Union of the Romanian Principalities (Mangalia) - 14th ed.

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55 players participated in this 6-round tournament, held from 24 Jan 2026 to 25 Jan 2026 in Mangalia, Romania. 3 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 1684, and top seed was Ege Esmer (🇧🇬 BUL, 1798).

Nedko Kolev (🇧🇬 BUL, 1616) won with 5.5/6, ahead of David-Marian Dirmon-Diaconu (4.5) and Ege Esmer (4.5). Kolev won solo starting round 5.

The biggest upset came in round 3: Dan Valahu (1425) beat Todor Kostadinov (1641), a +216-point gap.

Location

🇷🇴Mangalia, Romania

Dates

24 Jan 2026 → 25 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: All Moves in 50 Min. Incr. 10 Sec. / /

System

Swiss · 6 rounds

Top seed

🇧🇬Ege Esmer1798

Avg top 10

1,684

Participants

Federations · 3 represented

🇷🇴Romania×34

🇧🇬Bulgaria×7

🇺🇦Ukraine×5

Top 3

🥇
Nedko Kolev
🇧🇬BUL·1616
5.5pts·1978perf+79.6
🥈
David-Marian Dirmon-Diaconu
🇷🇴ROU·1697
4.5pts·1771perf+20.0
🥉
Ege Esmer
🇧🇬BUL·1798
4.5pts·1807perf+4.4

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 6 rounds

Nedko Kolev led from R5; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.

Co-leaders

Kolev5.5Dirmon-Diaconu4.5Dumitrascu4.5Esmer4.5Gochev4.5Talaba4.5

R5–R6 · LEAD HELD

Nedko Kolev never relinquished the lead after R5; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.

R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Nedko Kolev beat David-Marian Dirmon-Diaconu (Black).

WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers

Nedko Kolev 5 wins (R1–R5)David-Marian Dirmon-Diaconu 4 wins (R1–R4)

