Cuban Chess Player César Alejandro Pérez Wins Historic Bronze at Aguascalientes 2026

September 9, 2026

Cuban chess player César Alejandro Pérez Rodríguez, a FIDE Master from the province of Las Tunas, claimed the bronze medal at the Aguascalientes 2026 International Tournament, a nine-round round-robin event held in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Pérez finished with 6.5 points from five wins, three draws and a single loss.

The result stands out because Pérez held his own against considerably higher-rated opposition, including several grandmasters rated above 2500. Over the course of the event he defeated grandmaster Elier Miranda Mesa, Peru's Jorge Cori (2586) and Mexico's Juan Carlos Obregón Rivero (2473), holding his ground against some of the tournament's strongest players.

The final round carried extra weight: Pérez's closing victory came against a fellow native of Las Tunas who now competes for Mexico, adding a personal layer to the result.

The bronze medal underscores Pérez's rise as one of Cuban chess's emerging talents, someone capable of matching the pace of competition against far more experienced, higher-rated players.