19 Bangkok Chess Club Open

th
6–14 April 2019
 Welcome to the 19th Bangkok Chess Club Open
B
angkok Chess Club was founded in 1999 you get overseas chess enthusiast (and their fami-
and in 2002 we organised our first interna- lies) and professional players to fly here in growing
tional BCC Open tournament. numbers year after year after year..
This year our venue was marvelous Centara
Amazing numbers
Grand Ladprao hotel in Bangkok. According to
The first tournament had 50 participants from
many participants it is the best venue where they
13 different countries – this year’s tournament
have ever played chess!
had 306 participants from 43 different countries.
Central Group operates some 75 hotels around
After the 19th BCC Open there have been total
the world, and has plan to expand within next five
of 3552 entries. These have included over 1800
years to cover 135 hotels. We hope that cooper-
different players representing 74 countries, includ-
ation between Bangkok Chess Club and Central
ing 97 Grand Masters. One amazing fact is that
Group will flourish in the future.
85% of all players have travelled from abroad to
participate these tournaments, when in similar Thanks
open tournaments in other countries 70-80% of These tournaments would not have been pos-
the players are usually from the host country. sible without great generosity from the owners
and managers of the great tournament venues/
Secrets for Success?
hotels as well as our multinational, regular team
From the very beginning our aim has been to
of organizers, arbiters and tournament staff. Big
create a chess tournament with relaxing atmos-
thanks also belong to to all our regular overseas
Photo Credits phere, smooth organization, in spacious & beauti-
participants, who continue to spread the word
ful playing venues and comfortable hotel facilities.
Peter Long, Panupand Vijjuprabha, Jakkraphon about BCC Open.
Combine this with beautiful beaches or amazing
Saengsrichan and Cathy Rogers. Additional photography
Bangkok, as well as famous Thai hospitality, and
by Shahid Ahmed, ChessBase India and Panu Laine

19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 1

CONTENTS CONTENTS

Our Sponsors
4 8
BCC Open Begins with Upsets 9

Local Hero Stops Top Seed 10

4 Centara Grand Ladprao
Grandmasters Dominate 11
5 ThaiBev
Three Lead after Four
6 Pyn Fund Management Rounds 12

7 Silver Sponsors
• Chess4Thai
Media Relations Brilliant Gustafsson
Alone at the Top 13
• Jipata
Favourites Take the Lead 14
• LIFA AIR
Songkran Celebrations 15

Gustafsson Moves Into

Clear Lead 16

Gustafsson Wins 19th BCC Open 17

18
Galleries

19th BCC Open

34 Titled Players

36 Generation Game

38 Frequent Flyers

40 Talented Thais
34
42 Aspiring Juniors
20 Through the Years
44 Invaluable Team
22 Challenger Tournament
46 Reception
26 Blitz Championship

28 Open Championship

48
48 An Australian Perspective

54 Dining with PYN

80
Final Standings:

80 Open Tournament
58 Songkran Celebrations
84 Challenger Tournament
62 Prizegiving
86 Blitz Tournament
68 Collateral Material

72 BCC Open on the Web

2 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 1

9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 3
 GOLD SPONSOR Gold Sponsor

Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao ThaiBev

B V
angkok is one of the intriguing cities style and re-opened in 2012, Thailand’s ision: To be Thailand’s world-class total • Grow revenue and profits in a sustaina-
of Asia; a place of glittering temples, very first integrated five-star hotel and beverage producer and distributor ble manner to create value for sharehold-
a diverse cultural heritage, a majestic shopping destination has a reputation for embodying commercial excellence, ers and provide favourable returns on
river, a myriad of exquisite dining opportu- attentive service, sublime dining and modern continuous product development and pre- investments;
nities and fabulous shopping options, and accommodations. miumisation, as well as professionalism. Our • Be a role model of the highest standards
an energy that makes everything possible 24 Integral to the hotel is the Bangkok mission is to build strong mutually beneficial of professionalism, corporate governance,
hours a day. Located on the northern side Convention Centre Hall and the Central relationships with all our stakeholders in every and transparency;
of Bangkok, within the Ladprao business Plaza shopping and lifestyle complex, aspect, guided by the following six principles: • Build a sense of ownership among
district and moments away from Chatuchak together offering all that is needed for guests • Offer top quality products to all cus- employees by trusting, empowering, and
Park, the hotel is one of the city’s timeless staying in Bangkok on leisure or business. tomer segments; rewarding them; and
landmarks. • Respond professionally to distributors’ • Contribute to society.
Website: www.centarahotelsresorts.com
Fully renovated to a modern and inviting demand; Website: www.thaibev.com

4 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 1

9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 5
 Silver Sponsor Silver Sponsor

Chess4Thai Lifa Air

Chess promoter, organiser and school, Lifa Air Ltd. is the world’s leadingBrand Guidelines
producer of safe2016/2017
and clean
encouraging the development of chess indoor air products and equipment, specializing in Ventilation
in Thailand especially in young people. Hygiene and Building Protection.
Lifa Air has been at the forefront of functional and effi-
Website: www.chess4thai.info
cient solutions in indoor air quality (air pollutant control)
since 1988. In Finland, a country best known for clean air
and fresh innovations, we design state-of-the-art solutions
that set the standard for ensuring healthy indoor living. Our
ventilation duct, kitchen exhaust, industrial pipeline cleaning
equipment and HVAC air filtration solutions are backed by
committed R&D.

