Ukranian GM Oleksandr Bortnyk scored 9 wins and 1 draw to win the February 20 Freestyle Friday tournament with 9.5/11 points. Runner-up Alexey Sarana won 9 times and lost twice, which led him to finish second with 9 points.

The Freestyle Friday (February 20, 2026) Top 5 are:

Place Player Score TB Prize
1. 🇺🇦 GM Oleksandr Bortnyk 9.5 73 $400
2. 🇷🇸 GM Alexey Sarana 9 69.5 $250
3. 🇻🇳 GM Nguyen Son 8.5 72 $150
4. 🇮🇳 GM V Pranav 8.5 71 $100
5. 🇹🇷 IM Eray Kilic 8 67.5 -

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: Charlotte Chess Center