Preliminaries 2026
Open SwissStandard
38 players participated in this 7-round tournament, held from 29 Jan 2026 to 19 Feb 2026 in Qormi, Malta. 3 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1711, and top seed was Andrei Dobbin (🇲🇹 MLT, 1760).
Andrei Dobbin (🇲🇹 MLT, 1760) won with 6.0/7, ahead of Filipina Thornton (5.5) and Yunlong Wang (5.0). Dobbin shared the lead from round 4 and won solo starting round 6.
The biggest upset came in round 1: Zachary Briffa (1461) beat Krishnan Muthukumar (1692), a +231-point gap.
Location
🇲🇹Qormi, Malta
Dates
29 Jan 2026 → 19 Feb 2026
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes for game with 30 seconds delay from move 1
System
Swiss · 7 rounds
Titled players · 3
CM×1
WFM×1
WCM×1
Federations · 1 represented
🇲🇹Malta×38
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 7 roundsAndrei Dobbin led from R6; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 3 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R6.
Co-leaders
17
7
3
3
2
1
1
R6–R7 · LEAD HELD
Andrei Dobbin held the sole lead from R6 through R7 without losing it.
WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers
Andrei Dobbin 4 wins (R3–R6)WFM Filipina Thornton 4 wins (R4–R7)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Andrei Dobbin | * | — | — | ½ |
| 2WFMFilipina Thornton | — | * | — | 1 |
| 3Adam Buckle | — | — | * | — |
| 4Yunlong Wang | ½ | 0 | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dobbin, Andrei | 1760 | MLT | +12N | =20B | +14N | +5B | +7N | +6B | =3B | 6.0 | 26.5 | 30.0 | 25.75 | 1906 | +19.6 |
| 2 | Thornton, FilipinaWFM | 1752 | MLT | −19B | +3N | =24B | +32N | +34B | +5B | +6N | 5.5 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 17.75 | 1778 | +4.4 |
| 3 | Wang, Yunlong | 1566 | MLT | =8N | −2B | +33N | +24N | +9B | +10B | =1N | 5.0 | 27.5 | 28.5 | 17.75 | 1819 | +80.0 |
| 4 | Buckle, Adam | 1736 | MLT | +24N | =29B | =20N | +8B | −5N | +12B | +7N | 5.0 | 23.5 | 26.0 | 18.50 | 1790 | +10.2 |
| 5 | Gauci, Gabriel | 1639 | MLT | +37B | +16N | +9B | −1N | +4B | −2N | =8N | 4.5 | 29.5 | 30.0 | 16.25 | 1725 | +23.2 |
| 6 | Farrugia, Alex | 1694 | MLT | +32N | +25B | +13N | =7B | +11N | −1N | −2B | 4.5 | 26.5 | 28.0 | 14.25 | 1745 | +11.0 |
| 7 | Refalo, Ian | 1680 | MLT | +36B | +19N | +15B | =6N | −1B | +21N | −4B | 4.5 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 14.25 | 1686 | +2.6 |
| 8 | Refalo, John | 1711 | MLT | =3B | +23N | +11B | −4N | +20B | =13N | =5B | 4.5 | 26.0 | 29.0 | 17.25 | 1761 | +20.4 |
| 9 | Licari, Claude | 1669 | MLT | +27N | +21B | −5N | +25B | −3N | =17B | +11N | 4.5 | 23.5 | 26.0 | 14.50 | 1616 | -7.0 |
| 10 | Ibrahim, Ayman | 1695 | MLT | +18B | −15N | +31B | =20N | +25B | −3N | +21B | 4.5 | 22.5 | 24.5 | 13.75 | 1597 | -14.0 |
| 11 | Azzopardi, Alfred | 1691 | MLT | +26N | +14B | −8N | +12B | −6B | +19N | −9B | 4.0 | 25.0 | 27.5 | 14.00 | 1614 | -12.0 |
| 12 | Reyansh, Keshav | 1597 | MLT | −1B | +30N | +16B | −11N | +32B | −4N | +22B | 4.0 | 24.0 | 25.5 | 10.50 | 1589 | -2.4 |
| 13 | Borda, Matthias | 1660 | MLT | +30B | +31N | −6B | =21N | +15B | =8B | −16N | 4.0 | 22.5 | 24.5 | 12.00 | 1713 | +11.2 |
| 14 | Borg, Nikol | 0 | MLT | +22B | −11N | −1B | −19N | +27B | +25N | +31B | 4.0 | 21.5 | 23.5 | 10.00 | 1606 | +4.0 |
| 15 | Scicluna, Tristan Jes | 1607 | MLT | +33N | +10B | −7N | −17B | −13N | +26B | +30N | 4.0 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 10.00 | 1562 | -12.0 |
| 16 | Zammit, Benjamin | 0 | MLT | F | −5B | −12N | +30N | +22B | +23N | +13B | 4.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 12.00 | 1671 | 0.0 |
