Israeli Open Chess Championship 2026

SwissStandard

101 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 19 Jan 2026 to 27 Jan 2026 in Acco, Israel. 42 titled players from 6 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2528, and top seed was Ilia Smirin (🇮🇱 ISR, GM, 2564).

Yahli Sokolovsky (🇮🇱 ISR, GM, 2537) won with 7.5/9, ahead of Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya (7.0) and Evgeny Alekseev (7.0). Sokolovsky won solo starting round 8.

The biggest upset came in round 4: Ori Neeman (1705) beat Guy Tsirilman (2113), a +408-point gap.

Location

🇮🇱Acco, Israel

Dates

19 Jan 2026 → 27 Jan 2026

Time control

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

System

Swiss · 9 rounds

Top seed

🇮🇱GMIlia Smirin2564

Avg top 10

2,528

Participants

101

Titled players · 42

GM×12

IM×9

FM×15

CM×3

WIM×1

WFM×2

Federations · 6 represented

🇮🇱Israel×89

🇰🇷South Korea×2

🇷🇺Russia×2

🇺🇦Ukraine×1

🇳🇴Norway×1

🇧🇮Burundi×1

Top 3

🥇
GMYahli Sokolovsky
🇮🇱ISR·2537
7.5pts·2710perf+19.2
🥈
GMYeshaayahu Tzidkiya
🇮🇱ISR·2470
7.0pts·2610perf+17.1
🥉
GMEvgeny Alekseev
🇮🇱ISR·2504
7.0pts·2547perf+7.0

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

GM Yahli Sokolovsky led from R8; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R8.

Co-leaders

Sokolovsky7.5Tzidkiya7Alekseev7Chambers7Gorodetzky6.5Smirin6.5

R8–R9 · LEAD HELD

GM Yahli Sokolovsky held the sole lead from R8 through R9 without losing it.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

GM Yahli Sokolovsky drew with GM Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

