Iveković and Cvitan lead Croatian Women's Chess Championship after two rounds

Tihana Iveković and Ena Cvitan are currently at the top of the Individual Croatian Women's Chess Championship 2026 after two rounds. Both players have secured the maximum two victories, positioning them as early frontrunners in the tournament held at the "Kalnik" hotel in Križevci.

The championship features a select field of 11 of Croatia's best female chess players. In the second round, Iveković, a national team representative, decisively defeated Petra Kovač. In a key match, top seed Cvitan gained an early initiative against Grandmaster Mirjana Medić, but Medić fought back. However, Medić faltered in the endgame, allowing Cvitan to secure her second consecutive win.

Other players also achieved victories in the second round. Ema Hajdinić secured a win against Noemi Špiranec through strong positional play and material advantage. Tereza Dejanović convincingly defeated Eva Mihaljević with the black pieces, exploiting a dangerous kingside attack. Ana Berke also secured a win against Anamarija Radiković after skillfully navigating a slightly weaker endgame.

Separately, the 5th round of the Junior European Chess Championship for players under 20 was played in Cetinje. In the open section, Armenian Emin Ohanian leads, while in the girls' section, Dutch player Eline Roebers has taken the lead after defeating Slovenia's Vesna Mihelič. Croatian representatives Damian Vučenović and Marta Trgovac participated in these junior events.