Round 7 of the 2026 Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament, held in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, from March 25 to 31, has been completed. One of the notable open events on the European chess calendar, the tournament has once again brought together many strong grandmasters and titled players this year. With the final two rounds approaching, the battle near the top of the standings, as well as norm and placement calculations, has become even more significant.

The standings after round 7

Among the Turkish representatives, GM Vahap Sanal is in the strongest position after seven rounds. Sanal remains in contention with 5.5 points, while GM Emre Can and GM Mustafa Yilmaz continue their pursuit with 5 points each. In open tournaments, especially as the event nears its final rounds, even half-point differences can directly affect pairings and the overall standings, which makes every result especially important for our players.

Tournaments of this kind, played under the Swiss system, turn every round into a separate test because of the strength of the field. The Reykjavik Open, in particular, is staged in a city with a strong chess tradition and each year features tough competition due to the experienced players coming from many different countries. For that reason, being on 5 points or more after seven rounds means staying firmly in the race before the closing stretch.

Round 8 of the tournament will begin today, Monday, March 30, at 16:00 local time, which corresponds to 19:00 in Türkiye. The results of this round will go a long way toward determining where our representatives finish before the final round is played tomorrow. We wish our players competing in Reykjavik the best of success in this critical final stretch.