GM Yahli Sokolovsky 4 wins (R1–R4)GM Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya 4 wins (R1–R4)GM Evgeny Alekseev 3 wins (R1–R3)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1GMYahli Sokolovsky	*	½	1	—
2GMYeshaayahu Tzidkiya	½	*	½	—
3GMEvgeny Alekseev	0	½	*	—
4FMEzra Paul Chambers	—	—	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Sokolovsky, YahliGM	2537	ISR	+54N	+26B	+31N	+3B	=2N	=5B	+7N	+11B	=8N	7.5	50.0	54.0	44.00	2710	+19.2
2	Tzidkiya, YeshaayahuGM	2470	ISR	+64B	+23N	+16B	+11N	=1B	=6N	+8B	=14N	=3B	7.0	51.0	55.0	41.50	2610	+17.1
3	Alekseev, EvgenyGM	2504	ISR	+55B	+27N	+44B	−1N	+60B	=21N	+23B	+5B	=2N	7.0	46.0	50.0	36.25	2547	+7.0
4	Ezra Paul ChambersFM	2343	BDI	+87B	+96N	=17B	−7N	=37B	+35N	+31N	+19B	+12B	7.0	41.5	43.5	31.50	2506	+39.8
5	Smirin, IliaGM	2564	ISR	+47B	=14N	+12B	=9N	+43B	=1N	+10B	−3N	+22B	6.5	49.5	54.0	37.00	2554	+0.7
6	Boruchovsky, AvitalGM	2521	ISR	+59N	+18B	=20N	+24B	=19N	=2B	=9N	=7B	+14B	6.5	48.5	52.5	37.00	2550	+5.0
7	Ben Ari, YannayIM	2463	ISR	+76N	+36B	−19N	+4B	+32N	+20B	−1B	=6N	+25B	6.5	47.5	50.5	34.25	2522	+8.7
8	Gorodetzky, DavidIM	2481	ISR	+52N	+45B	+32N	=19B	=20N	+22B	−2N	+21B	=1B	6.5	46.0	50.5	34.25	2531	+7.8
9	Kobo, OriGM	2482	ISR	+75B	+38N	=21B	=5B	=22N	+25N	=6B	=16N	+23B	6.5	46.0	49.0	34.00	2487	+2.9
10	Yaniv, YuvalIM	2462	ISR	+41N	+28B	=13N	=33B	+18N	=19B	−5N	+46B	+24N	6.5	45.0	49.5	34.75	2507	+8.6
11	Gorshtein, IdoGM	2554	ISR	+58N	=43B	+29N	−2B	+38N	+26B	+12B	−1N	=16B	6.0	47.0	51.0	31.25	2443	-9.9
12	Ben Artzi, IdoIM	2339	ISR	+68N	+60B	−5N	+36B	+33N	+13B	−11N	+20B	−4N	6.0	45.0	48.5	29.00	2468	+16.5
13	Rozen, EytanIM	2518	ISR	+61B	+25N	=10B	=21N	+27B	−12N	=22B	=34N	+32B	6.0	44.5	48.5	31.25	2438	-7.7
14	Uritsky, YonathanFM	2320	ISR	+90N	=5B	−43N	+42B	+46N	+33B	+19N	=2B	−6N	6.0	44.5	47.0	29.25	2437	+31.8
15	Zanan, EvgenyGM	2505	ISR	+42N	+30B	=24N	−20B	=25B	+39N	−16B	+37N	+34B	6.0	43.0	48.0	31.00	2385	-10.8
16	Sherman, RaemFM	2354	ISR	+66N	+74B	−2N	−23B	+54N	+45B	+15N	=9B	=11N	6.0	43.0	46.0	27.25	2389	+13.2
17	Parkhov, YairGM	2499	ISR	+50N	+53B	=4N	−22B	=45N	+36B	=32N	=26B	+41N	6.0	42.0	46.5	30.00	2353	-13.3
18	Noy, EyalFM	2250	ISR	+84B	−6N	+47B	+96N	−10B	+40N	−20N	+56B	+31N	6.0	39.5	41.5	23.00	2293	+16.4
19	Postny, EvgenyGM	2554	ISR	+49B	+34N	+7B	=8N	=6B	=10N	−14B	−4N	+67N	5.5	48.5	52.0	29.25	2436	-11.1
20	Tulchynskyi, FeliksIM	2414	ISR	+63B	+35N	=6B	+15N	=8B	−7N	+18B	−12N	=27B	5.5	48.0	52.0	30.25	2409	+1.4
21	Efroimski, MarselIM	2375	ISR	+56N	+48B	=9N	=13B	+28N	=3B	F	−8N	+33B	5.5	45.0	45.0	28.75	2484	+13.2
22	Shilon Rahav, EliranFM	2367	ISR	+97B	=37N	+46B	+17N	=9B	−8N	=13N	+67B	−5N	5.5	44.5	46.0	24.25	2380	+9.4
23	Azoulay, YehonatanFM	2166	ISR	+95N	−2B	+76N	+16N	+44B	=24B	−3N	+43B	−9N	5.5	44.0	46.0	22.75	2360	+92.8
