World Youth Chess Championships conclude in grand style

Written by Niklesh Jain and Pavel Dvorkovich / Press release by FIDE

Photos by Mark Livshitz and Niklesh Jain

Montesilvano, Italy – After twelve memorable days of intense competition, the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 came to a spectacular conclusion, crowning six new World Youth Champions. A total of 758 players from 84 countries participated in the event, making it one of the strongest and most memorable editions of the championship.

The tournament produced everything that makes age-group chess so fascinating – brilliant victories, heartbreaking defeats, remarkable comebacks and countless unforgettable games. Once again, the championship demonstrated why predicting the winners in youth events is never easy. Success at this level depends not only on chess strength, but also on the ability to handle pressure and deliver when it matters most.

The closing ceremony was attended by Ottavio De Martinis, Mayor of Montesilvano; GM Roberto Mogranzini, Tournament Director; Ozgur Solakoglu, FIDE Delegate; IA Mohammad Alhallak, 1st Vice President of the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC); and Hisham Al Taher, General Secretary of the Asian Chess Federation. The dignitaries presented medals to the winners of both the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships and the World Chess Solving Championship.

Let us now take a look at the results in each category.

Tournament Director Roberto Mogranzini

Open Under-18

The Open Under-18 title was decided on tiebreaks after two Canadian players finished tied on 9 points. IM Anthony Atanasov claimed the World Championship thanks to his superior tiebreak score, while his compatriot IM Emanuel Kot had to settle for the silver medal. It marked one of Canada’s finest performances ever in a World Youth Championship. Spain’s IM Javier Habans Aguerrea took the bronze medal with 8 points.

Atanasov’s title-winning run included five consecutive victories in the closing rounds, with his final-round win over top seed IM Philipp Magold proving to be the decisive performance that secured him the World Championship victory.

🥇 IM Anthony Atanasov (Canada) – 9/11
🥈 IM Emanuel Kot (Canada) – 9/11
🥉 IM Javier Habans Aguerrea (Spain) – 8/11

Final standings

…131 players

Girls Under-18

This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.

The Girls Under-18 section saw two players stand out from the rest of the field throughout the tournament. WFM Valeria Kleymenova of FIDE secured the World Youth title with a round to spare, becoming the only player across all six categories to clinch the championship before the final round. She finished with an outstanding result of 10/11, scoring nine victories and two draws.

India’s WFM Pratitee Bordoloi claimed the silver medal with an unbeaten 9/11, recording seven wins and four draws in a remarkable performance. In the final round, Pratitee defeated Mongolia’s WFM Erdenebayar Khuslen to secure second place and India’s only medal of the championship.

The bronze medal went to China’s WIM Wang Qinxuanyi, who finished on 8 points. Wang secured third place on a tiebreak after holding the champion, Valeria Kleymenova, to a draw in the final round.

🥇 WFM Valeria Kleymenova (FIDE) – 10/11
🥈 WFM Pratitee Bordoloi (India) – 9/11
🥉 WIM Wang Qinxuanyi (China) – 8/11

Final standings

…104 players

Open Under-16

The Open Under-16 section witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes of the championship. Amid constantly changing leaders throughout the event, Azerbaijan’s IM Khagan Ahmad emerged as the World Champion after defeating FIDE’s Gleb Scheglov in the final and longest game of the tournament. This victory gave Ahmad 9½ points out of 11.

At one stage, Ahmad appeared to be in serious trouble, but he demonstrated outstanding resilience and technique. His two rooks and knight eventually outplayed his opponent’s queen and knight, allowing him to turn the tables and secure the title in impressive fashion.

Romania’s IM Henry Edward Tudor claimed the silver medal with 8½ points after defeating India’s IM Goutham Krishna H in the final round. Kazakhstan’s IM Sauat Nurgaliyev also finished on 8½ points and secured the bronze medal on a tiebreak after overcoming Ukraine’s FM Oleksii Karvatskyi in the last round.

