The 2026 World Youth Chess Championship is heading into its final two rounds in Montesilvano, Italy, with the under-14, under-16 and under-18 categories still undecided in both the open and girls’ sections. The event, which has brought together more than 700 young players at the Congress Center Pala Dean Martin, will crown its new champions after 11 Swiss-system rounds.
Montesilvano Takes Center Stage in World Youth Chess
The 2026 World Youth Chess Championship is being held in Montesilvano from June 14 to 27, with the opening day reserved for arrivals and the final day for departures. The competition is organized by FIDE, the Italian Chess Federation and UniChess, with players registered through national federations affiliated with FIDE.
The event features six age-group tournaments: under-14, under-16 and under-18, each divided into open and girls’ sections. All competitions are played over 11 Swiss-system rounds, without national ratings being used for pairings.
The time control follows FIDE regulations: each player receives 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, 30 additional minutes for the rest of the game and a 30-second increment from move one. With two rounds still to play, the standings show several categories heading toward a highly competitive finish.
The under-18 open section enters the final stage with an especially tight situation at the top. Louis Vallee, who went into round nine as the sole leader, was defeated by Anthony Atanasov and joined a group of six players tied for first place on 7 points out of 9.
Vallee remains ahead on tiebreaks, followed by Atanasov and Javier Habans Aguerrea, who also have 7 points. Zhang Zhi, Bennet Hagner and Emanuel Kot complete the group of co-leaders, all on the same score before the two decisive rounds.
Behind them, Georgijs Germanovs, Vache Hovakimyan, Alberto Atoyan and Filip Magold stand on 6.5 points, still within reach of the leading places. The packed standings at the top make the under-18 open one of the most unpredictable sections of the championship.
Valeria Kleymenova Builds a Clear Lead in the Under-18 Girls’ Section
In the under-18 girls’ section, Valeria Kleymenova reaches the final rounds as the clear leader with 8.5 points from 9 games. Her advantage is significant over the chasing group, led by Pratitee Bordoloi, Leila Tabermakova and Darya Efimova, all on 7 points.
Zarina Nurgaliyeva is fifth with 6.5 points, level with Erdenebayar Khuslen, Iren Lyutsinger, Wang Qinxuanyi and Anais Chloe Fiset. The standings place Kleymenova in a very favorable position, although two rounds remain in a long and demanding tournament.
The upper part of the under-18 girls’ table has created a clear gap between the leader and her closest challengers, but the fight for the podium remains open thanks to the number of players grouped on 7 and 6.5 points.
Khagan Ahmad Leads the Under-16 Open After Nine Rounds
In the under-16 open section, Khagan Ahmad holds first place with 7.5 points, half a point ahead of a strong chasing group. Oleksii Karvatskyi, Alexandro Beliman and Felix-Antonio Ilinca follow on 7 points, keeping the title race very much alive.
The standings also feature a crowded group on 6.5 points. Henry Edward Tudor, Alexandr E. Volodin, Krishna H Goutham, Dong Hongfu, Gleb Scheglov, Artem S. Lebedev, Ege Tuna Oktem, Colin Federer and Sauat Nurgaliyev are all part of that pack and still have chances to climb in the final two rounds.
Round nine also produced a notable moment in this category: China’s Dong Hongfu lost with the white pieces in the under-16 open section, a result that left him in the 6.5-point group but prevented him from moving closer to the lead before the final stretch.
Jiang Tianyu Sets the Pace in the Under-16 Girls’ Section
Jiang Tianyu leads the under-16 girls’ standings with 8 points from 9 rounds, one full point ahead of her nearest challengers. Elnaz Kaliakhmet, Lala Huseynova, Polina A. Smirnova, Veranika Abramkina and Jemaicah Yap Mendoza are all on 7 points, forming a large group still firmly in the medal race.
Rachael Li, Mariya Kholyavko, Kesaria Mgeladze and Anja Beber follow on 6.5 points. The section remains competitive, although Jiang Tianyu’s advantage gives her a strong position going into the final two rounds.
The under-16 girls’ section is one of the most intense battles at the top, with several players separated by narrow margins and tiebreaks likely to play an important role if the standings remain tight until the final round.
Mark Smirnov Heads the Under-14 Open Standings
In the under-14 open category, Mark Smirnov leads with 7.5 points after nine rounds. His position at the top comes in a section with many contenders close behind, as Ethan Guo, Antoni Radzimski, Patrick Liu, Danis Kuandykuly and Artem T. Mamikonyan all follow on 7 points.
The gap between first place and the chasing group is minimal, keeping the title race fully open. Tyhran Ambartsumian, David Lacan Rus, Andrei Negrean, Damir Bulgak, Shaunak Badole, Aldiyar Zharas, Ted Wang and Siddhanth Poonja are all on 6.5 points, forming a broad upper group.
The under-14 open therefore remains a tightly packed section, with a sole leader but several rivals ready to take advantage of any slip in the final rounds.
Zahra Allahverdi Leads the Under-14 Girls’ Section
Zahra Allahverdi goes into the final two rounds as the sole leader of the under-14 girls’ section with 7.5 points. Laurie Qiu, Shuang Wu, Blanka Ejsymont, Tuana Abak and Batkhishigt Enkhnamuun follow on 7 points, just half a point behind.
The medal race remains extremely close. Sarvinoz Begmuratova, Lazizabonu Komiljonova, Alicia Kovalskyy and Milana Gailevska have 6.5 points and remain within striking distance of the top before the tournament concludes.
Allahverdi stands out as one of the key players of the round after staying ahead in her category, but the narrow gap to her pursuers keeps the under-14 girls’ event among the most competitive sections of the championship.
A Venue Hosting More Than 700 Players and a Major International Atmosphere
The Congress Center Pala Dean Martin in Montesilvano has welcomed more than 700 young chess players during the World Youth Championship. The venue is located in the province of Pescara, in Italy’s Abruzzo region, on the Adriatic coast and north of the city of Pescara.
The event has also included ceremonial moments during the rounds. Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee and a former canoeist who represented Italy at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, made the ceremonial first move in round eight. In round nine, Marat Yessenov, vice-president of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, made the ceremonial first move on the top board of the under-14 open section, in the game between Danis Kuandykuly and Mark Smirnov, both representing Kazakhstan.
With two rounds left to play, the 2026 World Youth Chess Championship enters its decisive phase with several narrow leads, six tournaments still in progress and a broad international field competing across the under-14, under-16 and under-18 categories.