24	Gruenfeld, YehudaGM	2380	ISR	+71B	+67N	=15B	−6N	+51B	=23N	=27B	+29N	−10B	5.5	43.5	47.0	25.50	2338	-2.6
25	Zakin, IlayFM	2292	ISR	+92N	−13B	+54N	+48B	=15N	−9B	+28N	+44B	−7N	5.5	43.5	45.5	23.50	2368	+17.8
26	Newman, Ori	2298	ISR	+82B	−1N	+57B	=35N	+55B	−11N	+51B	=17N	=44N	5.5	41.5	44.5	23.25	2319	+9.0
27	Menahem, AdiFM	2235	ISR	+70N	−3B	+50N	+74B	−13N	+58B	=24N	=32B	=20N	5.5	41.0	44.0	23.00	2315	+34.8
28	Kochavi, DanaFM	2156	ISR	+88B	−10N	+40B	+34N	−21B	=43N	−25B	+49N	+62B	5.5	40.5	43.0	23.25	2252	+21.0
29	Gov, Guy	2223	ISR	=83N	+62B	−11B	−59N	+65N	+42B	+48N	−24B	+60N	5.5	37.0	39.5	22.75	2161	-9.8
30	Orian, NogaWIM	2227	ISR	+85B	−15N	+49B	−44N	+59B	+66N	−43B	=40N	+48B	5.5	36.5	39.0	21.50	2168	-6.8
31	Levin, GuyIM	2462	ISR	+40B	+39N	−1B	=38N	=35B	+37N	−4B	+66N	−18B	5.0	45.5	49.0	23.50	2245	-21.4
32	Tifferet, ShakkedFM	2322	ISR	+93B	+57N	−8B	+39N	−7B	+47N	=17B	=27N	−13N	5.0	44.0	46.0	21.25	2306	-1.0
33	Mikhalevski, VictorGM	2527	ISR	=46B	+72N	+37B	=10N	−12B	−14N	+75B	+47N	−21N	5.0	41.5	44.5	21.50	2280	-23.9
34	Vitenberg, Noam AvivFM	2307	NOR	+77N	−19B	+62N	−28B	+50N	=48B	+60N	=13B	−15N	5.0	40.0	43.0	20.75	2244	-11.0
35	Meirovich, Ilay	2150	ISR	+94N	−20B	+56N	=26B	=31N	−4B	+58N	−41B	+61N	5.0	40.0	42.0	19.25	2135	-3.2
36	Solomon, AsifFM	2159	ISR	+81B	−7N	+75B	−12N	+49B	−17N	−40B	+63B	+58N	5.0	39.0	42.0	18.50	2118	-7.4
37	Zuev, Ilya	2088	ISR	+101N	=22B	−33N	+83B	=4N	−31B	+50N	−15B	+66B	5.0	39.0	39.0	16.75	2185	+17.2
38	Michaeli, Omri	2171	ISR	+79N	−9B	+52N	=31B	−11B	+55N	−44N	=54B	+57B	5.0	38.5	41.5	20.00	2215	+9.4
39	Moskovich, DanielCM	2159	ISR	+100N	−31B	+41N	−32B	+52N	−15B	−46N	+65B	+54N	5.0	38.0	38.0	17.50	2099	-11.4
40	Chalopoviz, Ilay	1858	ISR	−31N	+100B	−28N	+86B	+62N	−18B	+36N	=30B	=43N	5.0	38.0	38.0	16.50	2144	+85.6
41	Sapir, Omri	1816	ISR	−10B	+88N	−39B	=69N	+98B	=49N	+57B	+35N	−17B	5.0	37.0	38.0	16.50	2092	+60.8
42	Zakin, Lior	1944	ISR	−15B	=84N	+95B	−14N	+69B	−29N	+89B	=51N	+74B	5.0	33.5	35.5	14.50	1979	+10.4
43	Steiner-Prozhanski, GioraFM	2314	ISR	+78B	=11N	+14B	F	−5N	=28B	+30N	−23N	=40B	4.5	43.0	43.0	22.75	2270	-5.0
44	Vagman, RoyIM	2386	ISR	+65N	+51B	−3N	+30B	−23N	F	+38B	−25N	=26B	4.5	42.5	42.5	21.75	2263	-11.0
45	Lovin, Boris	2168	ISR	+80B	−8N	=55B	+61N	=17B	−16N	+64B	−53N	=47B	4.5	39.5	42.5	18.25	2121	-10.0
46	Belkovsky, Guy	1991	ISR	=33N	+83B	−22N	+68B	−14B	+76N	+39B	−10N	−53B	4.5	39.0	41.5	16.50	2106	+46.0
47	Zalkind, KonstantinFM	2027	ISR	−5N	+93B	−18N	+56B	+72N	−32B	+70N	−33B	=45N	4.5	38.0	40.0	15.25	2063	+3.6
48	Tashkinova, SofiiaWFM	2098	ISR	+99B	−21N	+71B	−25N	+75B	=34N	−29B	+55N	−30N	4.5	37.5	38.5	14.00	2090	-2.2
49	Feigin, Daniel	2007	KOR	−19N	+90B	−30N	+77B	−36N	=41B	+78N	−28B	+76B	4.5	35.5	38.0	14.00	1943	-22.0
50	Khairova, Evelina	1940	ISR	−17B	+85N	−27B	+82N	−34B	+93N	−37B	=70N	+69B	4.5	34.0	36.0	12.75	1919	-10.8
