Vahap Şanal and Team Türkiye Triumph at 36th NATO Chess Championship

A Dominant Performance in Jūrmala

JŪRMALA, LATVIA — GM Vahap Şanal and Team Türkiye claimed victory at the 36th NATO Chess Championship, held at the Baltic Beach Hotel & SPA from 11 to 17 October 2026. The seven-round Swiss tournament brought together 148 military chess players representing 18 NATO member nations.

The top seed and the only grandmaster in the field, Şanal entered as the pre-tournament favourite and delivered a flawless performance, scoring a remarkable 7 out of 7 to seal the individual title.

Individual Podium

IM Laura Unuk of Slovenia finished as runner-up with a score of 6/7, also earning the distinction of best woman in the competition. Unuk was the fifth seed and, due to pairing circumstances, never faced Şanal during the event.

A six-player group tied for third place on 5.5/7. FM Robert Stein of Germany secured the bronze medal on superior Buchholz tiebreak score.

Team Competition

Türkiye won the team event with 23.5 points, calculated from the sum of the four best individual scores by players representing each country. Germany took silver with 20 points, while Sweden and the host nation Latvia shared the bronze medal on 19 points each, with Sweden prevailing on tiebreaks.

Blitz Tournament

The championship also featured a nine-round blitz event, won by IM Mark Timmermans of the Netherlands with 7.5/9. Timmermans edged out FM Robert Stein and FM Efe Mert Kılıç of Türkiye in a tight three-way battle; all three players scored equal points, but Timmermans claimed first on tiebreaks.

Event Highlights

• GM Vahap Şanal (Türkiye) — 7/7, individual champion
• IM Laura Unuk (Slovenia) — 6/7, runner-up and top woman
• FM Robert Stein (Germany) — 5.5/7, bronze medalist on tiebreaks
• Team Türkiye — 23.5 points, team champions
• IM Mark Timmermans (Netherlands) — 7.5/9, blitz champion

Source

This report is based on information published by FIDE — International Chess Federation.

Official source: https://www.fide.com/vahap-sanal-and-team-turkiye-trimph-at-36th-nato-chess-championship/