Jesper Thybo emerged victorious at the 2025 Danish Championship, securing the gold medal with a round to spare.
For many years, the coveted national title had eluded the talented 26-year-old grandmaster—he was runner-up in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024—but in 2025, Jesper finally got the monkey off his back.
The 2025 Danish Championship (Masters), a 10-player round-robin tournament with classical time control, took place from April 9–17 in Svendborg, a small town that has hosted the event for nine consecutive years.
This year, the Danish Chess Union placed extra emphasis on fair play. President Poul Jacobse stressed that no player should leave with a sense of injustice. There was heightened monitoring of player movement in and out of the playing hall.
Jesper Thybo seized the lead in Round 4 and remained unstoppable thereafter. He finished with five consecutive victories, scoring an impressive 8 out of 9.
IM Filip Boe Olsen (pictured below, right) finished 1.5 points behind Thybo, falling just half a point short of earning a GM norm. The 2022 champion, IM Martin Haubro, completed the podium with 6/9.
Final standings:
1. GM Jesper Søndergaard Thybo – 8/9
2. IM Filip Boe Olsen – 6½
3. IM Martin Haubro – 6
4. GM Sune Berg Hansen – 5
5. GM Bjørn Møller Ochsner – 4½
6. IM Nicolai Kistrup – 4
7. IM Martin Percivaldi – 3½
8–9. FM Viktor Haarmark Nielsen – 3
8–9. IM Kim Pilgaard – 3
10. FM Jeppe Hald Falkesgaard – 1½
Photos: Thomas Vestergård
Official website: nyheder.skak.dk/