Website: www.lifa.net

Silver Sponsor

Jipata
Made to order T-shirts, polo shirts, round
neck shirts, v-neck shirts, jackets, tracksuit
Gold Sponsor sets, staff shirts, sports shirts, team shirts etc. Our aim is
honesty and punctuality for maximum customer satisfaction.
PYN Asia Research Ltd. Our factory handles screen printing, sewing and comput-
erized embroidery. Conveniently located with branches at

P
YN Asia Research is an independent site visits and meetings with the executive Ratchaya Mansion, Khuang Sing and Sanpatong Head Office
market research company specializing management to verify business potential and
Website: www.jipata.co.th
on Asian markets. The company pro- strategies.
vides research and analysis services exclu-
PYN Asia Research Ltd.
sively for PYN Elite Fund.
87 M-Thai Tower, All Seasons Place,
PYN Asia Research focuses on analyzing
19th Floor, Unit 1, Wireless Road,
markets and equities not commonly covered
Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
by larger investment banks, security brokers
Phone: +66 (0)2 654 3050
and research firms. The principles of valua-
tions is based on detailed analysis of under- Website: www.pyn.fi
lying businesses and market fundamentals.
The analysts also conduct regular company

6 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 1

9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 7
Media Relations

Day 1
T he Bangkok Chess Club Open Championships are
followed by many chess enthsiasts around the world.
Games of the top twelve boards are broadcast live over the
releases to international chess websites and publica-
tions. Grandmaster Ian Rogers, Australia’s first ever
Grandmaster and winner of countless tournaments, was
internet, and the most popular chess websites keep their ranked 50th in the world at his peak. Having retired from
readership informed via press releases sent out every day. competetive chess, Ian is now a respected chess writer.
We invited a former BCC Open Champion to He was joined by his wife, WFM Cathy Rogers, who
provide in-depth game analyses and daily press provided photographs for the press releases.

Press Release

19th Bangkok Chess Club Open Begins with Upsets

T
he 19th Bangkok Chess Club Open, described as “argu- almost pulled off an even greater upset before spoiling a defen-
ably, the tournament of the year,” by respected website sible endgame and losing to the sixth seed, 25-year-old Italian
chess24.com, began on Saturday in the luxurious ballroom Grandmaster Andrea Stella.
of the Centara Grand Hotel with a near-record attendance, The Bangkok Chess Club Open is Thailand’s most popular
which included 17 Grandmasters. tournament and one of the largest opens in South-East Asia.
The field of 201 from 34 countries in the Open division The tournament alternates between Bangkok and other major
includes three previous BCC Open titleholders: Nigel Short Thai cities.
(England, winner in 2012, 2015 and 2017), Jan Gustafsson The BCC Open will be held daily until April 14th at the
(Germany, 2011) and Zhao Zong Yuan (Australia, 2013). Centara Grand Hotel in Central Plaza, Ladprao, Bangkok. The
All three won their first round comfortably against lower second round of the Open division begins on Sunday April 7th
rated opposition, with Short launching a spectacular checkmat- at 14.00, with the Challengers division beginning on April 8.
ing attack involving the sacrifice of a rook and then a queen, Spectator entry is free.
GM Ian Rogers, 5th BCC with his opponent resigning four moves later.
Open Champion, and However the top seeds did not have matters all their own
WFM Cathy Rogers 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,

8 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9

Day 2

Day 3
Press Release
Press Release
Local Hero Stops Top Seed at BCC Open Grandmasters Dominate at Bangkok Chess Club Open
I
n 2016 Poompong Wiwatanadate was working as an arbiter rounds remaining and more than 30 players on a perfect score,
at the Bangkok Chess Club Open, collecting results and plenty of players still have hopes to secure the 100,000 baht

T
he 17 visiting Grandmasters showed why they are a Philippines. Short said that he had played 13 World Champions
ruling on disputes. Three years later the 29-year-old has first prize.
class above by scoring 16.5 points in the third round of in his career but was not sure if a win against Alekhine meant
become the toast of Bangkok by holding a draw against, and One Grandmaster was defeated in the second round –
the Bangkok Chess Club Open on Monday. Thailand that he had played a 14th. Short has now moved up into 15th
almost beating top seed and former world title challenger Nigel India’s Dopade Swapnil beaten by Australian journeyman Colin
has no Grandmasters yet but one of our players, Poompang place.
Short. Savige. Swapnil lost on time on move 61 in a difficult position
Wiwatanadate, played a draw against English Grandmaster Today also saw the first round of the Challengers
Wiwatanadate had twice lost to Short in earlier BBC Opens, but one which he would nonetheless have expected to draw.
Nigel Short on Sunday. Tournament with 100 players, bringing the total number at the
an event Short has won thrice, but said before today’s game The top Chinese player in the BCC Open, International Master
On the third day of the BCC Open at the Centara Grand 2019 BCC Open to 301.
that he would not be scared. At various points during the game Lou Yiping suffered the biggest upset of the round, losing to
Hotel in Central Plaza, only one Grandmaster was held to a
Short seemed to be gaining the upper hand but Wiwatanadate German veteran Mick Tobor, with the 68-year-old launching a
draw: Hungarian Jozsef Horvath against Malaysian Looi Xin
fought hard and eventually the veteran Englishman started to decisive attack to beat the 12th seed.
Hao. On the first board German Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson
go wrong. However just when Wiwatanadate had the game The Bangkok Chess Club Open, often known as the Thai
had a hard fight before defeating India’s Anup Deshmukh.
at his mercy he missed a winning breakthrough and Short Open, is Thailand’s most popular open tournament and alter-
Before today there were two Thai players leading the tour-
managed to hang on and force a repetition of position. The nates between Bangkok and other major Thai cities. It is held
nament but Wisuwat Teerapabaisit, who has played six Chess
draw was a career-best result for Wiwatanadate and forced through the period of Songkran, formerly Thai New Year and
Olympics for Thailand, lost to Australia’s Moulthun Ly, and
Short down outside the top 30 in the 201 player field. now a traditional water festival washing away bad moves and
Faris Rashid Alriyami, only 12 years old and by far the lowest
Short was not the only high profile casualty in the second bad luck.
rated player to reach the tie for first place after two rounds, was
round of the BCC Open, being held at the Centara Grand
defeated by Woman International Master Phuong Hanh Luong
Hotel in Ladprao. Third seed Babu Lalith drew with 13-year-old
from Vietnam.
Filipino rising star Alekhine Nouri.
Nigel Short, who finished second in a World Championship
The upsets leave German Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson in the
match in 1993, bounced back from his upset draw against
box seat to win his second BCC Open, although with seven
Wiwatanadate to brilliantly defeat Alekhine Nouri of the

