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Round 3 of the Bangkok Chess Club Open witnessed several closely contested, heavyweight encounters, as the Elo gap between opponents continued to shrink.

The round was brutal, with upsets on Board 3 with Subhayan Kundu defeating Chinese GM Peng Xiongjian, and Board 5 with FM Manon overcoming GM Lalit. Only two Grandmasters retain their places in the top 15 for Round 4.

Games from the top 10 boards are available at chess.com/events/2024-bangkok-chess-open . 

Yesterday, a twelve year old boy defeated an International Master. (Add video link maybe), after which he shared in his dream of becoming World Champion someday.  

This conjures up memories of a juvenile Gukesh overjoyed upon defeating 3-time BCC champion Nigel Short here in Thailand a few years ago.  

Why Gukesh and fellow former BCC contestants Praggnanandhaa and his sister Vaishali elected to travel to Toronto’s unending winter instead of this tropical paradise of Hua Hin, we may never know (but then again, we might).  

All the same, don’t conclude that there are no superstars at the BCC Open this year.  We guarantee you will find some hidden gems here.

Just give it a few years.

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Round number two saw the Bangkok Chess Club Open rapidly gather steam.  After an initial day in which most of the favourites emerged unscathed, the first skirmishes between titled players took place this Sunday.

Notable performances on the top boards include the Indian junior Ajay Santosh holding GM Samant Aditya to a draw on Board 5

Elsewhere, the only two French players in the Open section – one a real estate tycoon, the other a software wizard – were pitted against each other in a battle that started like fierce duel worthy of Alexandre Dumas himself, but concluded as peacefully as an Armistice Day commemoration atop the Maginot line.  

On a nearby board, the battle of the organisers lived up to its billings, with BCC tournament director Kai Tuorila trying to overcome the stubborn resistance of Blue Chevaliers Chess Tournament mastermind Peter Frost, but ultimately conceding a hard-fought draw.

In other news, the celebrations surrounding the Thai New Year or Songkran are in full swing, meaning that even those players who were able to keep their calculations watertight over the weekend may not be as lucky if they venture out to town over the coming days.  

As for those who prefer to stay indoors, don’t forget to avail yourself of the games at www.chess.com/events/2024-bangkok-chess-open, and videos on www.youtube.com/@bangkokopen2024 

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Round one of the 21st edition of the Bangkok Chess Club Open is underway at the Sheraton Resort and Spa in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Hua Hin, while not quite exactly on the same footing as the French Riviera, the Bahamas or other locations popularised by the Beach Boys and related artists, has become a magnet for local tourists and Western retirees alike.

The open and challenger sections of the tournament are hosted separately in two dazzling ballrooms boasting huge chandeliers, not dissimilar from the Hua Hin beach sunrise. Hyperbolic? Maybe, though not that much if you are, like most chess aficionados, used to playing chess in taverns, school cafeterias or multi-sport halls. But we digress.

This year, a total of over 300 participants hailing from close to fifty different countries have congregated to Thailand, making the BCC open once more a staple of Asia’s chess calendar.

While this number is not in itself a record, what is remarkable about the 2024 edition is the sharp increase in players representing India. More than a hundred showed up in Hua Hin, representing the bulk of titled players in attendance.

Good thing is, we are told, this particular hotel specialises in large Indian weddings. Although it can be expected that, in this particular instance, most participants will have slightly different mating patterns on their minds.

As a fairly uneventful first round unfolds, one is tempted to reflect on the event’s longevity and consistency, over a period of 23 years only briefly interrupted by the Covid pandemic. Or receive an initiation to the local variant of chess, which is endemic to Thailand and Cambodia, courtesy of the Makruk Association. Or get ready for happy hour by the pool bar. Take your pick, and join us at this year’s Bangkok chess club open. Or if you can’t, do check out the games from the top boards on chess.com.

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This week marks the start of Songkran, the water festival that is the biggest holiday of the year in Thailand.

It is also when the most popular chess tournament in Southeast Asia takes place in the beautiful setting of the Sheraton Hua Hin. More than 300 chess enthusiasts, young and old, are traveling from nearly 50 countries to test their wits against the Grandmasters that will be taking part.

“This will be our 21st edition of the Bangkok Chess Club Open, and it is shaping up to be the best yet,” notes Kai Tuorila, the Tournament Director. “After all the difficulties over the past few years, we are delighted to see so many of our regulars as well as new visitors coming together in a spirit of friendship and competition.”

The tournament takes place over 9 days, with all players taking part for the whole tournament. There is also a short Blitz Tournament taking place, with games that take only ten minutes to complete.  “The Open is not a knockout tournament, all participants will have chances right to the end of the tournament,” Kai added. “In the Blitz, the Juniors can really challenge the older players, even the Grandmasters.”