🥇 IM Khagan Ahmad (Azerbaijan) – 9½/11
🥈 IM Henry Edward Tudor (Romania) – 8½/11
🥉 IM Sauat Nurgaliyev (Kazakhstan) – 8½/11

Final standings

…155 players

Girls Under-16

In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital.
After mastering positional play in Volume 1 and learning how to convert small advantages in Volume 2 of the Master Your Technique series, GM Mikhalchishin now presents Essential Techniques, covering topics from playing on the flank versus the center to maintaining tactical vigilance. In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital. He shows how top players apply it, but also how even grandmasters sometimes miss critical resources, highlighting the necessity of developing a strong “tactical sense.” This approach encompasses tactical vigilance and scanning for sacrifices, but is also highly relevant to the second part of the course, which focuses on more strategic elements such as the use of heavy pieces and endgame technique.
Free Video Sample: Simple Tactics
Free Video Sample: Mating Net: Ne7+ Qxh7 Rh5+

The Girls Under-16 section was won by FIDE’s WFM Veranika Abramkina, who produced a remarkable finish, winning her last four games under immense pressure to capture the World Youth title with 9 points.

Her most important win came in Round 10, where she defeated China’s Jiang Tianyu, who had entered the game with a one-point lead. That result completely changed the course of the tournament and put Abramkina in control of the title race.

Jiang Tianyu, who had led the standings for most of the championship and held the best tiebreaks going into the final round, could only manage a draw in her last game. She finished second with 8½ points. The bronze medal went to WIM Rachael Li of the United States, who also scored 8½ points but had inferior tiebreaks.

Interestingly, the three medal winners formed a perfect cycle during the tournament: Rachael Li defeated Jiang Tianyu, Jiang Tianyu beat Veranika Abramkina, while Veranika Abramkina defeated Rachael Li.

🥇 WFM Veranika Abramkina (FIDE) – 9/11
🥈 Jiang Tianyu (China) – 8½/11
🥉 WIM Rachael Li (USA) – 8½/11

Final standings

…107 players

Open Under-14

The Open Under-14 section proved to be one of the most fiercely contested events of the championship. Despite the young age of the participants, the level of competition was exceptionally high, and the final two rounds completely reshaped the medal race. The biggest surprise came when two-time age-group World Champion IM Mark Smirnov of Kazakhstan slipped out of medal contention altogether.

The turning point came in Round 9, in which Smirnov faced Poland’s FM Antoni Radzimski. In an almost equal position, Smirnov blundered a bishop under severe time pressure, a mistake that changed the course of the tournament. Boosted by this victory, Radzimski never looked back. In the final round, he defeated Armenia’s Artem T. Mamikonyan to finish on 9/11 and claim the World Youth title.

CM Damir Bulgak of FIDE secured the silver medal with 8½ points, while FM Ethan Guo of the United States claimed the bronze medal on tiebreak with 8 points.

🥇 FM Antoni Radzimski (Poland) – 9/11
🥈 CM Damir Bulgak (FIDE) – 8½/11
🥉 FM Ethan Guo (USA) – 8/11

Final standings

…151 players

Girls Under-14

In this course, we will learn how to identify passively placed pieces in any given situation and how to improve their health by bringing them into active squares.

The Girls Under-14 title was claimed by Azerbaijan’s Zahra Allahverdi in impressive fashion. Remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament, she scored seven victories and four draws to finish with 9 points, displaying remarkable consistency and maturity on her way to becoming the new World Youth Champion.

The silver medal went to WIM Laurie Qiu of the United States, who finished on 8½ points and edged out Türkiye’s Tuana Abak, who also scored 8½ points and had to settle for bronze.

🥇 Zahra Allahverdi (Azerbaijan) – 9/11
🥈 WIM Laurie Qiu (USA) – 8½/11
🥉 Tuana Abak (Türkiye) – 8½/11

Final standings

…110 players

Based on the overall performances across all six categories, Azerbaijan won the Best Federation Trophy, underlining the country’s outstanding showing throughout the championship. Canada finished in second place, while Poland secured third.

The trophies were received on behalf of their respective countries by the Heads of Delegation during the closing ceremony, bringing a fitting conclusion to another memorable edition of the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships.

Thus, the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships 2026 came to a colourful and memorable conclusion. The closing ceremony featured a vibrant cultural program with music, dance and singing performances, creating a festive atmosphere as players, officials, coaches and parents celebrated the end of twelve days of outstanding chess.

The event concluded on a high note, leaving participants with unforgettable memories both on and off the chessboard.

Photos by Mark Livshitz and Niklesh Jain