10 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 11
1
Day 4

Day 5
Press Release

Press Release
Brilliant Gustafsson Alone at the Top of BCC Open
G
erman Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson found a brilliant queen Playing seriously for the first time since 2015, Chirananthavat
Three Lead after Four Rounds of BCC Open sacrifice to beat India’s Karthik Venkataraman and take the
outright lead at the 19th Bangkok Chess Club Open.
has won every game so far this year at the Centara Grand and
is making Thailand proud.

W
ith the 19th Bangkok Chess Open reaching the halfway Round 4 was a sad one for our local players. Prin Gustafsson, 39, broke away from his 200 rivals with a game Round 6 of the Bangkok Chess Club Open will begin on
point, only three players remain with a perfect score, all Laohawirapap, who before today was equal with Mr Short half against a fellow Grandmaster that will strike fear into the heart Wednesday at 2.00pm and will be broadcast live on chess24.
Grandmasters. a point away from first place, lost to Indonesian FIDE Master of his coming opponents. He has now scored a perfect 5/5 and com.
Second seed Jan Gustafsson easily defeated his fellow Andrean Susilodinata a is on track to repeat his BCC Open success from 2011. Our Twitter account is @bangkokchess
German Gerhard Schebler, the highest rated Thai resident point away from the lead. Round 5 also saw only the second defeat of a Grandmaster
to maintain his perfect record in Thailand’s biggest open Since all the Thai players by a non-Grandmaster in the 2019 BCC Open when
tournament. just behind Laohawirapap Indonesian FIDE Master Andrean Susilodinata outwitted
Gustafsson was joined by two Indian Grandmasters, Abhijit lost their games in round 4, Moulthun Ly of Australia. Susilodinata is now just half a
Kunte and Karthik Venkataraman, who both beat titled Laohawirapap stays as our point behind Mr Gustafsson, a position shared with two
Vietnamese opponents to also reach 4 wins from 4 games. highest scoring player. Grandmasters: India’s Babu Lalith and legendary veteran Nigel
Just behind the leaders is the popular English ex-World Chess Round 5 of the Short, who was a very strong player in the 1990s.
Championship loser Nigel Short. For the third time in four Bangkok Chess Club Open In the Challengers division, one of our greatest brains is
games, Short thrilled the spectators at the Centara Grand Hotel will begin on Wednesday leading the tournament. Theemathas Chirananthavat, 20,
in Central Plaza by sacrificing one of his pieces to start an attack at 11.00am and will be played for the Thai Olympic team in 2012 at age 14, but soon
on his opponent’s king. In round 4 Short’s opponent, American broadcast live on the after retired from chess and went on to win gold medals for
Life Master John Langreck, was so impressed by the sacrifice website chess24.com. Thailand at mathematics and informatics competitions.
that he resigned immediately.

12 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 13
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Day 6

Day 8
Press Release Press Release

Favourites Take the Lead at BCC Open Songkran Celebrations at BCC Open
N N
igel Short and Jan Gustafsson, the top two seeds at the half of the lead. Our hero of the tournament, Poompong igel Short and Jan Gustafsson discovered the joys of from seven games by defeating Australian Grandmaster Zhao
2019 Bangkok Chess Club Open, are tied for the lead Wiwatanadate, as well as Saphong Hansing, both won to reach Thailand’s famous Songkran Festival on Thursday at the Zong Yuan. Duong, 32, defeated his second Grandmaster in a
with just three rounds to play. four points. Bangkok Chess Club Open. row and has now won more games than any other player in the
The two top seeds, who have won four BCC Open Round 7 of the Bangkok Chess Club Open, featuring a On the first day of Songkran in Bangkok, Short and tournament.
titles between them, survived a crucial day which saw two game between the two top seeds, will begin on Thursday at Gustafsson were asked by organisers to preview their game by A new Thai chess talent became visible today when our own
Grandmasters lose their games to non-Grandmaster opponents. 2.00pm and will be broadcast live on chess24.com. sitting for a photo shoot in local costume in the gardens of the Prin Laohawirapap defeated Australian FIDE Master Tim Reilly.
Short once again thrilled the crowd at the Centara Grand All material in the press release may be used and photos Centara Grand Hotel in Ladprao. However following Songkran Laohawirapap, 12, who was one of the youngest members of
Hotel with a slashing attack against the king of his Indonesian credited to Bangkok Chess Club. tradition, the players were sprinkled with water and then Bangkok Chess Club when he first appeared, has reached four
opponent Andrean Susilodinata. The 53-year-old, who was covered in water by the spectators, which appeared to surprise points from seven games, just two points behind Short.
awarded the title of Member of the British Empire six years both players and upset Short. Round 8 of the Bangkok Chess Club Open begins on Friday
after finishing second in a World Championship match, has The Englishman then had revenge on his tormentors by at 2.00pm and will be broadcast live on chess24.com.
been the tournament’s greatest showman. pouring water on as many as possible – a perfectly acceptable
Short will have a chance to again demonstrate his attack- reaction during Songkran.
ing magic in the next round against Gustafsson, who kept a Short, who as a young man played guitar in a band he
share of the lead after drawing a solid game against Indian described as “very, very bad”, then faced the music against
Grandmaster Babu Lalith. Gustafsson in their real seventh round encounter on first board
The sixth round saw two big upsets, with Italian Grandmaster in the Centara Grand ballroom, and was allowed to sacrifice
losing to Vietnamese rising star The Anh Duong, while Indian a knight and a rook before the players agreed to a draw by
Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua lost to his much younger compa- perpetual check.
triot Khherdekar Sauravh.. The draw between the two leaders allowed Vietnamese
Two local players moved to within just a point and a International Master The Anh Duong to join them on six points

