78th Russian Chess Championship
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Time Control
90 min / 40 moves + 30 min + 30" increment (from move 1)
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Moscow, Russia |
| Date | 1–12 October 2025 |
| Format | Single Round-robin (11 rounds) Time Control 90 min / 40 moves + 30 min + 30" increment (from move 1) |
| Venue | Central Chess Club |
| Participants | 12 (open) + 12 (women) |
| Final positions | |
| Champion | Open: Arseniy Nesterov Women: Anna Shukhman |
The 78th Russian Chess Championship (Russian: 78-й чемпионат России по шахматам), also known as the Superfinal of the 78th Russian Championship, was a chess tournament held in Moscow, Russia.[1] It took place at the Central Chess Club and ran from 30 September to 13 October 2025, with the 11 rounds played from 1 to 12 October (rest day on 7 October).[2] Games started at 3 PM Moscow time.
Arseniy Nesterov won his first Russian Championship title with 6½/11 points, remaining undefeated (+2 =9).
The 75th Russian Women's Chess Championship was held concurrently as a separate 11-round round-robin.
Crosstable
| Pos | Player | Title | Fed | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pts | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arseniy Nesterov | GM | FID | 2584 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 6½ | 2654 |
| 2 | Daniil Dubov | GM | RUS | 2684 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6 | 2616 |
| 3 | Andrey Esipenko | GM | RUS | 2693 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6 | 2615 |
| 4 | Vadim Zvjaginsev | GM | RUS | 2528 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6 | 2630 |
| 5 | Vladislav Artemiev | GM | RUS | 2646 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 5½ | 2583 |
| 6 | Pavel Ponkratov | GM | RUS | 2586 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 5½ | 2589 |
| 7 | Vladimir Malakhov | GM | FID | 2643 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 2584 |
| 8 | Savva Vetokhin | GM | FID | 2569 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 2590 |
| 9 | Artem Uskov | GM | FID | 2498 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5½ | 2597 |
| 10 | Ilia Iljiushenok | GM | FID | 2514 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2559 |
| 11 | Ivan Zemlyanskii | GM | RUS | 2596 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | 0 | 4½ | 2523 |
| 12 | Sergei Lobanov | GM | FID | 2526 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 4½ | 2529 |
Schedule and results by round
The tournament was contested as a single round-robin over 11 rounds with one rest day. All rounds started at 15:00 Moscow time.
Open section
Round 1 (1 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Iljiushenok, Ilia | 1–0 | 37 | D38 | QGD Ragozin |
| Dubov, Daniil | Lobanov, Sergei | ½–½ | 41 | A05 | Various |
| Esipenko, Andrey | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 41 | C50 | Giuoco Piano |
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Vetokhin, Savva | ½–½ | 26 | A00 | Irregular Openings |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Malakhov, Vladimir | ½–½ | 15 | C45 | Scotch Game |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Uskov, Artem | 0–1 | 67 | C60 | Ruy Lopez |
Round 2 (2 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Ponkratov, Pavel | 1–0 | 41 | C47 | Four Knights |
| Malakhov, Vladimir | Zemlyanskii, Ivan | 1–0 | 39 | A05 | Various |
| Vetokhin, Savva | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 47 | D30 | Queen's Gambit |
| Uskov, Artem | Nesterov, Arseniy | ½–½ | 34 | A08 | Barcza System |
| Iljiushenok, Ilia | Dubov, Daniil | ½–½ | 40 | D90 | Grünfeld |
| Lobanov, Sergei | Esipenko, Andrey | ½–½ | 51 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
Round 3 (3 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Malakhov, Vladimir | ½–½ | 33 | D11 | Slav Defence |
| Dubov, Daniil | Uskov, Artem | 1–0 | 80 | A05 | Various |
| Esipenko, Andrey | Iljiushenok, Ilia | ½–½ | 40 | C42 | Petroff's Defence |
| Artemiev, Vladislav | Lobanov, Sergei | 1–0 | 50 | D38 | QGD Ragozin |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Vetokhin, Savva | 1–0 | 37 | C92 | Ruy Lopez Chigorin |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Zvjaginsev, Vadim | ½–½ | 64 | A30 | English Symmetrical |
Round 4 (4 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Nesterov, Arseniy | ½–½ | 19 | C01 | French Exchange |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Zemlyanskii, Ivan | 0–1 | 49 | C88 | Ruy Lopez Closed |
| Malakhov, Vladimir | Dubov, Daniil | ½–½ | 26 | A49 | King's Indian |
| Vetokhin, Savva | Lobanov, Sergei | ½–½ | 41 | D30 | Queen's Gambit |
| Uskov, Artem | Esipenko, Andrey | ½–½ | 40 | A13 | Réti Opening |
| Iljiushenok, Ilia | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 40 | D36 | QGD Exchange |
Round 5 (5 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Ponkratov, Pavel | ½–½ | 27 | D86 | Grünfeld Simagin |
| Dubov, Daniil | Zvjaginsev, Vadim | ½–½ | 42 | C67 | Ruy Lopez Berlin |
| Esipenko, Andrey | Malakhov, Vladimir | 1–0 | 38 | C53 | Giuoco Piano |
| Artemiev, Vladislav | Uskov, Artem | ½–½ | 41 | A29 | English Four Knights |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Vetokhin, Savva | 0–1 | 45 | E06 | Catalan |
| Lobanov, Sergei | Iljiushenok, Ilia | ½–½ | 41 | A33 | English Symmetrical |
Round 6 (6 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Esipenko, Andrey | ½–½ | 40 | B30 | Sicilian Rossolimo |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Dubov, Daniil | ½–½ | 47 | D33 | Tarrasch Defence |
