Coomera Winter Classic 2026: Oleg Takes the Title

The Coomera Winter Classic has come to a close after six rounds of competitive classical chess at the Upper Coomera Centre, with Oleg Kitikov taking outright first place with an impressive 5.0/6.

The tournament, which ran from 28 July to 1 September, brought together 15 players for six rounds of over-the-board chess, with a mix of experienced competitors, developing players, and rising juniors battling it out each Tuesday night.

Final Standings

Oleg Kitikov finished clear on top of the standings with 5 points from 6 games, finishing half a point ahead of Jason Zhang, who scored an excellent 4.5/6.

Luka Hart completed the podium in third place with 4.0/6.

Harry Leeder won Rating Group A with 3.5/6

The top of the final standings was:

Place	Player	Score
1st	Oleg Kitikov	5.0/6
2nd	Jason Zhang	4.5/6
3rd	Luka Hart	4.0/6
4th/ Rating Group A	Harry Leeder	3.5/6
5th	David Harvey	3.5/6
6th	Ryan Wang	3.0/6
7th	Lyndon Cerfonteyn	3.0/6
8th	Yuji Kusano	2.5/6
9th	Ali Aghaei	2.5/6
10th	Glen Leeder	2.0/6
11th	Shivam Karthikeyan	2.0/6
12th	Logan McDiarmid	2.0/6
13th	Jaedon Wang	1.5/6
14th	Oliver Kemp	1.5/6
15th	Xahannah Turner-O'Malley	1.0/6

A Close Battle at the Top

While Oleg ultimately claimed the title, the tournament featured a strong battle throughout the six rounds.

Jason Zhang finished just half a point behind the winner, while Luka Hart was another half point back in third. Harry Leeder and David Harvey both finished on 3.5 points, making for a particularly competitive group just outside the podium.

Congratulations to All Players

Congratulations to Oleg Kitikov on winning the 2026 Coomera Winter Classic, and to Jason Zhang and Luka Hart on their podium finishes.

A big thank you also goes to all 15 players who took part and contributed to another enjoyable tournament at the Gold Coast Chess Club. Classical chess provides players with the opportunity to settle in, think deeply, and test their skills over a full game — and the Winter Classic once again delivered plenty of competitive chess.

We look forward to seeing everyone back at the board for the next tournament!

Full Results

The complete standings, pairings, and individual game results are available through the tournament results page:

https://livechess.aunz.net/GCCC/wwwCoomeraWinterClassic/

Prizes

1st	Oleg Kitikov	5.0/6	$125
2nd	Jason Zhang	4.5/6	$100
3rd	Luka Hart	4.0/6	$75
Rating Group A	Harry Leeder	3.5/6	$50

Congratulations once again to Oleg Kitikov — 2026 Coomera Winter Classic Champion!