M.Botvinnik Cup 2025 Masters Group
10 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 20 Dec 2025 to 28 Dec 2025 in Moscow, Russia. 10 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2400, and top seed was Evgeny Pigusov (🇷🇺 RUS, GM, 2518).
Semen Novozhilov (🇷🇺 RUS, IM, 2446) won with 5.5/9, ahead of David Kaufman (5.5) and Adar Tarhan (5.5). Novozhilov shared the lead from round 8, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 8: Alexey Khruschiov (GM, 2273) beat David Kaufman (IM, 2451), a +178-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 10 · 9 rounds3 leader changes shaped the tournament; Novozhilov pulled away in R6. Title race narrowed from 4 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.
IM David Kaufman takes the sole lead (2.5/3).
IM Semen Novozhilov drew with IM Adar Tarhan (Black).
IM Semen Novozhilov went unbeaten across 7 games (R3–R9).
Cross-table
| # | Player | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts | SB | Bh | Δ Elo | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇷🇺IMNovozhilov, Semen | 2446 | * | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.5 | 23.50 | 39.5 | +3.9 | 2474 |
| 3 | IMKaufman, David | 2451 | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | 23.25 | 39.5 | +3.4 | 2474 |
| 2 | 🇹🇷IMTarhan, Adar | 2444 | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5.5 | 22.00 | 39.5 | +4.3 | 2475 |
| 4 | 🇷🇺GMPigusov, Evgeny | 2518 | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5.0 | 21.50 | 40.0 | -10.2 | 2429 |
| 5 | 🇧🇾GMStupak, Kirill | 2413 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 4.5 | 20.00 | 40.5 | -1.7 | 2398 |
| 6 | 🇧🇾GMGorovets, Andrey | 2455 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4.5 | 20.00 | 40.5 | -7.4 | 2393 |
| 7 | 🇹🇷IMIsik, Alparslan | 2457 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | 1 | 4.5 | 19.75 | 40.5 | -7.6 | 2393 |
| 8 | 🇲🇩GMKhruschiov, Alexey | 2273 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 4.0 | 18.50 | 41.0 | +11.5 | 2371 |
| 9 | FMVasilkov, Nikolay | 2293 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | 3.5 | 14.75 | 41.5 | +8.4 | 2332 |
| 10 | FMTregubenko, Nikolay | 2247 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | 2.5 | 10.75 | 42.5 | -0.8 | 2251 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Khruschiov, AlexeyGMMDA+11.54.0 pts · #8
- 2Vasilkov, NikolayFMFID+8.43.5 pts · #9
- 3Tarhan, AdarIMTUR+4.35.5 pts · #2
- 1Pigusov, EvgenyGMRUS-10.25.0 pts · #4
- 2Isik, AlparslanIMTUR-7.64.5 pts · #7
- 3Gorovets, AndreyGMBLR-7.44.5 pts · #6
- R8+178 Elo gap
- R6+164 Elo gap
- R7+140 Elo gap