1st Taj Academy International Chess Championship 2026
10 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 22 Apr 2026 to 26 Apr 2026 in Erbil, Iraq. 4 titled players. Top 10 Elo average was 1894, and top seed was Qassim Abbas Firas (🇮🇶 IRQ, 1971).
Namir Mohammed Ismael Ismael (🇮🇶 IRQ, CM, 1967) won with 8.0/9, ahead of chiya mder hamad (7.5) and Mohammed Ali MahdiAl-Kinani (6.5). Ismael won solo starting round 6.
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 10 · 9 roundsCM Namir Mohammed Ismael Ismael led from R6 onwards, the runner-up race stayed tight. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R6.
CM Namir Mohammed Ismael Ismael held the sole lead from R6 through R9 without losing it.
CM Namir Mohammed Ismael Ismael drew with chiya mder hamad (Black).
CM Namir Mohammed Ismael Ismael 7 wins (R1–R7)chiya mder hamad 3 wins (R5–R7)CM Mohammed Ali MahdiAl-Kinani 5 wins (R1–R5)
Cross-table
| # | Player | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts | SB | Bh | Δ Elo | Perf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇮🇶CMIsmael, Namir Mohammed Ismael | 1967 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8.0 | 29.00 | 36.0 | +50.2 | 2236 |
| 2 | 🇮🇶chiya mder hamad | 1951 | ½ | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.5 | 28.50 | 36.5 | +44.2 | 2160 |
| 3 | 🇮🇶CMMohammed Ali MahdiAl-Kinani | 1937 | ½ | 0 | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.5 | 21.50 | 37.5 | +28.2 | 2055 |
| 4 | 🇮🇶Pola Azad Saber | 1851 | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 0 | ½ | — | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | 17.25 | 39.5 | +20.8 | 1944 |
| 5 | 🇮🇶Firas, Qassim Abbas | 1971 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4.5 | 13.75 | 39.5 | -21.0 | 1885 |
| 6 | 🇮🇶WCMSara Masood Abdullah | 1825 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.5 | 13.25 | 40.5 | -1.2 | 1821 |
| 7 | 🇮🇶Esam, Naama Lafta | 1880 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3.0 | 7.50 | 41.0 | -15.6 | 1814 |
| 9 | 🇮🇶CMDyar, Jaza Bakir | 1900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 2.5 | 7.50 | 41.5 | -41.8 | 1727 |
| 8 | 🇮🇶Mohammed, Salh Mirxan | 1810 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 1 | 2.5 | 5.50 | 41.5 | -17.4 | 1737 |
| 10 | 🇮🇶Mohammed, Ismael | 1843 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 1.5 | 5.75 | 42.5 | -46.4 | 1626 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
- 1Ismael, Namir Mohammed IsmaelCMIRQ+50.28.0 pts · #1
- 2chiya mder hamadIRQ+44.27.5 pts · #2
- 3Mohammed Ali MahdiAl-KinaniCMIRQ+28.26.5 pts · #3
- 1Mohammed, IsmaelIRQ-46.41.5 pts · #10
- 2Dyar, Jaza BakirCMIRQ-41.82.5 pts · #9
- 3Firas, Qassim AbbasIRQ-21.04.5 pts · #5