Max Warmerdam Wins Amsterdam Chess Open 2026 With 5.5/6

GM Max Warmerdam won Group A of the Amsterdam Chess Open 2026 with 5.5 points from 6 games, half a point ahead of IM Rishi Sardana.

GM Max Warmerdam has won Group A of the Amsterdam Chess Open 2026, played at the Apollohal in Amsterdam.

The event was a 6-round Swiss with a classical time control of 90 minutes per player plus 30 seconds per move. With only six rounds, there is very little room for mistakes, and Warmerdam handled it superbly.

He scored 5.5 points from 6 games, winning five and drawing one. In the final round he met his closest rival, IM Rishi Sardana. The game was a short draw, which was enough for Warmerdam to win the tournament.

Sardana finished second with 5 points, a very strong result. GM Lorenzo Lodici and IM Khoi Pham shared third place with 4 points.

Warmerdam was also in the news earlier this year when he reached the semifinals of the Dutch Championship, so this win continues a good season for him.

Short tournaments reward players who start well. In a 6-round event, a loss in the first rounds is hard to make up. That is why many players prepare carefully for the opening rounds and try to find their rhythm quickly.

There is also a lesson in how Warmerdam finished. When you are in the lead before the final round, a solid draw against your closest rival can be the smartest result.

Congratulations to Max Warmerdam on winning the Amsterdam Chess Open 2026.