GMYahli Sokolovsky

Yahli Sokolovsky comes from Kiryat Ono and plays for Rishon LeZion Chess Club. He trained for several years with Killer Chess Training while working toward the grandmaster title. His final norm came with a shared second place at the 2024 Rilton Cup, and he completed the remaining requirements that July. He also shared second in the Dortmund A-Open later in 2024.

In January 2026, at nineteen, Sokolovsky won his first Israeli championship in Acre. He began with four victories and went unbeaten through the nine-round event. Defeating Ido Gorshtein in the penultimate round gave him the sole lead, and a final-round draw secured first place with seven and a half points. He finished half a point ahead of the chasing group, which included Evgeny Alekseev and Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya.