Three simultaneous events in Timişoara
The 2026 Romanian Chess Championships concluded after nine days of play in Timişoara, with titles decided in the Open, Women’s and Amateurs sections. The competition ran from 14 to 22 February and consisted of three nine-round Swiss tournaments played at classical time control, with the standings settled only in the final rounds.
Top seed Bogdan-Daniel Deac secured his second national title, adding to his 2021 victory. He entered the tournament as the top seed and finished first with 7½/9, following a tournament marked by several changes at the top of the leaderboard.
This “60 Minutes” is aimed at providing the reader with a guide to positional and strategic play in the middlegame.Deac made a strong start with four consecutive wins, but was later joined at the top of the standings by third seed David Gavrilescu (after round five) and by fourth seed Filip Magold (after round seed). Deac regained sole first place with a key penultimate-round win over Artium Vedmediuc. A draw in the final round proved sufficient to clinch gold.
Filip Magold and second seed Constantin Lupulescu both scored 7/9, with Magold taking silver on tiebreaks and Lupulescu finishing third.
Constantin Lupulescu (bronze), Bogdan Deac (gold) and Filip Magold (silver) reached the podium in the open championship | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation
Deac 1-0 Gavrilescu
Round 6
Final standings
All available games
Women’s section
In the women’s championship, 47-year-old Corina-Isabela Peptan claimed her 13th national crown. After a steady start, she put together a decisive winning streak in the middle of the event to move into the lead, which she then maintained through a series of draws in the closing rounds to finish on 7/9.
The Jobava London System is a minor form of the London System. White tries to play Lf4 quickly followed by Nc3.Andreea-Mărioara Cosman placed second with 6½ points, while Elena-Luminița Cosma completed the podium on 6 points, prevailing on tiebreaks.
Elena Cosma (bronze), Corina Peptan (gold) and Andreea Cosman (silver) made it to the podium places in the women’s tournament | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation
Final standings
All available games
Amateurs section
The Amateurs tournament was won by Răzvan‑Cătălin Tudoroiu, who led the field with 8 points. Ștefan Fabian Mazilu followed on 7½, while Janos Helmer finished third with 7 points.
The closing ceremony featured a formal prize-giving for all podium finishers. The championships were organised under the auspices of the Romanian Chess Federation, with support from local authorities and national partners.
The playing hall in Timişoara, the main economic, social and cultural centre in western Romania | Photo: Romanian Chess Federation
This video course is aimed as a tactical guide for Black, featuring the most typical combinations for the French structures.