14 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 15
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Day 8

Day 9
Press Release Press Release

Gustafsson Moves Into Clear Lead Gustafsson Wins 19th Bangkok Chess Club Open
G
ermany’s Jan Gustafsson has won his second Bangkok soon took control of their game, though only after four hours

W
ith only one round to play, Jan Gustafsson is just one Gustafsson is also being chased by Filipino International
Chess Club Open title, on a tiebreaker over Deep was Pascua forced to concede defeat.
good game away from winning his second Bangkok Master Haridas Pascua (who scored an upset win against Indian
Sengupta of India. It soon became clear that, although Sengupta had defeated
Chess Club Open title. Grandmaster Babu Lalith), and Indian Dhopade Swapnil (who
Both Gustafsson and Sengupta were undefeated in the nine the top seed Nigel Short, Gustafsson was just ahead on tiebreak
The German Grandmaster and commentator for chess beat fellow Grandmaster Bong Villamayor of the Philippines).
round event, winning six games and conceding three draws and he took home the BCC Open trophy.
website chess24.com, who has competed in the BCC Open for Thai hopes for a grand victory in the Challengers division
each against fellow Grandmasters. However Gustafsson’s oppo- Thailand enjoyed
a decade and took the title in 2011, won a spectacular eighth came to an end today when
nents scored slightly better than those of Sengupta, giving him a deserved success in
round game against Vietnam’s The Anh Duong. Gustafsson, 39, our great mind Theemathas
the coveted BCC Open title, though the two shared 170,000 the Challengers divi-
now takes a half point lead into the final round, ahead of 200 Chirananthavat, who had
baht in prizemoney. sion when Theemathas
other competitors at the 19th edition of Thailand’s best tourna- won every game until
Gustafsson, well known as a tournament commentator and Chirananthavat, con-
ment being held at the Centara Grand Hotel in Central Plaza. today, was bested by
a ‘second’ for World Champion Magnus Carlsen, is a popular sidered one of our best
Gustafsson’s co-leader going in to the penultimate round, Ric Portugalera of the
winner in Thailand, having competed in almost every BCC minds and playing his
Nigel Short, saw his chances of a fourth BCC Open title disap- Philippines.
Open for a decade. His previous title win came eight years ago first tournament for four
pear when he was outplayed by India’s Deep Sengupta. The The final round of the
in Pattaya. At the end of his winner’s speech at the spectacular years, finished tied for
top seed, who caused a worldwide sensation at the 2015 BCC Bangkok Chess Club Open
closing ceremony, Gustafsson said that the BCC Open was: “in first place. However,
Open when he gave a series of interviews claiming that men begins on Sunday at the
my opinion by far the best tournament in the world – venue, the Challengers title
were hardwired to play better chess than women, sacrificed a Centara Grand Hotel in
playing conditions, everything.” went on tiebreak to
piece, as he has done in almost every game in this tournament. Ladprao at the special
The final round started at the Centara Grand ballroom with Ric Portugalera of the
However his opponent’s extra knight proved decisive after 58 early time of 9.00am and
Jan Gustafsson taking an early draw against Indian Grandmaster Philippines, whom he
moves and more than four hours play. The Indian Grandmaster, will be broadcast live on
Dhopade Swapnil, waiting to see if either Filipino International had beaten in the previ-
30, has never finished in the top 3 of a BCC Open but now sits chess24.com.
Master Haridas Pascua or Sengupta could catch him. Sengupta ous round.
just behind Gustafsson.

16 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 17
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19 BCC OPEN TH
T he 19th edition of the Bangkok Chess Club Open Chess
Championships has been rated as the best of our tour-
naments in terms of playing conditions, quality of the hotel
accommodation, organisation and the complete experience.

