🎉 Celebrating the 133rd Minnesota Open: Champions, Inductees, and Rising Stars
- Shanti K
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The 133rd Minnesota Open, Minnesota's premier and oldest chess tradition, wrapped up this past weekend (February 20-22, 2026) at the Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park, drawing a strong field of players from across the state and beyond.
This historic event, featured a 6-round Swiss system with time control of G/90 +30 seconds increment. It served as a key qualifier, awarding 15 spots to the 2026 Closed State Championship. With $9,000 in prizes paid out, the tournament delivered exciting chess and competitive battles across sections. Highlights from the event include top performances that showcased Minnesota's deep talent pool.
Premier Section Highlights
Samrug Narayanan dominated the Premier section with 5.5/6 for clear first. Charles Hua finished a strong second at 5.0/6, ahead of several higher-rated players including top seed Sean Nagle (4.0/6). Notable 4.0/6 scores came from David Schabert, Timothy Radermacher, Ryan Zhou, Sean Nagle, and Irene Fei (a strong followup to her victory in the Winter Open.)
Lower Section Highlights
The lower sections showcased Minnesota's rising talent with standout results. Rhailey Punay swept the U2000 perfectly (6.0/6, +192 to 2012) for clear first. Malik Snyder went 6.0/6 undefeated in U1000. In U1300, Matthew White (+127) and Noah Somerville (+303 to 1267) tied at 5.0/6. The U1700 had a four-way tie at 5.0/6 (Charlie Doll, Franklin Briceno+116, Steven Peters, Alex Musselman), plus Eeshaan Shah (+191 to 1541 on 4.5/6). In U700, Grey Keenan won clear at 5.5/6, while Noah Beyer tied second at 5.0/6 with a +260 upset run from 467.
Full Tournament Results
Friday Night Simul
Friday evening featured a simultaneous exhibition with IM John Bartholomew. Participants challenged the well-known IM, YouTuber, and former Minnesota State Champion in an enjoyable 22 board competition. John prevailed with a 19-0-3 score.
Sunday Hall of Fame Induction
Sunday afternoon featured the 2026 Minnesota Chess Hall of Fame Ceremony, inducting Tom Unger and R.K. Johnson in recognition of their many years of outstanding contributions to Minnesota chess. The ceremony added a perfect celebratory note to the tournament's close. Stay tuned for bios to be shared on our history page.
Girls Club Room Debut
We were thrilled to debut the first Girls Club Room at the 133rd Minnesota Open—a special space for female players to relax, play casually, and get analysis from coach Sofia Doroshenko. Hosted by Midwest Chess Girls Group and sponsored by Rochester Chess, it celebrated women's chess in MN with great energy.
Congratulations to Samrug Narayanan, all prize winners, qualifiers, and participants! Big thanks to our Tournament Directors. 🙏