2026 Melbourne Chess Club Championship Rounds 8-9
Open SwissStandard
56 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 30 Mar 2026 to 13 Apr 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. 15 titled players from 6 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2154, and top seed was Jairo Andres Hernandez Sanchez (🇨🇴 COL, IM, 2338).
Ray Yang (🇦🇺 AUS, FM, 2105) won with 2.0/9, ahead of Ryder Testolin (2.0) and Thomas Hormann (2.0). Yang won on tie-break after catching the field in the final round.
The biggest upset came in round 9: Thomas Hormann (1532) beat Rishaan Pramod (1784), a +252-point gap.
Location
🇦🇺Melbourne, Australia
Dates
30 Mar 2026 → 13 Apr 2026
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 9 rounds
Titled players · 15
IM×3
FM×3
CM×6
WFM×3
Federations · 6 represented
🇦🇺Australia×50
🇨🇴Colombia×1
🇮🇳India×1
🇺🇸United States of America×1
🇬🇧England×1
🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsTight race until R9; 5 players tied at 2.0/9, decided on Buchholz. Title race narrowed from 67 co-leaders at R4 to 5 at the finish.
Co-leaders
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
25
5
R9 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER
5 players finish on 2.0/9. Yang takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (1.5).
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yang, RayFM | 2105 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +38N | +14B | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 2783 | +14.4 |
| 2 | Testolin, RyderIM | 2227 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +39N | +18N | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 2927 | +15.0 |
| 3 | Hormann, Thomas | 1532 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +41N | +24B | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 2476 | +58.0 |
| 4 | Arthur, James | 1923 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +46B | +15N | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 2554 | +23.6 |
| 5 | Akok, Benjamin | 1558 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +51N | +25N | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 2261 | +7.6 |
| 6 | Gao, ArthurCM | 2171 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +16B | =10N | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.75 | 2379 | +12.9 |
| 7 | Ly, Thai | 1923 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +17B | =8N | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.75 | 1890 | -1.0 |
| 8 | Kovacevic, Paul | 1745 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +28N | =7B | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.75 | 1977 | +12.0 |
| 9 | Ilic, NicholasFM | 2119 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | =19N | +29B | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.50 | 2032 | -2.6 |
| 10 | Kalina, LeoCM | 2057 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +48N | =6B | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.75 | 2268 | +21.2 |
| 11 | Khurram, Mikyle | 1776 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +52B | =38N | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 2168 | +19.0 |
| 12 | Morrison, JenniferWFM | 1845 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +47N | =39B | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 1939 | +4.2 |
| 13 | Lovegrove, Adam | 1496 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +53N | =40B | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 1476 | -0.6 |
| 14 | Lingineni, KhushalCM | 1978 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +33B | −1N | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.00 | 1977 | -4.4 |
| 15 | Buhagiar, Aden | 1798 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +35N | −4B | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.00 | 1804 | -0.8 |
| 16 | Soo, Kai JieFM | 2305 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −6N | +20B | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.00 | 2202 | -5.8 |
| 17 | Pasukov, Leo | 1654 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −7N | +27B | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.00 | 1748 | +4.4 |
| 18 | Hernandez Sanchez, Jairo AndresIM | 2338 | COL | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +42N | −2B | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.50 | 2149 | -4.6 |
| 19 | Bekker, Gary DCM | 1898 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | =9B | =42N | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 2076 | +9.2 |
| 20 | Solomon, Stephen JIM | 2178 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +21N | −16N | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 2147 | -0.7 |
| 21 | Gallagher, Ian G | 1992 | ENG | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −20B | +32N | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 2022 | +1.8 |
| 22 | Zhang, Chi Long | 1503 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +26B | −23N | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 1680 | +15.6 |
| 23 | Hill, James | 1779 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −31N | +22B | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.00 | 1714 | -2.8 |
| 24 | Pramod, Rishaan | 1784 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +54N | −3N | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 1554 | -21.6 |
