CChessStats

2025 Cornerstone Holiday Norm Invitationals #2 - GM

Round-RobinStandard

10 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 31 Dec 2025 to 04 Jan 2026 in Sunnyvale, CA, United States. 10 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2384, and top seed was Joshua Sheng (🇺🇸 USA, GM, 2492).

Joshua Sheng (🇺🇸 USA, GM, 2492) won with 6.5/9, ahead of Azer Mirzoev (5.5) and Lucas Jiang (5.5). Sheng shared the lead from round 6 and won solo starting round 7.

The biggest upset came in round 4: Lucas Jiang (FM, 2256) beat Sohum Lohia (IM, 2410), a +154-point gap.

Location
🇺🇸Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Dates
31 Dec 2025 → 04 Jan 2026
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1
System
Round-robin · 9 rounds
Top seed
🇺🇸GMJoshua Sheng2492
Avg top 10
2,384
Participants
10
Titled players · 10
GM×3
IM×4
FM×2
WIM×1
Federations · 5 represented
🇺🇸United States of America×6
🇦🇿Azerbaijan×1
🇭🇺Hungary×1
🇮🇳India×1
🇬🇧England×1
Top 3

How it unfolded

Top 10 · 9 rounds

GM Joshua Sheng led from R7 onwards, the runner-up race stayed tight.

Co-leaders
2
3
5
1
1
3
1
1
1
#1#2#5#10R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9Mirzoev takes leadSheng takes lead
R5 · LEADER CHANGE02 Jan

GM Azer Mirzoev takes the sole lead (3.5/5).

R2 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

GM Joshua Sheng drew with GM Azer Mirzoev (White).

R1–R9 · UNBEATEN

GM Joshua Sheng went unbeaten across 9 games (R1–R9).

Cross-table

#PlayerElo12345678910PtsSBBhΔ EloPerf
1🇺🇸GMSheng, Joshua2492*½½½11½½116.527.0038.5+5.62538
2🇦🇿GMMirzoev, Azer2471½*1½½½½½½15.524.2539.5-1.62454
3🇺🇸FMJiang, Lucas2256½0*½1½½1½15.522.7539.5+53.42478
4🇭🇺GMNagy, Gabor2444½½½*½½½½½15.021.7540.0-2.92420
5🇬🇧IMLohia, Sohum24100½0½*1½1104.518.0040.5-3.62381
6🇺🇸WIMLi, Rachael23250½½½0*1½014.016.7541.0+5.82347
8🇺🇸IMLee, Alice2408½½½½½0*½½03.517.0041.5-13.22301
9🇮🇳IMGauri, Shankar2400½½0½0½½*½½3.515.7541.5-12.22302
10🇺🇸FMAtwell, Rose23300½½½01½½*03.515.5041.5-5.62310
7🇺🇸IMColville, Julian23010000101½1*3.513.2541.5+2.22313

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers
Top rating losers
Biggest upsets