18 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 19

 Through the Years History of the Bangkok Chess Club Open
1800+
The number of unique
players participating
in the BCC Open
97
The number of
Grandmasters
participating
74
The number of
countries represented
at the BCC Open
3552
Total number of times
players participated in
the BCC Open

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th
Amari Orchid Resort Novotel Siam Square Amari Orchid Resort Novotel Siam Square Regent Cha-Am Dusit Thani Pattaya Dusit Thani Bangkok Dusit Thani Pattaya Dusit Thani Bangkok Dusit Thani Pattaya
Pattaya 2002 Bangkok 2003 Pattaya 2003 Bangkok 2004 Petchaburi 2005 Pattaya 2011 Bangkok 2012 Pattaya 2013 Bangkok 2014 Pattaya 2015
Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners Winners
1. IM Tejas Bakre 1. GM Ruslan Pogorelov 1. GM Rogelio Antonio 1. GM Rogelio Antonio 1. GM Ian Rogers 1. GM Jan Gustafsson 1. GM Nigel Short 1. GM Zhao Zong-Yuan 1. G
 M Francisco Vallejo 1. GM Nigel Short
2. IM Rahul Shetty 2. IM Richard Polaczek 2. GM Alexei Barsov 2. GM Ian Rogers 2. GM Eugenio Torre 2. GM Nigel Short 2. G M Farrukh 2. GM IM Wan Yunguo Pons 2. G M Surya Shekhar
3. IM Chris Baker 3. FM Banjuab 3. GM Ruslan Pogorelov 3. FM Colm Daly 3. GM Wu Shaobin 3. G M Francisco Vallejo Amonatov 3. GM Jan Gustafsson 2. GM Oliver Barbosa Ganguly
Jiravorasuk Pons 3. IM Nguyen Duc Hoa 3. GM Jan Gustafsson 3. GM Kamil Dragun
50 Competitors 50 Competitors 80 Competitors 94 Competitors 74 Competitors 221 Competitors 230 Competitors 314 Competitors 210 Competitors 255 Competitors

6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
Century Park Hotel Phuket Graceland Century Park Hotel Aisawan Century Park Hotel Dusit Thani Bangkok Regent Cha-am Regent Cha-am Centara Grand Details of the 20th
Bangkok 2006 Resort Bangkok 2008 Resort & Spa Bangkok 2010 Bangkok 2016 Beach Resort Beach Resort Ladprao BCC Open will be
Winners Phuket 2007 Winners Pattaya 2009 Winners Winners Winners Cha-am 2018 Bangkok 2019 coming soon
1. GM Rogelio Antonio Winners 1. Xiu Deshun Winners 1. GM Sune Berg Hansen 1. G
 M Ganguly Surya Cha-am 2017 Winners Winners
2. FM Rico Salimbagat 1. IM David Smerdon 2. Zhang Ziyang 1. Xiu Deshun 2. GM Nigel Short Shekar 1. GM Nigel Short 1. F M Priasmoro 1. GM Jan Gustafsson
3. IM Chandrashekhar 2. GM Rogelio Antonio 3. GM Li Shilong 2. G M Elshan 3. IM Mokal Prathamesh 2. G M Francisco Vallejo 2. GM Ivan Rozum Novendra 2. G M Sengupta Deep
Gokhale 3. GM Ian Rogers Moradiabadi Sunil Pons 3. GM Anton Shomoev 2. G M Deepan C 3. G M Karthik
3. GM Nigel Short 3. GM Benjamin Bok 3. CM Gukesh D Venkataraman
108 Competitors 109 Competitors 142 Competitors 196 Competitors 164 Competitors 324 Competitors 349 Competitors 276 Competitors 306 Competitors

F
rom modest beginnings, the Bangkok Chess Club Open more than 300 chess players from over 40 different countries:
has grown to become a strong international tournament, a truly international tournament with regulars who return year
the strongerst in Southeast Asia, and described by two past after year, as well as young aspiring Grandmasters.
winners as “the best in the world”. The tournament has contributed significantly to the develop-
From just 50 in 2002, the tournament regularly attracts ment of chess in Thailand and the region.

20 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 21
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19th BCC Open

Challenger Tournament
T
he Challenger tournament is a shorter 7-day event
intended for the more casual chess players. It is more of a
fun event with first-time tournament players alongside vet-
erans, some parents whose prodigies are competing for prizes
in the main event, and those who cannot take so much time off
work. Games are played in the same format as the Open cate-
gory, and entry is restricted to players with a chess rating under
2100 FIDE ELO).
All the same rules apply and this year the Challenger tour-
nament took place in the same playing hall as the main event.
There were 103 players including 21 ladies, with ages ranging
from 6 to 77 years.

22 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 23

24 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 25
19th BCC Open

Blitz Championship
B
CC’s annual Blitz championship features games played at playing 15 hard-fought games over the course of two hours to
lightning speed – the whole game takes about 10 minutes determine the 19th BCC Blitz Open Champion.
for all the moves – so there is lots of excitement and All games from the Blitz final were broadcast live over the
plenty of suprising results. internet.
The event takes place over two evenings, the first being a The eventual winner was Grandmaster Rodrigo Vasquez
qualifier event with eight groups of 14 players, with the top two Schroeder, all the way from Santiago, Chile. In second place
from each group going through to the final on the following was IM Roy Prantik from India, followed by Louis Salvador
evening. from the Philippines. For the full results of the final see page 86.
One hundred and eight players took part, including several
Grandmasters and others from the main tournament
as well as some who were not playing in the Open
or Challenger. 16 players qualified for the finals,

