Keymer dominates open championship

Vincent Keymer, widely recognised as Germany's top player and the youngest grandmaster in the country's history, secured his maiden national title in convincing fashion. Displaying consistent form and focused play throughout the event, Keymer led the tournament from the outset.

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He opened the championship with an impressive 6½ points from the first 7 rounds, establishing a two-point lead with only two games remaining. This commanding advantage made his title virtually certain, and he formally clinched first place with a composed draw against Rasmus Svane in round eight.

Although the title had already been decided before the final round, Keymer faced Alexander Donchenko in a game that turned combative. Playing with the white pieces, Keymer missed several promising opportunities and ultimately suffered his only loss of the tournament. Nevertheless, this defeat did not affect his overall standing.

Matthias Blübaum finished as the runner-up, having drawn his final game quickly against Rasmus Svane. The fourth-place position was taken by Frederik Svane, who drew a lengthy game against Leonardo Costa, culminating with only kings remaining on the board. Despite finishing outside the top positions, Costa achieved a significant milestone by scoring 4½/9, which was sufficient for a grandmaster norm.

Dennis Wagner climbed to third place in the final ranking with a victory over Marco Dobrikov in the ninth and final round.

Keymer 1-0 Bluebam (round 7)

Analysis by Johannes Fischer

Final standings

All games

Wagner beats Klek in rapid playoffs

The women's section proved considerably more competitive, with the title undecided until the final tiebreaks. Dinara Wagner and Hanna Marie Klek entered the last round as joint leaders on 6 points each.

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Klek, playing with black against Jana Schneider, was under pressure from the outset but held the draw after Schneider opted for a repetition despite an advantageous position. This outcome left the door open for Wagner to win the title outright. Wagner reached a clearly better position in her game, nearly achieving a decisive advantage, but was unable to convert, resulting in a draw as well.

With both players tied on 6½ points, the championship was determined by a playoff. Two rapid games were played with a time control of 10 minutes plus 5 seconds increment. Wagner won both games, securing the 2025 German Women's Championship title without the need for additional blitz tiebreaks.

Hanna Marie Klek finished second, while Kateryna Dolzhykova claimed third place.

Dinara Wagner | Photo: Frank Binding

Klek 0-1 Wagner (round 1)

Analysis by Johannes Fischer

Final standings

All games

Links

• German Chess Federation
• Keymer triumphs in Weissenhaus, defeats both Carlsen and Caruana
• Dinara Wagner: "I would like to become a Grandmaster"