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

18moves down

Round 10, three or more points down, moves 22–39Koundou Ballama Magaram Malaram NIG0againstAhmed Houmairaou COM1

Round by round

Round 1

9moves down

three or more points down, moves 14–22WCM Leyla Shohradova TKM 21011againstWCM Timea Sele LIE 17900

Wednesday 16 September

Round 2

9moves down

three or more points down, moves 28–36WCM Timea Sele LIE 17900againstWFM Oana Caruana Pulpan MLT 19671

Thursday 17 September

Round 3

16moves down

three or more points down, moves 10–25Kiara Lambert LCA0againstHamid Ahmed Sitti DJI1

Friday 18 September

Round 4

12moves down

three or more points down, moves 23–34Muthu Pooja Manavalan SEY0againstFelicia Ngoua Oyane GAB1

Saturday 19 September

Round 5

14moves down

three or more points down, moves 18–31WGM Niina Koskela NOR 20740againstWGM Luong Phuong Hanh VIE 22101

Sunday 20 September

Round 6

12moves down

three or more points down, moves 27–38Nelly Melissa Mangalo CAF 17800againstYousra Mahdi Abdillahi DJI 14161

Monday 21 September

Round 7

11moves down

three or more points down, moves 13–23Felicia Ngoua Oyane GAB0againstNicole Grant ANT1

Wednesday 23 September

Round 8

14moves down

three or more points down, moves 27–40Christine Makwena ZIM 18981againstWCM Rose Berline Seine HAI 18310

Thursday 24 September

Round 9

8moves down

Friday 25 September

Round 10

18moves down

three or more points down, moves 22–39Koundou Ballama Magaram Malaram NIG0againstAhmed Houmairaou COM1

Saturday 26 September

Round 11

13moves down

three or more points down, moves 23–35Stacy Baptiste-King VIN0againstBintou Diallo MLI 15751

Sunday 27 September