Report
The Rodos Palace International Open 2026 concluded with its awards ceremony at the Rodos Palace. After a ten-day event featuring nine rounds and 90 entries, the winners received their trophies and prizes in a room filled with players, families and members of the organising team.
GM Wan Yunguo took first place on 8.5/9, finishing level with GM Zeng Chongsheng before edging him on Buchholz Cut 1. Ahmet Unal Gurel finished third on 7 points. FM Rodolfos Stamatiou was fourth and the highest-placed Greek player on 6.5/9.
In Group B, Soumela Athanasiou took first place on tiebreaks. Ioannis Nikitakis, Myrto Korinioti and Polychronis Perrakis also completed the tournament on 6 points. The ceremony also recognised the winners of the women’s, youth and senior categories.
Final podium
-
01
GM Wan Yunguo China · 8.5/9
-
02
GM Zeng Chongsheng China · 8.5/9
-
03
Ahmet Unal Gurel Türkiye · 7/9
The Chinese delegation on the tournament and Rhodes
After the ceremony, the four-member Chinese delegation spoke about its experience at the Rodos Palace Chess Open. The team consisted of GMs Wan Yunguo and Zeng Chongsheng, WIM Zhao Yunqing and Yuxin Du.
Yuxin Du, who answered most of the questions in English on behalf of the group, said that the players were very happy to be in Rhodes, felt comfortable at the venue and were grateful for the organisation of the tournament.
Champion GM Wan Yunguo, answering through his teammates’ translation, singled out his win against Kagan Torun in Round 8 as his most memorable game. It was one of the key encounters on his path to the title, as Wan won with Black on the top board and retained the lead going into the final round.
It was the team’s first visit to Rhodes. Although the playing schedule left little time for sightseeing, the players said they would remember the beautiful surroundings and the food.
The Final Move
The official tournament film runs for 5 minutes and 42 seconds and follows the full story of the event, from the opening moves to the final round and the awards ceremony. The Final Move is available with English captions and features the original song “We Came to Play”.