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Nedko Kolev	*	1	—	1
2David-Marian Dirmon-Diaconu	0	*	—	—
3Daniel Dumitrascu	—	—	*	½
4Ege Esmer	0	—	½	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Kolev, Nedko	1616	BUL	+34B	+14N	+15B	+3B	+2N	=4N	5.5	21.0	23.5	21.25	1978	+79.6
2	Dirmon-Diaconu, David-Marian	1697	ROU	+37N	+11B	+6N	+10B	−1B	=8N	4.5	22.5	25.0	17.25	1771	+20.0
3	Esmer, Ege	1798	BUL	+50B	+18N	+8B	−1N	+5B	=7N	4.5	22.5	24.0	16.25	1807	+4.4
4	Gochev, Pavlin	1613	BUL	+32N	+36B	=9N	=28B	+17N	=1B	4.5	19.0	21.5	15.25	1744	+17.2
5	Cara, Lucas-Marian	1597	ROU	+45N	+30B	=28N	+9B	−3N	+11B	4.5	18.5	20.5	14.50	1763	+35.2
6	Talaba, David-Christian	1604	ROU	+51B	+29N	−2B	+19N	=12B	+15N	4.5	18.5	19.5	13.00	1702	+23.2
7	Dumitrascu, Daniel	1780	ROU	=25N	+35B	=16N	+23N	+10B	=3B	4.5	18.0	20.5	15.00	1774	+1.0
8	Zakir, Ersel	1606	BUL	+41N	+24B	−3N	+27B	+22N	=2B	4.5	18.0	20.5	13.75	1736	+26.8
9	Moraru, Stefan-Robert	1497	ROU	+26B	+17N	=4B	−5N	+23B	=12N	4.0	19.5	22.5	13.75	1657	+14.8
10	Pistol, Robert-Andrei	1592	ROU	+40B	+53N	+13B	−2N	−7N	+22B	4.0	18.5	18.5	9.50	1583	-1.2
11	Fulga, Marius-Valentin	1554	ROU	+38B	−2N	+51B	+34N	+13B	−5N	4.0	18.0	19.0	10.00	1521	-3.0
12	Zadacencu, Sergiu	1556	ROU	+47N	−28B	+26N	+24B	=6N	=9B	4.0	17.5	19.5	12.25	1647	+24.0
13	Guriencu, Gabriel-Alexandru	1638	ROU	+22N	+27B	−10N	+36B	−11N	+25B	4.0	17.0	19.5	11.50	1613	-7.2
14	Oprisan, Ilinca-Natalia	1533	ROU	+46N	−1B	+41N	−22B	+29N	+24B	4.0	17.0	19.0	10.50	1673	+42.8
15	Khotomlianskyi, Andrii	1530	UKR	+48N	+21B	−1N	=16B	+36N	−6B	3.5	19.5	21.5	9.75	1616	+20.4
16	Cherepynskyi, Kyrylo	1697	UKR	=23B	+44N	=7B	=15N	=20B	=19N	3.5	18.0	20.5	11.50	1585	-25.2
17	Safta, Alexandru-Adrian	1515	ROU	+55B	−9B	+39N	+18N	−4B	=20N	3.5	18.0	18.0	7.75	1533	+2.4
18	Cristea, Alexandru P.	1593	ROU	+31N	−3B	+29N	−17B	=26N	+35B	3.5	17.0	19.5	10.00	1538	-14.0
19	Zhelyazkov, Bozhidar	1456	BUL	−28N	+47B	+30N	−6B	+39N	=16B	3.5	16.5	18.5	9.25	1394	-7.6
20	Bordeianu, Stefan	1666	ROU	=35N	−25B	+31N	+40B	=16N	=17B	3.5	15.5	18.0	10.25	1446	-23.8
21	Kostadinov, Todor	1641	BUL	+43B	−15N	−34B	+45N	=35B	+37N	3.5	13.5	15.5	8.25	1487	-24.4
22	Budei, Viacheslav	1442	ROU	−13B	+52N	+33B	+14N	−8B	−10N	3.0	19.5	20.5	8.00	1368	0.0
23	Davidescu, Ioan	1486	ROU	=16N	+42B	+25N	−7B	−9N	=30B	3.0	18.0	20.5	8.75	1626	+36.8
24	Cherepynskyi, Danylo	1488	UKR	+33B	−8N	+53B	−12N	+38B	−14N	3.0	18.0	18.0	5.50	724	-59.2
25	Petrov, Alexandru	1488	ROU	=7B	+20N	−23B	=35N	+41B	−13N	3.0	17.5	20.0	9.50	1531	+9.2
26	Zotic, Teodor-Andrei	0	ROU	−9N	+46B	−12B	+33N	=18B	=42N	3.0	17.0	19.0	8.00	1389	-6.8
27	Moldoveanu, Vlad	1522	ROU	+52B	−13N	+38B	−8N	=34B	=31N	3.0	16.5	17.5	6.25	823	-31.2
28	Stanculet, Ilio-Phoem	1693	ROU	+19B	+12N	=5B	=4N	F	F	3.0	16.5	16.5	12.00	1750	+9.2