26 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 27

19th BCC Open

Open Championship
B
angkok Chess Club’s main event of the year is the annual Uniquely the BCC Open features more visitors from over-
Open Tournament, with a prize fund of 481,000 baht, and seas than players from the host country, despite the expense of
a first prize of 100,000 baht. By international standards flights and hotel accommodation. The largest contingent was
this is not high, but the quality of the tournament is exceptional, from India, a country with a long history in chess, and many
and people love to be able to visit Thailand. The tournament young aspiring grandmasters looking to tournaments like ours
has been described as “the best in the world” by Grandmasters for international exposure and experiance with chess players
Nigel Short and Jan Gustafsson, both BCC Open Champions from many nations.
and regulars of the international professional chess circuit. In And players bring their families with them. Younger players
fact Nigel Short lays claim to having played (and won) tourna- come with their coaches and/or their parents, while many
ments in more countries than anyone else, so he would have adults bring their spouses with them to enjoy a holiday in the
plenty for comparison. sun – especially with the Thai New Year holiday of Songkran
In the Open Championship, there were 201 players includ- taking place at the same time.
ing 25 ladies, with ages ranging from 6 to 82 years. Many of We are constantly striving to improve playing conditions for
them are regulars, with some having returned to Thailand more the players, as well as the whole experience of a fun trip to
than ten times just to play in our tournament, coming from Thailand. While the players are competetive and very serious
as far afield as North and South America, New Zealand and during the games they, and those who accompany them, have
Europe. plenty of free time for sightseeing and entertainment.

28 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 29

30 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 31
32 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 33
Titled Players
T he créme de la créme of the chess world are
Grandmasters, a title awarded by the world chess
authority FIDE. The official title is International
International Master (IM) before finally reaching the GM
level. FIDE awards separate titles for women: WFM, WIM
and WGM.
Grandmaster. On the way to becoming a Grandmaster, Our tournament featured numerous strong chess
you first attain the title of FIDE Master (FM), and players with those titles, some of them pictured here.

GM Josef Horvath, Hungary

FM Riste Menkinoski, Macedonia 5-time Spanish Champion, GM Juan Manuel Bellón López, Sweden

GM Andrea Stella, Italy GM Gerhard Schebler, Germany WIM Varshini V, India GM Zhao Zong-Yuan, Australia GM Nigel Short, England

GM Swapnil S. Dhopade, India GM Barua Dibyendu, India WIM Luong Phuong Hanh, Vietnam GM Jan Gustafsson, Germany IM Duong The Anh, Vietnam GM Kunte Abhijit, India

34 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 35

Generation Games
O ne of the big advantages of chess is that it can be
played by people of any gender or age. Youth and
energy, or age and experience – which wins?
coached by a Grandmaster and playing well above her
rating? Juniors progrees so quickly, so you never know.
Many players had the opportunity to find out at the 19th
It is always a scary proposition when you are faced with Bangkok Chess Club Open.
a young chess player: is she a beginner or is she being

36 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 37

Frequent Flyers
T he Bangkok Chess Club Open attracts many regular
players, flying each year from Asia, Europe, Australia
and as far as New Zealand. For some it is the only tour-
nament they play, while for others playing chess is an
obsession.
It’s always a pleasure to catch up with old friends.
Tommy Ilmoni, Finland

WFM Emmanuelle Hng, Singapore Vasanta Wettasinha, Sri Lanka Ron Hoffman, Netherlands

Seppo Karasmaki, Finland Dominique Laurain, France Peter Frost, Australia Robert Kollmann, Germany Erik Frederiksen, Denmark

Joseph Toh, Malaysia Damian Norris, Fiji Mick Tobor, Germany Ahmad Muzzaffar, Malaysia Sean Watharow, Australia Terje Lie, Norway

38 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 39

Talented Thais
M akruk Thai – traditional chess – is played widely all
over the country, and is closelly related to Burmese
and Cambodian variants. Because of this, international
This was reflected in the number of Thai participants
this year, with many more Thai juniors joining, and also
in the quality of their play. There are more chess schools,
chess was initially slow to catch on in Thailand but, with more teachers, and there are frequent inter-school and
a little help from the Bangkok Chess Club it has been inter-collegiate competitions.
growing exponentially over the last few years.

40 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 41

Aspiring Juniors
J uniors are the future of chess. Fearless and willing to
experiment, they have minds that develop incredibly
quickly. The Bangkok Chess Club Open attracts many
eager juniors seeking exposure to strong international
players. They dream of beating a Grandmaster.
For a few, the dream becomes reality.

42 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 43

Invaluable Team
T hrough dedication and hard work, our team has
become very efficient, ensuring the tournament runs
smoothly for all nine days – but they wouldn’t be doing it
if it was all work and no play.

44 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 45

Reception
A large lobby area with a regstration desk and shop for
BCC mementoes and chess equiment greeted players
when they arrived. There was seating for spectators and
a reasonably priced cash bar for food and refreshments
provided by the hotel.

