Alexey Sarana
4/4, four wins
European Club Cup, SuperChess Romania, after round 4
His club has eight match points from four matches. Through October 20.
Sarana and Ivić have opened the European Club Cup with four wins each, both Serbian Super League titles have been decided, and the promotion races continue in Belgrade and Novi Pazar. There is also a major calendar change: the Belgrade Trophy is moving to seven rounds over five days.
Our review for October 19–25, 2026, published on October 21, covers the end of last week and verified updates from this week: Budva through round four, and the Belgrade Premier League and Central Serbia First League through round six. Later results are not included.
The European Club Cup lets us follow Serbia’s internationals in foreign club teams too. Alexey Sarana has 4/4 for SuperChess Romania, while Velimir Ivić has 4/4 for Alkaloid. Both clubs won their first four matches and have eight match points. That is a strong position with three rounds remaining, though the final standings are still a long way off.
Aleksandar Inđić also plays for Alkaloid and has scored half a point in two appearances. A player’s place in the registered squad is different from the number of games played: Ivić is listed seventh, but has appeared in all four matches. Team lists and round results.
In the Open section, Crvena zvezda have three wins and one defeat, giving them six match points and 20th place after round four in a field of 108 teams. Current standings.
In the Women’s section, Crvena zvezda and Sirmium both have six match points, occupying third and fourth place respectively. Alina Bivol has played all four games for Zvezda and scored 2½ points without a defeat. Teodora Injac has two points from three appearances for Sirmium. These are the results through October 20, after round four, rather than final placings. Women’s team lists and individual scores.
The seven-round Cup runs in Budva from October 17 to 23. In the closing rounds, we will be following both Serbian clubs and our national-team players in clubs competing for the top places. European Chess Union preview and format.
Last week we reported that Radnik had already secured the title. Their final tally is now confirmed: 25 match points and 39½ board points, unbeaten across 11 matches. Radnički - Zmaj and PTT both finished on 20 match points, with Radnički - Zmaj taking silver on board points.
In the Women’s league, Čast i slava from Pirot and Sirmium both finished on 25 match points. The title was decided by the sum of individual game results: 29½ to 28 in favour of the Pirot team. OŠK Paraćin Outpost Chess took bronze. Match points measure the outcome of each team encounter; board points add together the results of the individual games.
| Section | Place | Club | Match points | Board points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 1st | Radnik, Surdulica | 25 | 39½ |
| Open | 2nd | Radnički - Zmaj, Belgrade | 20 | 39 |
| Open | 3rd | PTT, Belgrade | 20 | 36½ |
| Women | 1st | Čast i slava, Pirot | 25 | 29½ |
| Women | 2nd | Sirmium, Sremska Mitrovica | 25 | 28 |
| Women | 3rd | OŠK Paraćin Outpost Chess | 19 | 23 |
Only places 1–3 are shown; other placings are omitted. Sources: Open and Women.
For champions Radnik, Robert Markuš scored 7½/11, Dušan Popović 7/10, Inđić 6/9 and Ivan Ivanišević 6/11. Markuš and Popović finished unbeaten. For runners-up Radnički - Zmaj, Alexandr Predke scored 3½/6 and Luka Budisavljević 6/10. Miloš Perunović contributed 6/10 to PTT’s bronze medal, while Bojan Maksimović scored 6½/11 for fourth-placed Jelica PEP. Open league individual results.
Among Serbia’s women internationals, Elif Mehmed stands out with an unbeaten 8½/10 for Čast i slava. Alina Bivol scored 7/10 for the same club. Sirmium’s Teodora Injac and Jovana Srdanović finished on 4½/9 and 5½/9 respectively, while Sofia Pogorelskikh scored 7/10 for Crvena zvezda. Her opponents’ average rating was 2377, adding weight to that result. Women’s league individual results.
Turbina lead the Belgrade Premier League with six wins from six matches, giving them 18 match points. Mirijevo and Lila Ma Mladenovac follow on 15 each, keeping the pressure on the leaders. Zemunski ŠK and BŠKS Napredak have 12 each. This is the position after round six; the league ends on October 25. Official Premier League standings.
In the Central Serbia First League, hosts Ina dizajn inženjering from Novi Pazar have six wins and 18 match points. Caribrod and Čast i slava have 12 each from five matches. The difference in matches played matters: with 11 teams participating, teams take turns sitting out a round. This snapshot follows round six, using the table updated on October 21; the second round played that day is not included. Results and standings.
The competition at the Atlas hotel runs until October 25, with the final round starting at 09:00. Wednesday, October 21 has two rounds, so the standings are changing quickly. Organiser’s report and live games.
The Belgrade Trophy is changing format: the Open will have seven rounds over five days, replacing nine rounds over nine days. The revised Belgrade Chess Federation calendar lists November 21–25, 2026. The shorter event makes travel easier to arrange but means a busier playing schedule; round times, venue and entry conditions should be checked in the tournament regulations once published.
A separate major rapid tournament is planned for December 27 at the Metropol Palace hotel, jointly organised by the Belgrade and Serbian chess federations. The November Open and December rapid are separate events with different dates and formats.
Sources: federation decision of October 20 and revised calendar PDF.
The same decision brings changes clubs need to add to their schedules. Round eight of Belgrade’s First, Second and Third Leagues will be played on November 1, followed by round nine on November 8. The previous October 25 date for round eight no longer applies.
The federation’s written announcement moves the Junior League to November 14–15 and the Belgrade Cadet Blitz and Rapid Championships to December 11–13. For the Junior League, we use the dates in that announcement: the attached PDF instead lists November 13–15, so the starting date should be checked in the final regulations. Federation announcement.
Aleksandar Kopylov won the Inđija Trophy on October 17, ahead of Miloš Perunović and Aleksandar Kovačević. Following the Super League, Perunović added a second-place finish in rapid chess. Serbian Chess Federation report.
Next are the Central Serbia Women’s First League, October 23–25 in Dimitrovgrad, and the Serbian Second League, Vojvodina group, October 24–November 1. Vojvodina’s opening round starts on Saturday at 17:00; round two is on Sunday at 17:00, with two rounds on Monday at 10:00 and 17:00. Women’s league regulations and Vojvodina playing schedule.
Looking further ahead, the Vrnjačka Banja Trophy on November 8 at the Zepter hotel has been announced as an open rapid tournament. Regulations and organiser’s information.
His club has eight match points from four matches. Through October 20.
Played in all four matches; Alkaloid have eight match points. Through October 20.
Won the Serbian title with Radnik. Played twice in Budva through round four.
Seven wins and three draws for the champions from Pirot.
Domestic title with Čast i slava, followed by an unbeaten European Club Cup start for Zvezda through round four.
Domestic league silver; two points from three appearances in Budva through round four.
Three wins and eight draws for the Serbian champions.
Four wins and six draws for the title-winning team.
Silver with Radnički - Zmaj; won his final-round game against Crvena zvezda.
Ten appearances for the silver medallists.
Played in all 11 matches for champions Radnik.
Jelica PEP finished fourth on 19 match points.
Bronze with PTT, then second in the rapid event behind Aleksandar Kopylov.
Scored against opponents with an average rating of 2377.
Unbeaten, with two wins and seven draws; team silver.