Tal’s Dark Forest

“Take your opponent into a deep dark forest”: won after the longest stretch at least three points down in material.

Ties: board order.

Updated 28 Sept 2026, 16:38 CEST

Record

13moves down

Round 11, three or more points down, moves 21–33FM Alexis Cahen MNC 20780againstCM Jaime Sonhy ANG 22331

Round by round

Round 1

7moves down

three or more points down, moves 17–23Ishmael Amnol PNG0againstCM S Sivathanujan SRI 21801

Wednesday 16 September

Round 2

8moves down

three or more points down, moves 33–40GM Casper Schoppen NED 25820againstIM Nikola Nikolovski MKD 23931

Thursday 17 September

Round 3

9moves down

three or more points down, moves 19–27Tevita Sootanga TGA0againstTimothy Kate SEY 17721

Friday 18 September

Round 4

Not awarded

Saturday 19 September

Round 5

6moves down

three or more points down, moves 52–57CM Sulaiman Ahmad Ashrafi AFG 20440againstKhaled waleed Abdullah YEM 20421

Sunday 20 September

Round 6

11moves down

three or more points down, moves 13–23Marc Arnold Amako CIV 19151againstDylan Flanagan BER 16720

Monday 21 September

Round 7

7moves down

Wednesday 23 September

Round 8

12moves down

three or more points down, moves 13–24David Jeetlall SKN 14880againstLesly Nompavos VAN 15421

Thursday 24 September

Round 9

9moves down

three or more points down, moves 32–40FM Simiyu Jadon KEN 21661againstFM Mashala Kabamwanishi COD 19400

Friday 25 September

Round 10

10moves down

three or more points down, moves 18–27FM Ivan Andrade MOZ 21651againstCM Hoolan Naipal MRI 18810

Saturday 26 September

Round 11

13moves down

three or more points down, moves 21–33FM Alexis Cahen MNC 20780againstCM Jaime Sonhy ANG 22331

Sunday 27 September