Nikolay Noritsyn and Li Yunshan are 2025 Canadian chess champions

Ninety players from nine provinces

Information provided by FA Heidi Gay for FIDE

The 2025 Canadian Chess Championships concluded in Toronto on 22 April, with IM Nikolay Noritsyn and WIM Li Yunshan winning the open and women's titles respectively. Noritsyn secured his third national championship, while Li earned her first.

Both the 89^th Canadian Championship and the 22^nd Canadian Women's Championship were held on 17-22 April at a single venue in Toronto. Each event followed a 9-round Swiss format with classical time control. The joint competition brought together 90 of the country's top players from nine provinces, including 3 GMs, 13 IMs and 3 WIMs.

Master Class Vol. 18: Max Euwe

Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
Max Euwe became the fifth World Chess Champion after beating Alexander Alekhine in the 1935 World Championship match. A maths teacher by profession, Euwe remained an amateur throughout his life, but was still the best chess player in the Netherlands, and one of the world's best players. Euwe holds the record for the most Dutch national championships, with twelve. After winning the World Championship, Euwe was also the world's best player for a while. He lost the title again in 1937 in the rematch against Alexander Alekhine.
Free video sample: Openings

FM Tymur Keleberda led the open event early, beginning with four straight wins. He drew in round 5 with GM Bator Sambuev, setting up a crucial round-6 clash with IM Nikolay Noritsyn. Noritsyn won that game to take the sole lead, which he held through to the end. He finished unbeaten on 7½/9, with six wins and three draws.

The only other player to remain undefeated was GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, who scored 7 points and finished in clear second place. Third place was shared by GM Razvan Preotu and IM Raymond Kaufman, both on 6½/9, with Preotu taking bronze on tiebreaks.

The final round in progress | Photo: John Upper

The winners in both categories, women's and closed: WFM Morgen Mills (3^rd), WIM Svitlana Demchenko (2^nd), WIM Li Yunshan (1^st), IM Nikolay Noritsyn (1^st), GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux (2^nd) and GM Razvan Preotu (3^rd) | Photo: John Upper

Final standings - Closed

...55 players

All available games

The women's event was also closely contested. WCM Ashley Qian started strongly, winning her first five games. In round 6, she drew with top seed WIM Li Yunshan, retaining a half-point lead. From round 4 onward, WIM Svitlana Demchenko and WFM Morgen Mills remained near the top of the standings.

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Demchenko entered the final round with a half-point lead but was defeated by Li, while Mills won her game against WFM Oksana Golubeva. This left Li, Demchenko, and Mills tied for first on 7/9. Li was awarded the title on Buchholz Cut 1 tiebreak, with Demchenko taking silver and Mills bronze.

Li Yunshan and Svitlana Demchenko | Photo: John Upper

Final standings - Women's

...45 players

All available games

Links

• Official website
• Chess Canada CFC Newsletter
• All FritzTrainers by Svitlana Demchenko on the ChessBase shop