51	Gruzman, IlyaCM	2118	ISR	+89B	−44N	+63B	F	−24N	+74B	−26N	=42B	+56N	4.5	34.0	34.0	16.00	2090	-3.4
52	Fusman, Noam	1889	ISR	−8B	+80N	−38B	+85N	−39B	=86N	+69B	−62N	+70B	4.5	33.0	35.5	13.75	1832	-19.2
53	Sason, NoamCM	2197	ISR	F	−17N	=61B	−60N	+97B	+59N	−67B	+45B	+46N	4.5	32.0	32.0	16.50	2113	-30.0
54	Pashanov, Stanislav	1995	RUS	−1B	+82N	−25B	+84N	−16B	=63N	+92B	=38N	−39B	4.0	38.5	40.5	12.00	1959	-9.4
55	Kluchik, Julia	1942	ISR	−3N	+92B	=45N	+57B	−26N	−38B	+81N	−48B	=63N	4.0	37.5	39.5	13.25	1974	+3.2
56	Tsabari, Ronen	1741	ISR	−21B	+99N	−35B	−47N	+79B	+61N	+59B	−18N	−51B	4.0	36.5	37.5	12.00	1914	+25.4
57	Triger, Eitan	2065	ISR	+73N	−32B	−26N	−55N	+85B	+65B	−41N	+68B	−38N	4.0	35.5	38.0	13.50	1875	-75.2
58	Kinberg, Ofer	2014	ISR	−11B	=78N	=84B	+87N	+63B	−27N	−35B	+64N	−36B	4.0	35.0	37.5	13.25	1908	-21.8
59	Dvorzhitsky, Alexander N.	1961	ISR	−6B	F	+78N	+29B	−30N	−53B	−56N	+83B	+81N	4.0	34.5	34.5	14.00	1941	-4.2
60	Gershkowich, DavidFM	2072	ISR	+86B	−12N	+98N	+53B	−3N	F	−34B	+76N	−29B	4.0	34.5	34.5	11.00	2109	+2.6
61	Ben-Shemesh, Doron	1945	ISR	−13N	+77B	=53N	−45B	=68N	−56B	+93B	+71N	−35B	4.0	34.0	36.0	12.50	1880	-15.4
62	Rinberg, David	2060	ISR	+98B	−29N	−34B	+71N	−40B	+72N	F	+52B	−28N	4.0	33.5	33.5	12.50	1954	-38.4
63	Erez, Eitan	1802	ISR	−20N	+94B	−51N	+73B	−58N	=54B	+86B	−36N	=55B	4.0	33.0	35.0	12.00	1799	-4.0
64	Snappir, Eitan	1879	ISR	−2N	−79B	+100N	+70B	−74N	+77B	−45N	−58B	+78N	4.0	31.0	31.0	9.50	1736	-27.2
65	Cohen, Eyal	1772	ISR	−44B	=89N	=69B	+88N	−29B	−57N	+85B	−39N	+80B	4.0	30.5	33.0	11.00	1813	0.0
66	Neeman, Ori	1705	ISR	−16B	=69N	+89B	+67N	F	−30B	+74N	−31B	−37N	3.5	34.0	34.0	10.75	1972	+30.0
67	Tsirilman, Guy	2113	ISR	F	−24B	=68N	−66B	+78N	+83B	+53N	−22N	−19B	3.5	33.5	33.5	11.75	1996	-40.4
68	Fire, Teddy	1673	ISR	−12B	+86N	=67B	−46N	=61B	−75N	+72B	−57N	=73B	3.5	32.0	34.5	11.50	1832	+40.0
69	Almog, Negev	0	ISR	−74N	=66B	=65N	=41B	−42N	+87B	−52N	+84B	−50N	3.5	32.0	34.5	11.25	1747	0.0
70	Edri, David	0	ISR	−27B	−75N	+99B	−64N	+87B	+97N	−47B	=50B	−52N	3.5	30.0	31.0	7.25	1775	0.0
71	Gal, Erez	1761	ISR	−24N	+101B	−48N	−62B	−83N	+88B	+77N	−61B	=79N	3.5	29.0	29.0	7.00	1617	-28.0
72	Levi, Yoel	1842	ISR	F	−33B	=91N	+80N	−47B	−62B	−68N	+86B	+77N	3.5	28.0	28.0	9.75	1727	-19.2
73	Ribak, Yonatan	0	ISR	−57B	+87N	−96B	−63N	=84B	−92N	=82N	+94B	=68N	3.5	23.5	25.5	9.00	1680	0.0
74	Sabag, Matan	2079	ISR	+69B	−16N	+79B	−27N	+64B	−51N	−66B	F	−42N	3.0	35.0	38.0	10.50	1829	-87.2
75	Cohen, Israel	1937	ISR	−9N	+70B	−36N	+91B	−48N	+68B	−33N	F	F	3.0	33.5	36.0	9.50	1881	-19.6
76	Aleksandrova, AleksandraWFM	1865	ISR	−7B	+81N	−23B	+79N	F	−46B	+83N	−60B	−49N	3.0	33.5	33.5	8.50	1797	-14.8
77	Khokhlov, Yurii	1600	UKR	−34B	−61N	+81B	−49N	+80B	−64N	−71B	+85N	−72B	3.0	30.5	33.0	8.50	1653	+4.8