| 25 | FIDE 573001384 | 0 | — | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +?B | −5B | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 752 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Biju, Alberto | 1599 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −22N | +43B | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.50 | 1538 | -5.2 |
| 27 | Morris, Shaun | 1567 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +40N | −17N | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.50 | 1564 | -1.6 |
| 28 | Fry, Peter | 1644 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −8B | +46N | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.00 | 1716 | +3.6 |
| 29 | Dizdarevic, Mehmedalija | 1786 | BIH | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +49B | −9N | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.00 | 1928 | +6.8 |
| 30 | Duane, John | 0 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +34N | F | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 2351 | +12.4 |
| 31 | Poberezovsky, Daniel | 1906 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +23B | F | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.00 | 2575 | +6.6 |
| 32 | Hong, Xavier | 1866 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +55B | −21B | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 1848 | -1.0 |
| 33 | Daffy, Joseph | 1884 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −14N | +48B | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 1972 | +5.6 |
| 34 | Sun, Martin | 1580 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −30B | +50N | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 2364 | +20.8 |
| 35 | Rehill, Paul | 1725 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −15B | +56N | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 1734 | +2.2 |
| 36 | Batyrbekov, Kaisar | 1586 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +50B | F | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 2364 | +19.2 |
| 37 | Chibnall, AlanaWFM | 1884 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | +47B | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 2372 | +2.6 |
| 38 | Culbert, Joshua | 1954 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −1B | =11B | 0.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.75 | 1751 | -10.0 |
| 39 | Ding, Rey | 1907 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −2B | =12N | 0.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 0.75 | 1866 | -3.8 |
| 40 | Smith, Warren | 1463 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −27B | =13N | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.75 | 1346 | -6.6 |
| 41 | Clark, Peter | 1584 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −3B | =44N | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.25 | 1346 | -12.4 |
| 42 | Smith, DeclanCM | 2043 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −18B | =19B | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.50 | 1925 | -7.2 |
| 43 | Beckman, John | 1575 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | =45B | −26N | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.25 | 1347 | -10.6 |
| 44 | Veldon, Rino | 1573 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | =41B | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 1580 | 0.0 |
| 45 | Batyrbekov, Aidan | 1493 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | =43N | F | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 1550 | +3.2 |
| 46 | Chmiel, Rad | 1711 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −4N | −28B | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.00 | 982 | -15.4 |
| 47 | Kolak, Tanya | 1598 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −12B | −37N | 0.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.00 | 1085 | -5.6 |
| 48 | Nguyen, Anh KietCM | 1907 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −10B | −33N | 0.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 0.00 | 1165 | -24.9 |
| 49 | Bodke, Krishna | 1731 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −29N | F | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 977 | -18.8 |
| 50 | Bhavikkumar Thakkar | 1564 | IND | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −36N | −34B | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 765 | -40.0 |
| 51 | Wood, Joshua | 1491 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −5B | F | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.00 | 752 | -15.2 |
| 52 | Fan, ChloeWFM | 2001 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −11N | F | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.00 | 1002 | -15.2 |
| 53 | Win, Noel May Thu | 0 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −13B | F | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.00 | 698 | 0.0 |
| 54 | Massimo, Rick | 1621 | USA | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −24B | F | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 972 | -11.6 |
| 55 | Fan, Xinyao | 1693 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −32N | F | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 1066 | -11.6 |
| 56 | Papadinis, Jim | 1647 | AUS | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | F | −35B | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 895 | -8.8 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Hormann, ThomasAUS+58.02.0 pts · #4
- 2Arthur, JamesAUS+23.62.0 pts · #2
- 3Kalina, LeoCMAUS+21.21.5 pts · #6
Top rating losers
- 1Bhavikkumar ThakkarIND-40.00.0 pts · #50
- 2Nguyen, Anh KietCMAUS-24.90.0 pts · #53
- 3Pramod, RishaanAUS-21.61.0 pts · #14
Biggest upsets
- R9+252 Elo gap
- R8+225 Elo gap
- R8+134 Elo gap