Category: Tournaments

News and results for tournaments in Thailand and overseas

BCC Open round 7: top six share the spoils as Jacobson, Van Wely and Gorshtein close in.

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Today’s pre-round announcement echoed like music to the ears of all competitors present, as a purse of 500,000 baht (~15,500 USD) was confirmed by tournament director Kai Tuorila. Strangely enough, the news seemed to particularly stimulate contestants at the lower boards, most of whom kept at it well into the 6th hour of play in an otherwise largely empty ballroom.

On board two, the game between Ghosh Aronyak and Surya Ganguly ended peacefully after just seven moves, thereby ensuring that the pair would not be late for Nigel Short’s evening lecture on his book “Winning!”. Doubtlessly impressed by such foresight, GMs Visakh and Stremavicius followed suit, drawing their game after less than 90 minutes. GM Short then drew on board 1 with the tournament leader, IM Dau, in a longer but evenly balanced game.

Three grandmasters capitalised on these results to rejoin the chasing pack. Brendan Jacobson and Loek Van Wely both punished ill-advised pawn advances by their IM opponents – 25…b5 by Dmytro Davydenko in the first case, 13…f5 by Adika Sadhvik in the second. Meanwhile, on board 6 Ido Gorshtein gradually built up pressure against Dinghra Aaditya’s Queenside to force a decision in the endgame.

Aaditya, Dhingra (2418) – Gorshtein, Ido (2549)

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 h5 5.Bd3 Qd7 6.Nc3 Bxd3 7.Qxd3 c5 8.dxc5 e6 9.Be3 Na6 10.Nf3 Nxc5 11.Qe2 a6 12.Rh3 Qc7 13.O-O-O Ne7 14.Nd4 Nc6 15.f4 g6 16.Kb1 Be7 17.Nb3 Nxb3 18.axb3 b5 19.Bf2 Qb7 20.Qf1 Kf8 21.Qd3 Nb4 22.Qe2 Rc8 23.Rd2 Kg7 24.g4 Kf8 25.f5 hxg4 26.Qxg4 gxf5 27.Qf4 Qc7 28.h5 Nc6 29.Bg3 d4 30.Ne2 Nb4 31.Qxd4

[ Diagr]Here, White’s best chance to hold was 31.c3. Now Black crashes through…

31… Qa5 32.Nc1 Rxc2 33.Rxc2 Qa1+ 34.Kxa1 Nxc2+ 35.Ka2 Nxd4 36.Nd3 Bg5 37.b4 Kg7 38.Bf2 Nc6 39.Kb3 Kh6 40.Nc5 Rd8 41.Nxa6 Nxe5 42.Nc7 Nd3 43.Ba7 Nf4 44.Rf3 e5 45.Nxb5 Kxh5 46.Nc3 Rd7 47.Bb8 f6 48.b5 Ne6 49.Rf1 e4 50.b6 e3 51.Kc4 f4 52.Kb5 f3 53.Bc7 e2 54.Rh1 Kg6 55.b7 Nxc7+ 56.Kc6 Rd8 57.Kxc7 Re8 58.Nd5 f2

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On the home front, IM Prin Laohawirapap’s win today against Alekhya Mukhopadhay will provide him with the opportunity to reappear at the higher boards during the tournament’s final stretch.

Credits: www.bangkokchess.com
Games from the top 25 boards: https://lichess.org/broadcast/23rd-bangkok-chess-club-open-2026/mu6Kv85k
Picture database: https://m.piufoto.com/album/9e2ab6d12f3bf3542c9a22e64b6dc012/
Masters section: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1334185.aspx
Challenger section: https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1334184.aspx

BCC Open Round 6: king Khuong strikes twice as the top seed struggles

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Last night, Dau Khuong Duy was crowned in the blitz finals ahead of fellow IM Arca, leaving both GMs Gareyev and Visakh behind.

He struck again during round 6 of the BCC open, convincingly defeating GM Van Wely’s Sicilian Najdorf on board 1 with a thematic Knight sacrifice on f5. A difficult day for the top seed from The Netherlands, who had already struggled earlier against Johanna Bjorg from the Icelandic chess federation, at the seaside pool of the Sheraton resort and spa during this morning’s promotional photo shoot.

Dau Khuong Duy / Van Wely (Sicilian Najdorf) 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e6 7.g4 Be7 8.Bg2 Nfd7 9.a4 Nc6 10.Be3 Nde5 11.Qe2 g5 12.h4 gxh4

[diagr.] The decisive mistake, as liquidating the Knight on d4 was the only way for Black to avoid a crushing attack.