Nicolai Mitchell, General Manager at the Sheraton explained that this a unique new experience for them. “We are very popular for weddings and corporate events, and this new sporting event should help us reach a wider audience via the Marriott Bonvoy programme, particularly as there are more than 100 chess players coming from India.”

The tournament runs from 13-21 April, and spectators are welcome – but should note that no electronic devices including mobile phones are allowed in the playing hall. Games from the top boards are broadcast live on the international chess website www.chess.com 

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In 2016 Poompong Wiwatanadate was working as an arbiter at the Bangkok Chess Club Open, collecting results and ruling on disputes. Three years later the 29-year-old has become the toast of Bangkok by holding a draw against – and almost beating top seed and former world title challenger Nigel Short.

Wiwatanadate had twice lost to Short in earlier BBC Opens, an event Short has won thrice, but said before today’s game that he would not be scared. At various points during the game Short seemed to be gaining the upper hand but Wiwatanadate fought hard and eventually the veteran Englishman started to go wrong.

However just when Wiwatanadate had the game at his mercy he missed a winning breakthrough and Short managed to hang on and force a repetition of position. The draw was a career-best result for Wiwatanadate and forced Short down outside the top 30 in the 201 player field.

Short was not the only high profile casualty in the second round of the BCC Open, being held at the Centara Grand Hotel in Ladprao. Third seed Babu Lalith drew with 13-year-old Filipino rising star Alekhine Nouri.

The upsets leave German Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson in the box seat to win his second BCC Open, although with seven rounds remaining and more than 30 players on a perfect score, plenty of players still have hopes to secure the 100,000 Baht first prize.

One Grandmaster was defeated in the second round – India’s Dopade Swapnil beaten by Australian journeyman Colin Savige. Swapnil lost on time on move 61 in a difficult position but one which he would nonetheless have expected to draw. The top Chinese player in the BCC Open, International Master Lou Yiping suffered the biggest upset of the round, losing to German veteran Mick Tobor, with the 68-year-old launching a decisive attack to beat the 12^th seed.

The Bangkok Chess Club Open, often known as the Thai Open, is Thailand’s most popular open tournament and alternates between Bangkok and other major Thai cities. It is held through the period of Songkran, formerly Thai New Year and now a traditional water festival washing away bad moves and bad luck.

The BCC Open will be held daily until April 14^th at the Centara Grand Hotel in Central Plaza, Ladprao, Bangkok. The third round of the Open division and the first round of the Challengers section begin on Monday April 8^th at 15.00. Spectator entry is free.

For complete results, visit http://chess-results.com/tnr429651.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=1

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The 19^th Bangkok Chess Club Open, described as “arguably, the tournament of the year,” by respected web site Chess24.com, began on Saturday in the luxurious ballroom of the Centara Grand Hotel with a near-record attendance, which included 17 Grandmasters.

The field of 201 from 34 countries in the Open division includes three previous BCC Open titleholders: Nigel Short (England, winner in 2012, 2015 and 2017), Jan Gustafsson (Germany, 2011) and Zhao Zong Yuan (Australia, 2013).

All three won their first round comfortably against lower rated opposition, with Short launching a spectacular checkmating attack involving the sacrifice of a rook and then a queen, with his opponent resigning four moves later.

However the top seeds did not have matters all their own way, with Chilean Grandmaster Rodrigo Vasquez drawing with 13-year-old Singaporean talent Hariharan Ashwin. India has the biggest foreign delegation in Bangkok, with 44 representatives in the Open division alone.

The local fans also had something to cheer about with Chiang Mai junior Kavin Nattavutthisit holding Singaporean veteran Grandmaster Bong Villamayor to a draw despite a 600 point rating differential. Another Thai, Thoetsak Wongsawan, almost pulled off an even greater upset before spoiling a defensible endgame and losing to the sixth seed, 25 year old Italian Grandmaster Andrea Stella.

The Bangkok Chess Club Open is Thailand’s most popular tournament and one of the largest opens in South-East Asia. The tournament alternates between Bangkok and other major Thai cities.

The BCC Open will be held daily until April 14^th at the Centara Grand Hotel in Central Plaza, Ladprao, Bangkok. The second round of the Open division begins on Sunday April 7^th at 14.00, with the Challengers division beginning on April 8. Spectator entry is free.

The tournament web site is http://bangkokchess.com/19th-bcc-open/

For complete results, visit http://chess-results.com/tnr429651.aspx?lan=1&art=2&rd=1

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