Year-opening 18th Premium Chess Tournament - Group A
44 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 02 Jan 2026 to 04 Jan 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. 5 titled players from 4 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2186, and top seed was Tibor Bodi (🇭🇺 HUN, FM, 2295).
Csaba Zoltan Varga (🇭🇺 HUN, FM, 2279) won with 5.5/7, ahead of Adam Kormos (5.5) and Nhat Minh To (5.5). Varga shared the lead from round 4, winning on tie-break.
The biggest upset came in round 6: Balazs Kovacs (1806) beat Eszter Sulyok (2073), a +267-point gap.
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How it unfolded
Top 6 · 7 roundsTight race until R7; 3 players tied at 5.5/7, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 4 co-leaders at R4 to 3 at the finish.
3 players finish on 5.5/7. Varga takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (27.0).
FM Csaba Zoltan Varga 3 wins (R4–R7)IM Nhat Minh To 3 wins (R5–R7)
IM Nhat Minh To was #11 at R4, climbed to #3 over the final stretch.
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1FMCsaba Zoltan Varga | * | — | 1 | 1 |
| 2Adam Kormos | — | * | — | — |
| 3IMNhat Minh To | 0 | — | * | — |
| 4Barnabas Baski | 0 | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varga, Csaba ZoltanFM | 2279 | HUN | +40B | +20N | =12B | +3N | +4B | F | +7N | 5.5 | 27.0 | 28.5 | 22.00 | 2504 | +12.0 |
| 2 | Kormos, Adam | 2151 | HUN | +41N | +13B | −6N | +14B | +5N | =7B | +8N | 5.5 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 20.75 | 2304 | +26.8 |
| 3 | To, Nhat MinhIM | 2285 | HUN | +44N | +14B | =7N | −1B | +16N | +13B | +6B | 5.5 | 26.5 | 27.0 | 19.25 | 2300 | +3.0 |
| 4 | Baski, Barnabas | 2160 | HUN | +25B | +34N | +19B | =6B | −1N | =12N | +14B | 5.0 | 25.0 | 27.5 | 17.75 | 2248 | +17.6 |
| 5 | Balint, VilmosFM | 2179 | HUN | +17N | −19B | +28B | +9N | −2B | +27N | +12B | 5.0 | 24.5 | 27.5 | 18.50 | 2153 | -2.4 |
| 6 | Bodi, TiborFM | 2295 | HUN | +9B | +8N | +2B | =4N | +12B | F | −3N | 4.5 | 30.5 | 34.5 | 21.00 | 2319 | +4.8 |
| 7 | Salamon, Laszlo | 2125 | HUN | +39B | +38N | =3B | =15N | +11B | =2N | −1B | 4.5 | 27.0 | 29.0 | 16.00 | 2191 | +29.2 |
| 8 | Minga-Nagy, Abel Inti | 2094 | HUN | +23B | −6B | +17N | =19N | +30B | +15N | −2B | 4.5 | 25.0 | 28.0 | 16.25 | 2160 | +27.6 |
| 9 | Schmelowszky, David | 1951 | HUN | −6N | +23B | +31N | −5B | +21N | =20B | +27N | 4.5 | 23.0 | 26.0 | 14.75 | 2125 | +63.2 |
| 10 | Saar, Patrik | 2020 | HUN | =32B | +27N | −15B | +28N | =19B | =18N | +22B | 4.5 | 21.0 | 24.0 | 14.75 | 2086 | +13.6 |
| 11 | Czegledi, Barna Jr. | 2076 | HUN | −13N | +41B | +35N | =16B | −7N | +36B | +20N | 4.5 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 11.50 | 2011 | -9.2 |
| 12 | Kassay, Krisztian | 2111 | HUN | +43N | +16B | =1N | +21B | −6N | =4B | −5N | 4.0 | 27.5 | 28.0 | 13.25 | 2151 | +9.6 |
| 13 | Nagy, Norbert | 1839 | HUN | +11B | −2N | +22B | +24N | =15B | −3N | =18B | 4.0 | 27.0 | 30.5 | 15.50 | 2138 | +103.2 |
| 14 | Kovacs, Zoltan | 2075 | HUN | +37B | −3N | +38B | −2N | +17B | +19N | −4N | 4.0 | 26.0 | 28.0 | 12.00 | 2073 | +1.2 |
| 15 | Kovacs, Marton | 2129 | HUN | =35N | +29B | +10N | =7B | =13N | −8B | =16N | 4.0 | 24.5 | 27.0 | 15.00 | 1998 | -21.0 |
| 16 | Kovacs, Balazs | 1806 | ROU | +22B | −12N | +34B | =11N | −3B | +30N | =15B | 4.0 | 24.5 | 27.0 | 13.25 | 2131 | +110.8 |
| 17 | Haszon, Abel | 1934 | HUN | −5B | +33N | −8B | +39N | −14N | +29B | +31N | 4.0 | 22.5 | 24.5 | 11.00 | 1993 | +11.4 |
| 18 | Nemeth, ZoltanIM | 2121 | HUN | =29N | +36B | =21N | +20B | F | =10B | =13N | 4.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 13.50 | 2066 | -3.3 |
| 19 | Szabo, Marton Nandor | 1973 | HUN | +33B | +5N | −4N | =8B | =10N | −14B | =25B | 3.5 | 26.5 | 29.5 | 14.25 | 2035 | +22.0 |