78	Bloch, Yarden	1605	ISR	−43N	=58B	−59B	+89N	−67B	+98N	−49B	=80N	−64B	3.0	30.0	31.0	7.00	1605	-4.4
79	Slobodnyuk, Pavel	1514	ISR	−38B	+64N	−74N	−76B	−56N	+91B	F	=90N	=71B	3.0	27.5	27.5	9.50	1653	+34.4
80	Tzur, Ofir	1511	ISR	−45N	−52B	+90N	−72B	−77N	=95N	+97B	=78B	−65N	3.0	27.0	28.5	6.50	1592	+26.4
81	Feigin, Benjamin	1467	KOR	−36N	−76B	−77N	+101B	+90N	F	−55B	+92N	−59B	3.0	23.5	23.5	4.50	1527	-3.6
82	Kahan, Sami	1597	ISR	−26N	−54B	+101N	−50B	−86N	F	=73B	=91N	+99B	3.0	23.5	23.5	4.00	1178	-5.4
83	Noginsky, David	1546	ISR	=29B	−46N	+97B	−37N	+71B	−67N	−76B	−59N	F	2.5	31.5	33.0	7.75	1749	+58.4
84	Ben Assa, Omri	1573	ISR	−18N	=42B	=58N	−54B	=73N	F	+98B	−69N	F	2.5	31.0	32.0	7.25	1773	+26.4
85	Roichman, Rom	1549	ISR	−30N	−50B	+93N	−52B	−57N	+94B	−65N	−77B	=87B	2.5	30.0	32.0	5.25	1556	-6.4
86	Pankratova, Galina	0	ISR	−60N	−68B	F	−40N	+82B	=52B	−63N	−72N	+95B	2.5	29.5	29.5	7.25	1637	0.0
87	Klein, Rafael	1688	ISR	−4N	−73B	+94N	−58B	−70N	−69N	−91B	+100B	=85N	2.5	28.5	28.5	3.25	1611	-8.0
88	Barkai, Razi	0	ISR	−28N	−41B	+92N	−65B	−89N	−71N	=95B	+98N	F	2.5	27.0	28.0	4.00	1441	0.0
89	Saushev, Sergey	0	RUS	−51N	=65B	−66N	−78B	+88B	F	−42N	F	+92B	2.5	27.0	27.0	6.50	1463	0.0
90	Frumin, Rebeka	1607	ISR	−14B	−49N	−80B	+94N	−81B	F	+99N	=79B	F	2.5	25.5	25.5	4.50	1343	-31.0
91	Asaad, Alex	0	ISR	−96B	=97N	=72B	−75N	−93B	−79N	+87N	=82B	F	2.5	21.5	23.0	6.50	1615	0.0
92	Roichman, Gal	0	ISR	−25B	−55N	−88B	+99N	F	+73B	−54N	−81B	−89N	2.0	26.0	26.0	4.50	1135	0.0
93	Veksler, Arik	1667	ISR	−32N	−47N	−85B	+100B	+91N	−50B	−61N	—	—	2.0	23.0	23.0	2.50	1106	-47.2
94	FIDE 2895307	0	—	−35B	−63N	−87B	−90B	+101N	−85N	+100B	−73N	−98B	2.0	21.0	21.0	0.00	959	0.0
95	Rosen, Ori	1493	ISR	−23B	F	−42N	−97N	F	=80B	=88N	+101B	−86N	2.0	20.0	20.0	2.75	1435	-6.6
96	Taieb, Ariel	2076	ISR	+91N	−4B	+73N	−18B	—	—	—	—	—	2.0	16.5	19.0	6.00	1497	-9.0
97	Boulos, Boulos	1731	ISR	−22N	=91B	−83N	+95B	−53N	−70B	−80N	F	—	1.5	23.5	24.5	3.25	1523	-58.8
98	FIDE 2895331	0	—	−62N	F	−60B	F	−41N	−78B	−84N	−88B	+94N	1.0	23.0	23.0	2.00	1033	0.0
99	FIDE 2891905	0	—	−48N	−56B	−70N	−92B	+100N	F	−90B	F	−82N	1.0	21.0	21.0	0.00	961	0.0
100	FIDE 2885727	0	—	−39B	−40N	−64B	−93N	−99B	F	−94N	−87N	F	0.0	21.5	21.5	0.00	1049	0.0
101	FIDE 2891913	0	—	−37B	−71N	−82B	−81N	−94B	F	F	−95N	F	0.0	18.5	18.5	0.00	889	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Azoulay, YehonatanFMISR
+92.8
5.5 pts · #25
2Chalopoviz, IlayISR
+85.6
5.0 pts · #62
3Sapir, OmriISR
+60.8
5.0 pts · #67

Top rating losers

1Sabag, MatanISR
-87.2
3.0 pts · #72
2Triger, EitanISR
-75.2
4.0 pts · #59
3Boulos, BoulosISR
-58.8
1.5 pts · #87

Biggest upsets

R4+408 Elo gap
Neeman, Ori1705 beat Tsirilman, Guy2113
R7+374 Elo gap
Neeman, Ori1705 beat Sabag, Matan2079
R2+365 Elo gap
Slobodnyuk, Pavel1514 beat Snappir, Eitan1879