The defining moment of the tournament came in Round 7, when Xu faced the tournament's top seed, GM Vladimir Fedoseev. In the most anticipated game of the event, the Chinese grandmaster scored a convincing victory to take over first place. He maintained his lead through the final two rounds and deservedly finished as the tournament winner.
The winners: Gumularz Szymon, Iniyan Pa, Can Isik, Xu Xiangyu, Nico Chasin, Vladimir Fedoseev, with trainer and arbiter Adrian Mihalcisin
The best girls U20: Dana Kochavi and Amina Kairbekova
The best girls U12 (third from left: Amaya Agarwal)
Best Veterans: Leon Mazi, Aleksandr Beliavsky
Several special prizes recognized outstanding performances across different categories. Hungarian IM Gaal Zsoka finished as the best female player, while legendary GM Alexander Beliavsky claimed the best veteran prize, narrowly finishing ahead of another chess icon, Croatian GM Zdenko Kožul. The best junior award went to Polish FM Krzysztof Raczek, who impressed with a mature and consistent performance throughout the tournament.
The best in rating category under 1750: Leonard Červek Roškarič, Sandikci Eymen
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the festival was Croatian FM Matija Zadravec. Entering the event as one of the lower-rated title holders, he produced the tournament of his career, tying for second place alongside several established grandmasters and earning widespread admiration for his fearless play.
U12 boys (3rd from left: Jan Verbic, Anay Agarwal, Jan Szumiec)
The tournament also proved to be an excellent opportunity for title seekers. Czech FM Jiří Bouška and Hungarian FM Péter Bálint both secured International Master norms, while Mongolia's Bat-Erdene Mungunzul achieved an exceptional double success by earning both an IM norm and a Woman Grandmaster norm.
The best juniors U20: Peter Balint, Krzysztof Raczek
The best in rating category 1900-2149 Aljoša Keber, Leon Djuric, Roko Jakovic
With the conclusion of the Open, the competitive part of the KCF Friendship Festival has officially come to an end. Together with the Kasparov Day celebrations, the European Trainers Conference, the 2nd Albin Planinc Memorial Blitz, and the Children U10 Tournament, this year's festival brought together more than 650 participants from all over the world, once again confirming Radenci as one of the most vibrant international chess destinations in the region.
The closing ceremony concluded with the prize presentation conducted by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin, Director of the European Chess Academy, who presented the trophies and awards to the winners and prize recipients, bringing another memorable edition of the festival's main tournament to a fitting close.
Although the final moves have been played in the Open tournament, the KCF Friendship Festival continues with its traditional Chess Camp. Over the next five days, 65 young players and chess enthusiasts from numerous countries will train under the leadership of GM Adrian Mikhalchishin, widely regarded as one of the world's finest chess trainers.
The daily program combines intensive chess instruction with practical training sessions, analysis, and workshops led by an experienced coaching team. Beyond the classroom, participants will visit the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb, where they will have the opportunity to watch the world's elite players compete live.
The camp also places great emphasis on social interaction and physical activity. Alongside chess, participants will enjoy drumming workshops, taekwondo sessions, and a variety of sporting activities, creating an ideal balance between learning, recreation, and friendship.
While the tournament has crowned its champion, the KCF Friendship Festival continues for another five days, ensuring that the spirit of chess, education, and international friendship remains at the heart of this unique event.
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