First national triumphs in Warsaw
The 2026 Polish Chess Championship was held in Warsaw from March 22 to 30, producing new champions in both the open and women’s sections. GM Szymon Gumularz and IM Oliwia Kiolbasa captured the first Polish national titles of their careers, marking an important milestone in their development. As in the previous year, the event was played as a 10-player single round-robin with classical time control, a format that rewards consistency, preparation, and nerves over nine demanding rounds.
In the open section, Gumularz largely wrote the story of the tournament himself. The young grandmaster stormed out of the gates with five consecutive wins, creating a lead that effectively settled the race for first place before the finish. Although he drew his last four games, his advantage was never seriously threatened, and he secured the title in commanding fashion with 7/9, wrapping it up with a round to spare. Last year’s runner-up GM Jakub Kosakowski once again had to settle for silver, this time on 5.5/9. The battle for bronze was much tighter, with Łukasz Licznerski, Paweł Teclaf, and Radosław Wojtaszek all finishing on 5/9, Licznerski taking the podium place on tiebreak.
The women’s championship, by contrast, remained undecided until the very end. After losing in round one, Alicja Śliwicka recovered brilliantly with three straight victories and spent most of the event in first place. She entered the final round on 6/8, but with Oliwia Kiolbasa only half a point behind, the title race was still completely open. The decisive twist came in the last round: Śliwicka was defeated by 2025 champion Klaudia Kulon, while Kiolbasa scored a vital win against Maria Siekańska to claim the championship with 6.5/9. Notably, the new champion finished the event with five consecutive victories, underlining the strength and timing of her late surge.
In the women’s section, top seed Alina Kashlinskaya, veteran standout Monika Socko, and Śliwicka shared second place on 6/9. On tiebreak, Kashlinskaya received silver while Śliwicka took bronze. Taken together, the results highlighted both the depth and the generational momentum of Polish chess. Gumularz’s authority in the open field and Kiolbasa’s poise under final-round pressure offered a reminder that national championships remain among the most meaningful tests in a player’s career.