29	Vasile, Radu G.	1419	ROU	+54N	−6B	−18B	+49N	−14B	+34N	3.0	16.5	16.5	4.50	736	-55.2
30	Mesit, Selen	0	ROU	+?B	−5N	−19B	+51N	=37B	=23N	3.0	14.5	14.5	3.75	1440	0.0
31	Baltac, Andrei-Cristian	0	ROU	−18B	=50N	−20B	+?N	+40N	=27B	3.0	14.0	14.0	4.75	1497	0.0
32	Bongea, Eva-Maria	0	ROU	−4B	−39N	+52B	−38N	+46B	+48N	3.0	13.5	14.5	5.00	815	0.0
33	Velica, Alberto-Gabriel	0	ROU	−24N	+45B	−22N	−26B	+49B	+?N	3.0	13.0	13.0	4.00	1374	0.0
34	Valahu, Dan	1425	ROU	−1N	+48B	+21N	−11B	=27N	−29B	2.5	19.0	21.0	7.00	1424	0.0
35	Cirlan, Ioana	1443	ROU	=20B	−7N	+50B	=25B	=21N	−18N	2.5	18.0	19.5	6.50	1553	+29.2
36	Radacina, Bogdan-Marian	1528	ROU	+39B	−4N	+49B	−13N	−15B	=38N	2.5	17.0	19.0	5.75	799	-48.0
37	Draghici, Gabriel-Iulian	1478	ROU	−2B	−38N	+43N	+48B	=30N	−21B	2.5	16.0	18.0	6.00	872	-19.6
38	Gavrylov, Nazar	0	UKR	−11N	+37B	−27N	+32B	−24N	=36B	2.5	15.5	18.0	6.75	1376	0.0
39	Manea, Nicu-Bogdan	0	ROU	−36N	+32B	−17B	+44N	−19B	=41N	2.5	15.0	17.5	6.75	700	0.0
40	Danciu, Sofia-Maria	0	ROU	−10N	=43B	+?N	−20N	−31B	+50B	2.5	14.5	14.5	2.75	1577	0.0
41	Panait, Ioan-Gabriel	0	ROU	−8B	+55N	−14B	+53N	−25N	=39B	2.5	14.0	14.0	1.25	699	0.0
42	Raftopol, Mihailidis	1572	ROU	=49B	−23N	=44B	F	+43N	=26B	2.5	13.0	13.0	6.25	1260	-16.2
43	Vieru, Anastasia-Isabel	0	ROU	−21N	=40N	−37B	+50N	−42B	+51N	2.5	12.5	13.5	3.75	1352	0.0
44	Omer, Sofia	1417	ROU	F	−16B	=42N	−39B	+47N	+45B	2.5	12.5	12.5	5.25	1433	0.0
45	FIDE 42253454	0	—	−5B	−33N	+46B	−21B	+52N	−44N	2.0	15.5	16.5	3.00	818	0.0
46	FIDE 42261511	0	—	−14B	−26N	−45N	+47B	−32N	+53B	2.0	14.0	14.0	2.00	615	0.0
47	FIDE 42261503	0	—	−12B	−19N	+55B	−46N	−44B	+52N	2.0	13.0	13.0	1.00	708	0.0
48	FIDE 2964481	0	—	−15B	−34N	+54B	−37N	+51B	−32B	2.0	12.5	12.5	1.00	708	0.0
49	Chupryna, Mykhailo	0	UKR	=42N	=?B	−36N	−29B	−33N	+54B	2.0	11.0	11.0	1.25	1345	0.0
50	Todorov, Petar T.	1493	BUL	−3N	=31B	−35N	−43B	+53B	−40N	1.5	15.0	15.0	1.50	822	-28.8
51	FIDE 42251079	0	—	−6N	+54B	−11N	−30B	−48N	−43B	1.0	16.0	16.0	0.00	788	0.0
52	FIDE 2961784	0	—	−27N	−22B	−32N	+54N	−45B	−47B	1.0	13.0	13.0	0.00	743	0.0
53	FIDE 42261562	0	—	F	−10B	−24N	−41B	−50N	−46N	0.0	13.0	13.0	0.00	736	0.0
54	FIDE 42261538	0	—	−29B	−51N	−48N	−52B	F	−49N	0.0	9.0	9.0	0.00	707	0.0
55	FIDE 42252954	0	—	−17N	−41B	−47N	F	−?B	F	0.0	8.0	8.0	0.00	736	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Kolev, NedkoBUL
+79.6
5.5 pts · #3
2Oprisan, Ilinca-NataliaROU
+42.8
4.0 pts · #21
3Davidescu, IoanROU
+36.8
3.0 pts · #12

Top rating losers

1Cherepynskyi, DanyloUKR
-59.2
3.0 pts · #46
2Vasile, Radu G.ROU
-55.2
3.0 pts · #39
3Radacina, Bogdan-MarianROU
-48.0
2.5 pts · #42

Biggest upsets

R3+216 Elo gap
Valahu, Dan1425 beat Kostadinov, Todor1641
R4+182 Elo gap
Kolev, Nedko1616 beat Esmer, Ege1798
R2+178 Elo gap
Petrov, Alexandru1488 beat Bordeianu, Stefan1666