08/30/2026
Firouzja Wins Blitz, Mamedov Takes Rapid at Sofia Cup 2026
Balkan Rapid & Blitz Championships | Sofia, Bulgaria | August 29–30, 2026
Alireza Firouzja and Rauf Mamedov shared the top honours at Sofia Cup 2026, winning the blitz and rapid events respectively. Both players finished on the podium in each competition, making them the standout performers of the weekend. [Results and event report.
Held at Grand Hotel Sofia and organised by Chess Club “Maritza-Iztok,” the event brought international chess to the heart of Bulgaria’s capital. Gergana Kadieva served as tournament director, with IA Saša Jevtić as chief arbiter. Sunday’s blitz tournament featured 11 Swiss rounds at three minutes per player, plus a two-second increment per move.
Firouzja, representing France, claimed clear first place in the blitz with 9½/11. Türkiye’s Ediz Gürel finished second on tiebreak ahead of Azerbaijan’s Mamedov, both scoring 9/11.
The previous day, Mamedov had won a closely contested rapid tournament. He finished level with Firouzja and Greece’s Dimitris Alexakis on 7½/9, taking first place on tiebreak. Firouzja placed second and Alexakis third.
For the Bulgarian players, Momchil Petkov’s fifth place in the rapid was a notable achievement. He scored 7/9, finishing just half a point behind the three leaders.
Firouzja left Sofia with first and second places, while Mamedov secured first and third—a strong weekend for both across the two fast formats.
Salimova Leads the Women and the Bulgarian Field
Nurgyul Salimova delivered one of the standout performances of the blitz championship. Starting as the 62nd seed, the Bulgarian international master scored an impressive 8/11 to finish tenth overall, ahead of numerous grandmasters. She was both the highest-placed woman and the leading Bulgarian player—a major home success that deserves its place alongside the overall winners. Greece’s Stavroula Tsolakidou followed her in the women’s standings with 7½ points, ahead of Serbia’s Teodora Injac on seven.