| 20 | Samu, Sorin-Mihai | 1995 | ROU | +42B | −1B | +32N | −18N | +23B | =9N | −11B | 3.5 | 25.0 | 26.0 | 9.75 | 1984 | -2.4 |
| 21 | Sarok, Peter | 2138 | HUN | +24B | =28N | =18B | −12N | −9B | =23N | +35B | 3.5 | 22.5 | 25.0 | 11.25 | 1955 | -31.6 |
| 22 | Ladanyi, Tibor | 2002 | HUN | −16N | +43B | −13N | +38B | =36N | +33B | −10N | 3.5 | 20.0 | 20.5 | 6.75 | 1845 | -28.4 |
| 23 | Laszlo, Daniel Aron | 1852 | HUN | −8N | −9N | +41B | +44B | −20N | =21B | +34N | 3.5 | 19.5 | 20.0 | 5.75 | 2002 | +54.0 |
| 24 | Hideg, Istvan Benjamin | 1901 | HUN | −21N | =26B | +44N | −13B | =31N | +38B | =32N | 3.5 | 19.0 | 19.5 | 7.25 | 1914 | +1.6 |
| 25 | Tagai, Marton | 1924 | HUN | −4N | −31B | =42N | +43B | +26N | =35B | =19N | 3.5 | 18.5 | 19.0 | 7.50 | 1929 | +0.8 |
| 26 | Fellegi, Zoltan | 2115 | HUN | −28B | =24N | +37B | −30N | −25B | +40N | +36B | 3.5 | 18.0 | 19.5 | 8.25 | 1904 | -36.6 |
| 27 | Papp, Bence | 1982 | HUN | =36N | −10B | =39N | +32B | +35N | −5B | −9B | 3.0 | 22.0 | 24.0 | 7.75 | 1883 | -38.0 |
| 28 | Schmied, Erik Rajmund | 1861 | HUN | +26N | =21B | −5N | −10B | =29N | −34B | +42N | 3.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 7.75 | 1961 | +30.8 |
| 29 | Illes, Andras | 1864 | HUN | =18B | −15N | −30B | +37N | =28B | −17N | +39B | 3.0 | 20.5 | 22.5 | 8.00 | 1926 | +19.6 |
| 30 | Sulyok, Eszter | 2073 | HUN | −38N | =39B | +29N | +26B | −8N | −16B | =33N | 3.0 | 20.0 | 22.0 | 9.00 | 1860 | -38.0 |
| 31 | Toth, Benedek | 1719 | HUN | −34B | +25N | −9B | =40N | =24B | +39N | −17B | 3.0 | 20.0 | 21.5 | 8.00 | 1878 | +54.4 |
| 32 | Floss, Jonas | 1819 | AUT | =10N | =35B | −20B | −27N | =34B | +37N | =24B | 3.0 | 19.5 | 22.0 | 9.00 | 1892 | +12.6 |
| 33 | Tessedik, Karoly | 1790 | HUN | −19N | −17B | =43N | +41N | +40B | −22N | =30B | 3.0 | 16.5 | 17.0 | 4.25 | 1905 | +20.0 |
| 34 | Giles, Benjamin | 1972 | NZL | +31N | −4B | −16N | −36B | =32N | +28N | −23B | 2.5 | 21.5 | 24.0 | 7.50 | 1757 | -40.8 |
| 35 | Horvath, Laszlo | 1890 | HUN | =15B | =32N | −11B | +42N | −27B | =25N | −21N | 2.5 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 6.25 | 1878 | -4.4 |
| 36 | Bolla, Zsofia | 1791 | HUN | =27B | −18N | =40B | +34N | =22B | −11N | −26N | 2.5 | 21.0 | 22.5 | 6.50 | 1927 | +42.0 |
| 37 | Miko, Biborka | 1835 | HUN | −14N | =44B | −26N | −29B | +41N | −32B | +38N | 2.5 | 16.5 | 17.0 | 3.25 | 1835 | -4.0 |
| 38 | Kellner, Nikolaus | 1822 | AUT | +30B | −7B | −14N | −22N | +42B | −24N | −37B | 2.0 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 4.00 | 1814 | -3.8 |
| 39 | Somogyi, Barbara | 1877 | HUN | −7N | =30N | =27B | −17B | +43N | −31B | −29N | 2.0 | 20.5 | 21.0 | 3.50 | 1777 | -19.6 |
| 40 | Toth, Barnabas | 1939 | HUN | −1N | =42B | =36N | =31B | −33N | −26B | −41B | 1.5 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 3.25 | 1684 | -92.0 |
| 41 | Gangler, Zoltan Dr. | 1915 | HUN | −2B | −11N | −23N | −33B | −37B | F | +40N | 1.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 1.50 | 1668 | -36.6 |
| 42 | Bartolak, Levente | 1791 | HUN | −20N | =40N | =25B | −35B | −38N | F | −28B | 1.0 | 16.0 | 16.5 | 2.50 | 1633 | -43.2 |
| 43 | Kovacs, Zsolt | 1852 | HUN | −12B | −22N | =33B | −25N | −39B | F | F | 0.5 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 1.50 | 1575 | -28.8 |
| 44 | Szarvas, Nora | 1948 | HUN | −3B | =37N | −24B | −23N | F | F | F | 0.5 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1.25 | 1647 | -58.4 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Kovacs, BalazsROU+110.84.0 pts · #14
- 2Nagy, NorbertHUN+103.24.0 pts · #17
- 3Schmelowszky, DavidHUN+63.24.5 pts · #6
- 1Toth, BarnabasHUN-92.01.5 pts · #40
- 2Szarvas, NoraHUN-58.40.5 pts · #43
- 3Bartolak, LeventeHUN-43.21.0 pts · #42
- R6+267 Elo gap
- R1+254 Elo gap
- R1+251 Elo gap