Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi scored 8 wins and 2 draws to win the June 19 Freestyle Friday tournament with 9/11 points. Runner-up Reza Mahdavi won 7 times, drew 3 times, and lost once, which led him to finish second with 8.5 points.

The Freestyle Friday (June 19, 2026) Top 5 are:

Place Player Score TB Prize
1. 🇷🇺 GM Ian Nepomniachtchi 9 69.5 $400
2. 🇮🇷 IM Reza Mahdavi 8.5 72 $250
3. 🇺🇿 GM Nodirbek Yakubboev 8.5 70.5 $150
4. 🇮🇷 GM Amin Tabatabaei 8 55.5 $100
5. 🇺🇸 Ethan Sheehan 7.5 69.5 -

Freestyle Friday is a weekly Chess.com event for verified titled players, featuring the Chess960 variant. The event is an 11-round Swiss tournament with a 3+1 time control featuring a $1,000 weekly prize fund. This event is a part of the 2026 Freestyle Friday Championship, the winner of which will qualify for the 2027 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship.

Credit: Lennart Ootes