13.f4 Ng6 14.Nf5 exf5 15.exf5 h3 16.Rxh3 Nh4 17.Be4 h5 18.O-O-O hxg4 19.Qxg4 Qa5 20.Bf2 Rb8 21.Bxh4 Bxf5 22.Bxf5 Bxh4 23.Rxh4 Rxh4 24.Qg8+ Ke7 25.Re1+ 1-0

On board 5, Titas Stremavicius defeated surprise protagonist Ray Debayan from India (2004 Elo) while GM Visakh checkmated his opponent IM Cahaya following a brutal Kingside attack, as previous BCC winner Ganguly overcame Santosh Ajay after conjuring some endgame magic in an equal 3 + Bishop vs. Knight setup. The Short – Aronyak game was drawn without too much fuss, but GM Brandon Jacobson had to survive a dangerous middlegame spell against IM Tran Gia Phuc Pham of Vietnam.

In the Challenger section, Vanssh Adalja remains alone at the top with a perfect score following yet another artistic performance against co-leader Man Danushka.

Credits: www.bangkokchess.com
Games from the top 25 boards: https://lichess.org/broadcast/23rd-bangkok-chess-club-open-2026/mu6Kv85k
Picture database: https://m.piufoto.com/album/9e2ab6d12f3bf3542c9a22e64b6dc012/
Masters section: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1334185.aspx
Challenger section: https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1334184.aspx

23rd Bangkok Chess Club Open underway in Hua Hin, Thailand

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“Undinal songs urge the sailors on,
Till lured by the sirens’ cry” *

Following a memorable 22nd edition on the bank of the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok last year, the BCC Open set its sails to the Western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Veterans from the 2024 event find themselves on familiar grounds however, as the tournament is again hosted by the Sheraton Resort and Spa in Hua Hin.

With a record 357 players representing 48 countries at the start of round one, it can be said that the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty was less of a deterrent than the earthquake which shook both buildings and resolve a little over a year ago in Thailand. It is especially heartening that many of this year’s participants have shown much resourcefulness in order to get to Hua Hin.

Sixteen GMs lead the field, including previous editions’ winners Loek Van Wely, Nigel Short, Surya Ganguly, Vitaliy Bernadskiy as well as defending champion Evgeny Romanov. Along with the other favourites, they made rather short work of their lower-rated opponents. But with a total of 120 titled players and a median rating above 2050 in the Masters’ group, the old hands’ continued dominance is not a foregone conclusion.

Accessible to all players rated under 2000 Elo, the Challengers group gathers 117 competitors from 34 countries, including thirteen local Thais. Oddly enough, the top two seeds both hail from the unlikely place that is Belgium, while the field also includes a couple of blind ladies as well as a player who fell asleep at the board for twenty minutes – but nevertheless managed to win his game.

*Firth of Fifth – Genesis (the rock band, not the book)

Player lists for the 23rd BCC Open

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At the time of publishing, we have 84 players registered for the 23rd BCC Open. It is a truly international tournament as already 33 countries are represented, including from as far afield as Brazil and New Zealand.

So far 11 Grandmasters have confirmed, including the defending champion Evgeny Romanov, and two former champions, Nigel D. Short and Surya Shekhar Ganguly.

We are expecting up to 350 players from 50 different countries to join us in Hua Hin.

Player lists have been published at the chess-results server, and will be updated weekly:

Add your name to the list to join Asia’s best open chess tournament.

Links

23rd Bangkok Chess Club Open 2026

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We are proud to announce the 23rd BCC Open Chess Tournament will be held at the luxurious Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Thailand, April 11-19, 2026. This prestigious event welcomes players of all levels, featuring two categories: Masters (Open) section and Challenger section. The tournament will follow a 9-round Swiss format with a time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, 30 minutes added for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move.

The 23rd BCC Blitz runs during the tournament, with qualifiers in one evening and a final on the next. There will also be a Thai Chess tournament over two mornings.

Expect fierce competition with Grandmasters, International Masters, and talented players from across the globe, offering opportunities for norm achievements and high-quality games. The scenic Sheraton Hua Hin, nestled along Thailand’s stunning coastline, provides a perfect backdrop for this exciting chess event.

Join us for a week of strategic brilliance, networking, and memorable moments, including a special photo opportunity on the Gulf of Thailand. Full details, including registration, accommodation, and prize information, will be available at bangkokchess.com. Don’t miss your chance to compete in one of Asia’s premier chess tournaments!