46 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 47

 Gustafsson Collects
An Australian Perspective, by Peter Frost
Second Bangkok Chess Club Open Title

T
he 19th edition of the Bangkok Chess Club Open was held come to the board well armed, and a stronger player’s higher dangerous Nouri Alekhine for round 3, tweeting the following:
at the Centara Grand  at Central Plaza Ladprao Hotel in skill level may not be evident for a long time if he is caught in a “It is a bit disconcerting, after the debacle of yesterday, to find
Bangkok from 6-14 April 2019. Two hundred and one prepared line. Upsets are becoming increasingly common. This myself facing Alekhine in the third round. I had been labouring
players contested the nine-round “Open” tournament (includ- phenomenon is particularly evident at the Bangkok Chess Club under the misapprehension that he died in Estoril in 1946”.
ing 13 Australians) whilst a further 103 players participated in Open, which features high numbers of representatives from As it turned out, the English Grandmaster need not have
the seven-round “Challenger” event (including another three countries where ratings are not as reliable as in more estab- been too worried, overcoming the determined resistance of his
Australians). lished regions. young opponent with some fine sacrificial play.
Thirty-nine nations were represented, their flags creating a This was particularly so in the second round, when, despite White has built up a sizea-
colourful spectacle on each table throughout the well-appointed a rating differential of approximately 500 points on each board, ble advantage, but how can he
hotel ballroom. the favourites could only bring home the full point on 8 of the break through?
The feature event was once again headlined by elite top 13 boards. The most dramatic of these upsets took place on
37. Nxg6! fxg6 38. Re6!
Grandmasters Nigel Short and Jan Gustafsson, who require the very top board, where local FM Poompong Wiwatanadate
Beautifully played! White
no introduction to chess enthusiasts. A total of seventeen (ELO 2025) took on the top-seeded Short.
takes advantage of firstly a
Grandmasters were present, including six from India. Australia’s This clash was eagerly anticipated by connoisseurs of high
pin and then a fork to destroy
challenge was spearheaded by former winner GM Zong-Yuan fashion, as Poompong has long been recognised as the best-
all communication between
Zhao and GM Moulthun Ly, with FM Tim Reilly and Colin dressed chess player in South East Asia, and Nigel Short is also
Black’s Queen and bishop. 
Savige in support. known for his stylish suits at the board.
Now the Black Queen is completely cut off from the action on
Poompong arrived resplendent in a dark suit with his trade-
the kingside.
mark tie in the colours of his national flag. Short, who had
played this opponent twice previously and was alert to the 38…Nf6, 39 Bxf5 gxf5, 40 h5 Nxe6, 41 dxe6 1-0
danger of being outdressed, had collected a brand new suit
Jan Gustafsson won his third straight game, and the two
from a Sukhumvit Road tailor on the previous evening, and so
Australian GM’s also progressed to perfect scores.
was able to fully counter any sartorial advantage his opponent
Indian Grandmaster Deep Sengupta showed he too was in
might have hoped for.
fine form when he produced the most spectacular of several
While the two players were always expected to be well
dramatic Queen sacrifices in this tournament against his compa-
matched in terms of appearance, it was a surprise to see the
triot WIM V Varshini:
Thai player also holding his own over the board in a hard-
Sengupta produced a real
fought game. The contest became something of a free-for-all
“bolt from the blue” with 23…
as the time control approached when firstly Short missed a
GM Deep Sengupta & GM Nigel Short Qh3!! which must have left his
winning line, and then the Thai player let his own winning
opponent thinking “where did
Round 1 opportunity slip by. A perpetual check soon resulted. A great
THAT come from?”.  White
Short began the tournament result for Thailand chess!
was able to defend with 24
with a spectacular Rook and A second upset brought great cheer to Australian observers
Nf3 but after…Bxf3 25 gxf3
Queen sacrifice against Indian when Colin Savige, who had played very well to arrive at a fully
Nf5 the initiative had passed
junior Ramesh Avinash. equal ending with Indian GM Dhopade Swapnil , received an
to Black who duly won to join
In this position, Short unexpected bonus half point when the latter failed to make a
the leaders.
shocked his opponent with move in time.
29. Rxe6!! intending to Notable among other upsets was 13 year old Filipino junior Round 4
answer…Kxe6 with 30. Qxd5+ Nouri Alekhine holding Indian GM Babu Lalith to a draw and Short continued his renaissance by defeating the American John
with mate to follow. Tournament Director IO Kai Tuorila sharing the point with Langreck, while Gustafsson also won against his countryman,
GM Zong-Yuan Zhao began with a smooth win. The writer GM Dibyendu Barua. Pattaya resident GM Gerhard Schebler, to become the only
of these lines had the pleasure of a game with “The Quiet Amid the mayhem, the two Australian Grandmasters safely player to have won all four games.  
Assassin”,  GM Moulthun Ly, and was duly asphyxiated without progressed to 2/2, as did the second-seeded Gustafsson, who Both Australians were held to a draw in this round.
landing a punch. now assumed the mantle of tournament favourite. Moulthun’s game was particularly interesting:

Round 2 Round 3 GM Moulthun Ly (2490)-Saha Neelash (2302)

