Romanian Championship 2026: Deac and Peptan Crowned National Champions
The 2026 Romanian Chess Championship delivered exciting battles and strong performances. Grandmasters and rising talents competed for national glory. In the end, Bogdan-Daniel Deac and Corina-Isabela Peptan emerged as champions.
The tournament was held in Timișoara from February 14 to 22, 2026. The event featured three sections:
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Open
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Women
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Amateurs
All sections followed a 9-round Swiss format with classical time control.
Open Section: Deac Wins His Second National Title
Top seed Bogdan-Daniel Deac proved why he was the favorite. But the journey was not easy. He started strongly. He won his first four games in a row. He quickly took the sole lead. However, GM David Gavrilescu caught up with him in the next round.
The competition became intense. After Round 7, Deac was tied for first place again. This time, he shared the lead with IM Filip Magold.
The Turning Point
In the penultimate round, Deac defeated FM Artiom Vedmediuc. This was a crucial win. At the same time, Magold drew his game against GM Constantin Lupulescu. Deac entered the final round with a half-point lead.
In the last game, he drew with IM Henry Edward Tudor. That draw was enough. He finished with 7.5/9 and secured his second Romanian national title. His first title came in 2021. Magold and Lupulescu both scored 7/9. Magold claimed silver due to better tiebreaks.
Women’s Section: Peptan’s 13th National Crown 👑
Top seed Corina-Isabela Peptan once again showed her class. She won four consecutive games between Rounds 3 and 6. That winning streak gave her the lead. From there, she stayed in control. She drew her final three games.
That was enough to secure her incredible 13th Romanian Women’s Championship title. IM Andreea-Marioara Cosman finished just half a point behind and took silver. WGM Elena-Luminita Cosma completed the podium. She edged out four players thanks to a better Buchholz score.
Amateur Section
In the Amateur category, Răzvan-Cătălin Tudoroiu claimed first place. This section also saw strong competition and impressive performances from developing players.
A Memorable Romanian Championship 2026
The 2026 Romanian Championship showed the depth of chess talent in Romania.
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Deac confirmed his position as one of Romania’s top grandmasters.
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Peptan strengthened her legendary status with a 13th title.
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Young and experienced players battled fiercely across all sections.
The tournament in Timișoara will be remembered as a celebration of Romanian chess excellence.
Photos: Federatia Romana de Sah, FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
