Bogdan-Daniel Deac triumphed in the Reykjavik Open 2024. The top seed GM from Romania clinched the title thanks to a crucial final-round victory.

The 2024 edition of Reykjavik Open, a nine-round Swiss tournament supported by the FIDE Aid Package, took place from March 14 to 21 in Iceland's capital. The event attracted over 400 players and had a strong women's presence, with six out of the top 50 women in the world participating.

Similar to many previous editions, the Reykjavik Open 2024 was a very close race with at least two players sharing the first place most of the way (the only exception was the sole lead by Alisher Suleymenov after Round 7). Going to the final ninth round as many as six players - Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania), Paulius Pultinevicius (Lithuania), Praveen Balakrishnan (USA), Sebastien Maze (France), Alisher Suleymenov (Kazakhstan) and Gudmundur Kjartansson (Iceland) - were tied for the top position with 6.5/8 while seventeen players trailed this sextet by a half-point.

Only Bogdan-Daniel Deac emerged victorious in the last-round leaders' clashes, prevailing over Alisher Suleymenov with the black pieces on board 1, while the games Pultinevicius – Balakrishnan and Maze – Kjartansson  (Sebastian had a decisive advantage but let the victory slip away) were drawn. As a result, Bogdan-Daniel finished clear first with 7.5/9, a half-point ahead of seven players on 7/9, with Sebastien Maze and Paulius Pultinevicius making the podium based on a superior Buchholz.

Final standings:

Photos: Ómar Óskarsson and Hallfríður Sigurðardóttir

Official website: reykjavikopen.com/