| Malakhov, Vladimir | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 31 | A06 | Zukertort Opening |
| Vetokhin, Savva | Iljiushenok, Ilia | ½–½ | 50 | E60 | King's Indian |
| Uskov, Artem | Lobanov, Sergei | 1–0 | 61 | C50 | Giuoco Piano |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Nesterov, Arseniy | ½–½ | 41 | C42 | Petroff's Defence |
Round 7 (8 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Vetokhin, Savva | 1–0 | 41 | E06 | Catalan Opening |
| Dubov, Daniil | Zemlyanskii, Ivan | ½–½ | 41 | A16 | English Opening |
| Esipenko, Andrey | Ponkratov, Pavel | ½–½ | 68 | B90 | Sicilian Najdorf |
| Artemiev, Vladislav | Zvjaginsev, Vadim | ½–½ | 60 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
| Iljiushenok, Ilia | Uskov, Artem | ½–½ | 42 | E21 | Nimzo-Indian Defence |
| Lobanov, Sergei | Malakhov, Vladimir | ½–½ | 39 | D15 | Slav Defence |
Round 8 (9 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Dubov, Daniil | ½–½ | 37 | A41 | Modern Defence |
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Lobanov, Sergei | ½–½ | 27 | C47 | Four Knights Game |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 63 | C67 | Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence |
| Malakhov, Vladimir | Iljiushenok, Ilia | ½–½ | 40 | A38 | English Opening |
| Vetokhin, Savva | Uskov, Artem | ½–½ | 32 | E17 | Queen's Indian Defence |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Esipenko, Andrey | ½–½ | 33 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
Round 9 (10 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubov, Daniil | Vetokhin, Savva | ½–½ | 44 | A00 | Irregular Opening |
| Esipenko, Andrey | Nesterov, Arseniy | ½–½ | 51 | C42 | Petroff's Defence |
| Artemiev, Vladislav | Zemlyanskii, Ivan | 0–1 | 71 | A34 | English Opening |
| Uskov, Artem | Malakhov, Vladimir | 0–1 | 54 | A07 | Barcza System |
| Iljiushenok, Ilia | Zvjaginsev, Vadim | ½–½ | 30 | C45 | Scotch Game |
| Lobanov, Sergei | Ponkratov, Pavel | 0–1 | 68 | A29 | English Four Knights |
Round 10 (11 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nesterov, Arseniy | Artemiev, Vladislav | ½–½ | 47 | D38 | QGD Ragozin |
| Dubov, Daniil | Esipenko, Andrey | ½–½ | 41 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
| Zvjaginsev, Vadim | Uskov, Artem | ½–½ | 21 | A20 | English Opening |
| Ponkratov, Pavel | Iljiushenok, Ilia | ½–½ | 41 | A33 | English Symmetrical |
| Vetokhin, Savva | Malakhov, Vladimir | 1–0 | 68 | D00 | Queen's Pawn Game |
| Zemlyanskii, Ivan | Lobanov, Sergei | 0–1 | 39 | C53 | Giuoco Piano |
Round 11 (12 October 2025)
| White | Black | Result | Moves | ECO | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esipenko, Andrey | Vetokhin, Savva | ½–½ | 36 | D35 | QGD Exchange Variation |
| Artemiev, Vladislav | Dubov, Daniil | ½–½ | 42 | D31 | Semi-Slav Defence |
| Malakhov, Vladimir | Zvjaginsev, Vadim | ½–½ | 28 | A49 | King's Indian Defence |
| Uskov, Artem | Ponkratov, Pavel | ½–½ | 45 | A13 | Réti Opening |
| Iljiushenok, Ilia | Zemlyanskii, Ivan | ½–½ | 52 | E60 | King's Indian Defence |
| Lobanov, Sergei | Nesterov, Arseniy | ½–½ | 33 | D38 | QGD Ragozin |
Nesterov remained undefeated throughout the event and secured the title in the final round.
Women's section
The 75th Russian Women's Chess Championship was held concurrently in Moscow with the same schedule and format (11 rounds, 12 players). Anna Shukhman (aged 16, WGM) won the title with 7/10 points, half a point ahead of Leya Garifullina and Daria Charochkina. Shukhman secured victory by defeating Garifullina in the final round (the first game to finish that round). Alisa Galliamova withdrew around the halfway stage due to health reasons, and her results were annulled.[1]
Crosstable
| Rk | Player | Title | Fed | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Shukhman | WGM | RUS | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | (+) | 7 |
| 2 | Leya Garifullina | IM | RUS | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | -1 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Daria Charochkina | IM | RUS | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | -1 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Polina Shuvalova | IM | RUS | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | (+) | 6 |
| 5 | Ekaterina Goltseva | WGM | RUS | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | (+) | 5.5 |
| 6 | Ekaterina Kovalevskaya | IM | RUS | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | (½) | 5 |
| 7 | Anastasia Bodnaruk | IM | RUS | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | * | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | (+) | 4.5 |
| 8 | Olga Girya | GM | RUS | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | (+) | 4.5 |
| 9 | Valentina Gunina | GM | RUS | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| 10 | Margarita Potapova | WIM | RUS | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | * | ½ | -1 | 3.5 |
| 11 | Yana Zhapova | WGM | RUS | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | (+) | 2 |
| 12 | Alisa Galliamova | IM | RUS | (-) | 0 | 0 | (-) | (-) | (½) | (-) | (-) | 0 | 0 | (-) | * | 0 |
Note: (+) and (-) notations reflect adjustments due to Galliamova's withdrawal.
Prize fund
The total prize fund for the superfinals was 11 million RUB. Each Russian champion (open and women's) received a LADA car from JSC AvtoVAZ, the official automobile partner of the event.[3]