Seven chess masters are leading after the fourth round of the International Open Tournament for Rapid Chess and Blitz in the city of Shumen. Grandmasters Radoslav Dimitrov, Martin Petrov, Vasil Spassov, Kiril Georgiev, Ivaylo Enchev, and Krasimir Rusev, along with International Master Tsvetan Stoyanov, are leading with an impressive 4 points.

Immediately after the leading group are five chess players with 3.5 points, while 29 competitors have accumulated 3 points after the first competition day. The rapid chess tournament is being held in 11 rounds with a time control of 15 minutes plus ten seconds per move.

The upcoming program includes four rounds on Saturday and three rounds on Sunday, which will conclude with an official awards ceremony. On Saturday at 16:00, a blitz tournament with nine rounds and a time control of 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move is planned.

The official opening was performed by Professor Hristo Hristov - Mayor of Shumen Municipality. The total prize fund amounts to an impressive 10,000 leva. The chief referee Nikolay Todorov announced that the first ten tables will be broadcast live online.

The tournament, organized by the Chess Sports Club "Shumen", brings together a significant part of the leading Bulgarian chess players. Among them is the leader of the national ranking list - Grandmaster Kiril Georgiev. Last year's successes include Tsvetan Stoyanov, winner of rapid chess, and Martin Petrov, who has triumphed in the blitz discipline for the second consecutive year.