Dominik Horvath and Olga Badelka crowned Austrian champions

The 2026 Austrian National Championships concluded with GM Dominik Horvath successfully defending his title. In a thrilling battle for the national crown, the Burgenland native edged out Laurenz Borrmann on tiebreaks. Olga Badelka won the women’s title convincingly, ahead of Veronika Exler and Upper Austria’s rising star, Alina Donets. The lowest-rated participant, Borrmann, caused a real stir in the event by seizing the lead early on and maintaining his top position throughout. In Round 8, however, Horvath (pictured below) caught up to Borrmann by defeating Lukas Dotzer, as the leader failed to convert a winning position against Kindermann and had to settle for a draw. Tension culminated in the final round. In the battle for the title, Borrmann reached a slightly superior position against Dotzer and chose a forced sequence that led to a repetition of moves, securing a GM norm. Horvath fought hard for a win against Schwabeneder but had to settle for a draw. His superior tiebreak score, however, allowed him to retain his title. Borrmann was delighted with the silver medal, and IM Valentin Baidetskyi took bronze. Following them in the standings were Blohberger (5 points) and Dotzer (