 1970 | +21.2 |
| 7 | von Kiedrowski, Klemens | 1999 | GER | =49N | +39B | +14N | =4B | +20N | 4.0 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 9.75 | 2087 | +11.8 |
| 8 | Meyner, Hannes | 2067 | GER | +30N | +26B | +28N | −9B | +15N | 4.0 | 10.5 | 12.5 | 9.00 | 2068 | +2.4 |
| 9 | Fischer, Edwin | 2156 | GER | +31N | +18B | F | +8N | =5B | 3.5 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 11.00 | 2354 | +18.2 |
| 10 | Roedel, Jannis | 1932 | GER | +25N | +21B | −2N | =23B | +36N | 3.5 | 11.5 | 13.5 | 8.25 | 1981 | +13.2 |
| 11 | Krausse, Eckhard | 1901 | GER | +40N | +42B | −3N | +21B | =22N | 3.5 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 6.75 | 1884 | -0.4 |
| 12 | Miller, Edward | 1515 | GER | +39N | −6B | +27N | =18B | =13N | 3.0 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 6.50 | 1898 | +90.8 |
| 13 | Neumark, Jan-Luca | 1798 | GER | −1B | +48N | =18N | +29B | =12B | 3.0 | 12.0 | 12.5 | 5.50 | 1787 | -2.8 |
| 14 | Harounian, Daniel | 1843 | GER | +37B | −5N | −7B | +41N | +43B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 4.00 | 1837 | +0.6 |
| 15 | Zargaran, Sepas | 1880 | GER | +43N | +50B | −4N | +31B | −8B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.00 | 1841 | -5.2 |
| 16 | Barchfeld, Peter | 1703 | GER | −2N | +43B | +50N | −6B | +25N | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.00 | 1778 | +5.6 |
| 17 | Simmank, Robert | 1773 | GER | +44N | −4B | +35N | +28B | −23N | 3.0 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 5.00 | 1119 | -26.4 |
| 18 | Alkin, Mert | 1793 | GER | +51B | −9N | =13B | =12N | +45B | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 4.00 | 1698 | -8.4 |
| 19 | Bultijnck, Kristoff | 1777 | BEL | +45N | −3B | −25N | +35B | +30N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 11.0 | 5.00 | 1667 | -9.8 |
| 20 | Fleischmann, Theo | 1786 | GER | −42N | +40B | +30N | +25B | −7B | 3.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 5.50 | 1900 | +11.8 |
| 21 | Filter, Otto | 1765 | GER | +54B | −10N | +41B | −11N | +44B | 3.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 2.00 | 1673 | -14.4 |
| 22 | Koehler, Moritz | 1752 | GER | +33N | −38B | +44N | F | =11B | 2.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 4.75 | 1653 | -10.0 |
| 23 | Waluga, Kilian | 1759 | GER | F | −32B | +42N | =10N | +17B | 2.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 5.75 | 1887 | +20.4 |
| 24 | Sack, Django | 1603 | GER | −38N | +33B | −26N | =39B | +40N | 2.5 | 7.5 | 9.0 | 4.25 | 1665 | +4.8 |
| 25 | Persson, Boerje Pontus | 1592 | GER | −10B | +54N | +19B | −20N | −16B | 2.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 3.00 | 1607 | +0.4 |
| 26 | Hoppe, Pascal | 1774 | GER | +53B | −8N | +24B | F | −6N | 2.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 2.50 | 1733 | -8.4 |
| 27 | Krausse, Vanessa | 1740 | GER | −5B | +37N | −12B | −33N | +50B | 2.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 2.00 | 1597 | -13.0 |
| 28 | Guerrero Gimeno, Rafael | 0 | GER | +36N | +49B | −8B | −17N | F | 2.0 | 10.5 | 11.0 | 2.50 | 1807 | 0.0 |
| 29 | Spelleken, Mark | 1745 | GER | +48B | −1N | −34B | −13N | +42B | 2.0 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 1.50 | 1058 | -45.2 |
| 30 | Osipov, Savelii | 1690 | GER | −8B | +53N | −20B | +50N | −19B | 2.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.00 | 1077 | -33.6 |
| 31 | Vakeel, Eshwar | 1702 | GER | −9B | +51N | +46B | −15N | −33B | 2.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 1.00 | 1811 | +12.8 |