| 17 | Muthukumar, Krishnan | 1692 | MLT | −31B | +36N | +35B | +15N | −21B | =9N | =19B | 4.0 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 10.00 | 1615 | -17.6 |
| 18 | Thornton, Hayley | 1489 | MLT | −10N | −33B | F | +37N | +24B | +30N | +29B | 4.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 7.50 | 1749 | +41.2 |
| 19 | Callus, Matthew | 1570 | MLT | +2N | −7B | −21N | +14B | +26N | −11B | =17N | 3.5 | 25.5 | 28.0 | 14.00 | 1651 | +21.2 |
| 20 | Portelli, MartinaWCM | 1611 | MLT | +35B | =1N | =4B | =10B | −8N | −22N | +24B | 3.5 | 25.5 | 26.5 | 11.25 | 1632 | +1.2 |
| 21 | Caruana, Thomas | 0 | MLT | +28B | −9N | +19B | =13B | +17N | −7B | −10N | 3.5 | 25.0 | 27.5 | 12.00 | 1656 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Gatt, Joseph | 1658 | MLT | −14N | +26B | −25N | +33B | −16N | +20B | −12N | 3.0 | 20.5 | 21.5 | 7.00 | 1538 | -12.6 |
| 23 | Catania, Francesco | 1699 | MLT | −25N | −8B | =27N | +38B | +28N | −16B | =26N | 3.0 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 5.00 | 1556 | -36.4 |
| 24 | McKellar, John | 1567 | MLT | −4B | +37N | =2N | −3B | −18N | +28B | −20N | 2.5 | 25.5 | 26.0 | 5.75 | 1438 | -21.4 |
| 25 | Calleja Falzon, Benjamin | 1493 | MLT | +23B | −6N | +22B | −9N | −10N | −14B | =37B | 2.5 | 23.5 | 24.0 | 6.25 | 1611 | +29.2 |
| 26 | Gauci, David | 1429 | MLT | −11B | −22N | +37B | +35N | −19B | −15N | =23B | 2.5 | 18.5 | 19.0 | 3.00 | 1279 | -13.8 |
| 27 | Azzopardi, Thomas | 0 | MLT | −9B | −28N | =23B | −36N | −14N | +33B | +32N | 2.5 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 4.00 | 1422 | 0.0 |
| 28 | Haber, Mario | 1622 | MLT | −21N | +27B | =32N | F | −23B | −24N | +35B | 2.5 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 4.25 | 1306 | -46.4 |
| 29 | Sammut, RonCM | 1600 | MLT | +34B | =4N | F | F | F | +32B | −18N | 2.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 5.00 | 1562 | -3.2 |
| 30 | Bonaci, Alfredo | 0 | MLT | −13N | −12B | +38N | −16B | +33N | −18B | −15B | 2.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 | 1.00 | 1333 | 0.0 |
| 31 | Briffa, Zachary | 1461 | MLT | +17N | −13B | −10N | F | +35B | F | −14N | 2.0 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 5.00 | 1558 | +13.6 |
| 32 | Vella, Brian | 1487 | MLT | −6B | +34N | =28B | −2B | −12N | −29N | −27B | 1.5 | 21.5 | 22.5 | 2.25 | 1287 | -31.6 |
| 33 | Micallef Trigona, Luke | 0 | MLT | −15B | +18N | −3B | −22N | −30B | −27N | F | 1.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 4.00 | 1387 | 0.0 |
| 34 | Pace, Dante | 0 | MLT | −29N | −32B | +36B | F | −2N | F | F | 1.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 1.00 | 1362 | 0.0 |
| 35 | Guillaumier, Ryan | 0 | MLT | −20N | +38B | −17N | −26B | −31N | F | −28N | 1.0 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 0.00 | 1285 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Vella, Wayne | 1404 | MLT | −7N | −17B | −34N | +27B | F | F | F | 1.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 2.50 | 887 | -13.2 |
| 37 | Busuttil Naudi, Stephen | 0 | MLT | −5N | −24B | −26N | −18B | F | F | =25N | 0.5 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 1.25 | 1162 | -96.8 |
| 38 | Mallia Milanes, Mario | 1511 | MLT | F | −35N | −30B | −23N | F | F | F | 0.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.00 | 899 | -10.4 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Wang, YunlongMLT+80.05.0 pts · #6
- 2Thornton, HayleyMLT+41.24.0 pts · #20
- 3Calleja Falzon, BenjaminMLT+29.22.5 pts · #22
Top rating losers
- 1Busuttil Naudi, StephenMLT-96.80.5 pts · #34
- 2Haber, MarioMLT-46.42.5 pts · #36
- 3Catania, FrancescoMLT-36.43.0 pts · #18
Biggest upsets
- R1+231 Elo gap
- R1+206 Elo gap
- R1+182 Elo gap