Xu Xiangyu and Yan Tianqi Crowned Chinese Chess Champions 2026

Xinghua Continues Its Chess Tradition

Xinghua is well known in the chess world as the hometown of Hou Yifan, the former women’s world number one and four-time women’s world champion.

This was the 18th straight year that Xinghua hosted the national championship since 2009. For the second consecutive year, the tournament used an 11-round Swiss format instead of the traditional round-robin system.

The total prize fund was 500,000 RMB (around 73,500 USD). The Open champion received 120,000 RMB, while the Women’s champion earned 80,000 RMB.

Open Section: Xu Xiangyu Wins His First National Title

The Open event featured 66 players, including nine Grandmasters. The tournament remained very close throughout the event. After Round 8, 17-year-old IM Kong Xiangrui became the sole leader.

Top seed Xu Xiangyu caught up in Round 9. Both players entered the final round tied on 7.5 points. In the last round, Xu defeated GM Li Di. Meanwhile, Kong Xiangrui managed to save a difficult draw against IM Lou Yiping.

Xu Xiangyu finished with 8.5 points after scoring six wins and five draws. This became his first Chinese national championship title after previously finishing second in 2023 and third in both 2022 and 2024.

His victory also secured his first appearance for China at the Chess Olympiad.

Final Open Standings

• 🥇 Xu Xiangyu – 8.5 points
• 🥈 Kong Xiangrui – 8 points
• 🥉 Xu Yinglun – 8 points

Kong Xiangrui also achieved his first GM norm with an impressive 2604 performance rating. Another rising talent, 15-year-old Xie Jiaxiang, earned an IM norm during the event.

Women’s Section: Yan Tianqi Takes the Crown

The Women’s event saw 24-year-old Yan Tianqi score 8.5 points with seven wins, three draws, and only one loss. She captured her first Chinese women’s national title and also earned her first place on China’s Olympiad team.

Yan delivered an excellent 2416 performance rating. She already had two WGM norms before the tournament but narrowly missed completing her final WGM norm because she did not play enough games against WGMs.

Final Women’s Standings

• 🥇 Yan Tianqi – 8.5 points
• 🥈 Chen Yining – 8 points
• 🥉 Wang Qinxuanyi – 7.5 points

Top seed Xiao Yiyi also scored 7.5 points but finished fourth on tie-breaks.

Norm Achievements and Young Talents Shine

Several young players achieved important title norms during the championship.

• Chen Yining earned a 9-game WGM norm
• Bai Xue achieved an 11-game WIM norm
• Jiang Tianyu completed a 10-game WIM norm
• Wang Xiaoyan also secured a 10-game WIM norm

The championship once again highlighted the incredible depth of Chinese chess and the rise of a new generation of talented young stars.