| 32 | Groen, Benjamin | 1957 | GER | +47B | +23N | −5B | F | — | 2.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 3.50 | 2046 | +6.0 |
| 33 | Hnatyshyn, Roman | 0 | UKR | −22B | −24N | F | +27B | +31N | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 4.00 | 1699 | 0.0 |
| 34 | Zinn, August | 1680 | GER | −4N | +45B | +29N | F | — | 2.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 3.00 | 1912 | +10.2 |
| 35 | Hirstein, Arnold | 0 | GER | −46B | +52N | −17B | −19N | +41B | 2.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 1.00 | 1656 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Spelleken, Hans-Gerd | 1758 | GER | −28B | −41N | +51B | +42N | −10B | 2.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 1.00 | 947 | -20.4 |
| 37 | Zargaran, Paya | 1511 | GER | −14N | −27B | −39N | +51B | +53N | 2.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.00 | 1026 | -16.8 |
| 38 | Adiguzel, Eray | 1792 | TUR | +24B | +22N | F | — | — | 2.0 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 5.00 | 2478 | +14.2 |
| 39 | Zilch, Lothar | 1896 | GER | −12B | −7N | +37B | =24N | F | 1.5 | 11.5 | 13.5 | 3.25 | 1570 | -30.6 |
| 40 | Slavetinsky, Alexander | 1543 | GER | −11B | −20N | =48B | +47N | −24B | 1.5 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 1.25 | 1541 | -3.6 |
| 41 | Burbaum, Clemens | 1560 | GER | −6N | +36B | −21N | −14B | −35N | 1.0 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 2.00 | 1624 | +9.2 |
| 42 | Braun, Thomas | 0 | GER | +20B | −11N | −23B | −36B | −29N | 1.0 | 11.0 | 13.0 | 3.00 | 1549 | 0.0 |
| 43 | Ruddat, Maila | 1515 | GER | −15B | −16N | +53B | F | −14N | 1.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.00 | 1009 | -18.8 |
| 44 | Nordmeyer, Lias Phil | 0 | GER | −17B | +47N | −22B | F | −21N | 1.0 | 9.5 | 10.0 | 1.00 | 1541 | 0.0 |
| 45 | Icke, Simon | 0 | GER | −19B | −34N | +47B | F | −18N | 1.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.00 | 1532 | 0.0 |
| 46 | Meyer-Jany, Marcel | 1826 | GER | +35N | −2B | −31N | F | — | 1.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 2.00 | 1164 | -15.0 |
| 47 | Fliegner, Thomas | 1648 | GER | −32N | −44B | −45N | −40B | +51N | 1.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 0.00 | 951 | -15.6 |
| 48 | Noori, Hoschang | 0 | GER | −29N | −13B | =40N | F | — | 0.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 0.75 | 1423 | 0.0 |
| 49 | Baturaygil, Ali, Dr. | 1633 | GER | =7B | −28N | F | — | — | 0.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 2.00 | 1999 | +8.0 |
| 50 | FIDE 533060843 | 0 | — | F | −15N | −16B | −30B | −27N | 0.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0.00 | 953 | 0.0 |
| 51 | FIDE 533050333 | 0 | — | −18N | −31B | −36N | −37N | −47B | 0.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 0.00 | 882 | 0.0 |
| 52 | Holzmann, Tom | 1702 | GER | −3N | −35B | F | F | — | 0.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 0.00 | 1294 | -3.2 |
| 53 | FIDE 533051933 | 0 | — | −26N | −30B | −43N | F | −37B | 0.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 822 | 0.0 |
| 54 | FIDE 533064660 | 0 | — | −21N | −25B | — | — | — | 0.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 0.00 | 879 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Miller, EdwardGER+90.83.0 pts · #12
- 2Cassel, SilasGER+21.24.0 pts · #2
- 3Waluga, KilianGER+20.42.5 pts · #24
Top rating losers
- 1Spelleken, MarkGER-45.22.0 pts · #52
- 2Osipov, SaveliiGER-33.62.0 pts · #53
- 3Zilch, LotharGER-30.61.5 pts · #25
Biggest upsets
- R1+381 Elo gap
- R3+225 Elo gap
- R2+198 Elo gap