Machteld van Foreest won her third Dutch women's championship, successfully defending her 2024 title. Sergey Tiviakov claimed his fourth national crown in the Open section. Both champions hail from Groningen.
The 2026 Dutch Championships ran July 4-11 at the Renaissance Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Hotel using a knockout format. The Open bracket had 16 players, the Women's section 12. Notably absent were Anish Giri and defending Open champion Jorden van Foreest, who both declined to compete.
Tiviakov's path to the title ran through a strong field. He dispatched Eelke de Boer convincingly in his first match, then faced a serious test against second seed Erwin L'Ami in the quarterfinal. The match proved competitive, though Tiviakov ultimately advanced.
Van Foreest's back-to-back titles confirm her dominance in Dutch women's chess. For Tiviakov, the fourth national championship cements his status as one of the Netherlands' strongest players despite being in his later years of active competition.
The knockout format produced fast-paced chess and clear results. Without Giri and van Foreest, the Open section remained wide open, allowing Tiviakov to seize his opportunity. Both champions' Groningen connection speaks to the city's strength as a chess hub in the Netherlands.