- GM Sina Movahed won his third Titled Tuesday of 2026 and fourth of his career on September 15
- Movahed finished with 9.5/11 points, tying with GM Vincent Keymer but winning on tiebreaks
- GM Zhamsaran Tsydypov completed the podium in third place with a 9/11 score
- A tactical decision in round 10 proved decisive in Movahed’s path to victory
Movahed Edges Keymer in Thrilling Finish
Chess.com’s Titled Tuesday tournament delivered compelling competition on September 15, as GM Sina Movahed secured first place in a closely contested battle. The grandmaster matched the score of second-place finisher GM Vincent Keymer at 9.5 points out of 11 rounds, but superior tiebreak performance gave Movahed the title and the $2,500 first-place prize.
Early Leaders Fall Behind
The tournament’s opening rounds saw several players reach perfection early, but neither eventual champion Movahed nor runner-up Keymer were among them. Both players stumbled in the third round, with Movahed accepting a draw and Keymer suffering an outright loss. GM Zhamsaran Tsydypov emerged as an early force, managing back-to-back 4/4 streaks through the opening rounds and maintaining a perfect record heading into the second half of the competition.
By the end of round six, only Tsydypov and defending champion GM Liem Le remained undefeated. The perfect score bounty, unclaimed once again, increased to $4,250 for the following week.
Tsydypov’s Perfection Crumbles
The seventh round delivered a critical moment when Le, pressing for victory against Tsydypov, lost control of the position and flagged on the clock. Tsydypov preserved his unblemished record, but his lead proved tenuous. By round eight, after Tsydypov lost to GM Haik Martirosyan, the early leader found himself one point behind, with both Movahed and Keymer closing ground.
The ninth round saw a cascade of dramatic finishes. GM Andy Woodward, playing White against Tsydypov, appeared to be winning but inexplicably allowed a threefold repetition. This decision allowed Movahed, Matlakov, and IM Tobias Koelle to move within striking distance as the tournament entered its final two rounds.
Decisive Round 10
Round 10 proved to be the tournament’s turning point. A critical tactical moment—one that GM Robert Hess had demonstrated earlier on the broadcast—nearly materialized on the board and gave Movahed the edge he needed. The eventual champion defeated Tsydypov to seize the sole lead while Keymer kept pace, winning against GM Alireza Firouzja.
Final Round Dramatics
The eleventh and final round set the stage for a tense conclusion. Movahed faced GM Vladislav Artemiev in what became a critical encounter, while Keymer played IM Tobias Koelle. Both players with 9 points chased the leaders, and the tiebreak scenarios remained uncertain until the final moves were played.
Movahed, despite holding an extra pawn, was forced to accept a draw due to time pressure. Keymer, meanwhile, converted his winning position against Koelle. The final results left both grandmasters tied at 9.5 points, but Movahed’s superior tiebreak score—specifically his Buchholz score of 71 compared to Keymer’s 66—secured him the victory.
Tsydypov finished in third place with 9 points, rounded out by a strong group that included Artemiev, Nepomniachtchi, Matlakov, and Pranav Venkatesh, all also scoring 9 points and splitting various prize allocations.
About Titled Tuesday
Titled Tuesday is Chess.com’s weekly tournament open exclusively to titled players. The event takes place every week at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, drawing some of the world’s strongest grandmasters to compete for both prize money and bragging rights in rapid-format competition.