Leading players are often heard to bemoan how these days, Short showed that his misfortune of the previous day had
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nf3 g6
there are few easy games. Engines have allowed all players to not affected his sense of humour after being paired with the
GM Jan Gustafsson BCC Open Champion 2019
48 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 49
1
7. h3 30. Rd2 Bc3 31. Rc2 Bd4 32. Bxd4 Nxd4 33. Rd2 Qd5
A key difference between the King’s Indian defence and the Threatening…Nf3+.
Benoni is the value of Black’s light-squared bishop. In the King’s
34. Kh1 Kg7 35. Re1 Re7 36. Re3 Qc4?!
Indian, he is a vital support to the standard kingside pawn
Black has maintained his advantage, his two extra pawns and
storm, often sitting contentedly on d7 for a long time before
strong knight more than compensating for his exchange deficit.
spectacularly sacrificing himself on h3 to smash open the White
But the move played allows an immediate draw. It is unclear
King’s defences. In the Benoni, however, Black is more likely
whether Black saw White’s next and was content to draw with
to advance his queenside pawns than his kingside ones. His
a Grandmaster, or whether the move played was simply an
light squared bishop struggles to find a good square, as d7 is an
oversight with the time control approaching.
important travelling route for the Benoni knights.  Therefore,
Black is usually keen to exchange his problem bishop by a 37. Rxe4!
timely…Bg4. Moulthun prevents this. For the second time in this game, Moulthun is able to meet a
threat with an equal or stronger one of his own.
7…Bg7 8.  e4 0-0 9.  Bd3 Nbd7 10. 0-0 Ne8 11 Bg5 f6
12. Be3 Ne5 13. Nxe5 fxe5 37…Rxe4 1/2-1/2
White has an edge in the form of his more flexible dark-squared Perpetual check will follow: 38. Qxe4 Qc1+ 39. Kh2 Qxd2
bishop and more space. Black’s dark-squared bishop is very 40. Qe7+ etc.
passive at present and will struggle to participate in any action
that might occur on the queenside. Moulthun immediately
Round 5
initiates play there.
Another win for Short, this time against Indian GM Abhijit
14. Rb1 Bd7 15. b4! Qc8 16. bxc5 dxc5 17. Bb5! Kunte. The Australians slipped a little off the pace, with  Zhao
Black’s light-squared bishop did manage to become a good agreeing to a quick draw with another Indian GM, Jha Sriram,
piece in this game, but Moulthun easily exchanges his own while Moulthun suffered a loss to Indonesian FM Andrean
problem bishop for it, leaving him with the clearly superior Susilodinata. GM Nigel Short & GM Jan Gustafsson discovering the joys of Thailand’s famous Songkran Festival 11 April 2019
bishop. Meanwhile, Gustafsson decided that it was not enough
simply to be ahead of his English rival on points…he also
17…Bxb5 18. Nxb5 a6 (diagram) this year and defeated Pia Cramling’s husband in fine style. 20. g3 Qe7 21. Nf6+ 1-0
wanted to draw level with him in spectacular Queen sacrifices.
When faced with such a move, a lower rated player instinctively White would win even more material with 21. Nd6+, but the
In Venkataraman- GM Zong-Yuan Zhao (2529)-GM Juan Bellon Lopez (2343)
starts looking at where to retreat his knight. A master’s mind is move played also induced immediate surrender.
Gustafsson, White had been
more flexible at such moments and does not forget that even 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7
doing well before his fatal last Round 7
a threat to win a piece can be effectively met by an equal or 6. Be3 Nf6 7.  f4 d6 8. Qf3 a6 9. 0-0-0 h5 10 e5 Nxd4?!
move, blocking the Queen’s The long-awaited showdown arrived between the two elite
stronger threat… Black plans to offer an exchange of Queens, but the move
check with 23. Rf2.  He imme- GMs, who shared the lead alone, each having conceded just
played merely develops White’s game.
19. d6!? axb5 20. d7 Qc6 diately resigned on seeing the the one draw. Those who hoped for a keen contest were not
If 20…Qc7 then White checks reply…Qxf2+! 11. Bxd4 dxe5 12. Bxe5 Qc6 13. Qd3 Bd7 14. Be2! Rd8 disappointed.
on d5, takes on e8 and then Of course not 14…Qxg2 as White will then “remove the guard”
Round 6 GM Nigel Short (2636)-GM Jan Gustafsson (2633)
takes on c5 with a winning by taking firstly on f6 and then on d7 with mate.
Gustafsson was finally held
game. 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 Bb4
to a draw, the feat being achieved by Lalith. Short caught the 15. Bf3 Qb6 16. Ne4 Nd5 17. Rhe1 Qa5 (diagram)
6. Bg5 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qa5
21. d8 (Q) Rxd8 22. Qxd8 leader by defeating Moulthun’s conqueror from the previous
18. Qxd5! 10. Bxf6 Qxc3+ 11. Kf1 gxf6
Nd6 23. Qe7?! round.
A spectacular way to take A rare instance where taking a piece with check is bad! After
The Queen was better placed
advantage of the Black King 11…Qxc4+?! 12. Kg1 the threat of Rc1 means Black will not
on the queenside where it
never leaving the centre. get to capture the bishop on f6.
could harass Black’s pawns there. White’s prospects after 23
Qa5! are superior, but now Black’s position is the easier to play. 18…Qxe1 12. Rc1 Qa5
After 18…exd5 19. Nf6+! A sharp opening. Black has a pawn but his King is unsafe.
23…Re8 24. Qh4 Nxe4 25. Rbc1?!
gxf6 20. Bc3+ and whichever This position was seen in Bu-Piorun at the Batumi Olympiad
Difficult to find was 25 Rxb5! Qxb5 (the attempted zwischen-
bishop blocks the check will last year. The Chinese player proceeded with 13 Qg4 eyeing an
zug 25…Bf6 26 Qg4 changes nothing) 26 Qxe4 and the threat
be vulnerable to a pin, giving invasion of g7 by the Queen. Short prefers to bring his King’s
of Rb1 will result in the fall of one of Black’s queenside pawns,
Black’s Rook no time to flee after Bxa5. Rook quickly into the game and to attack directly along the
ensuring at least equality for White.
Also losing is 18…Qxd5  19. Rxd5 exd5 20. Nf6+! gxf6 central files.
After the move played in the game, White must defend
21. Bxf6+  and 22. Bxh8
carefully, as Black can establish a minor piece on d4 and look 13. g3
to advance his queenside pawns. IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi & GM Moulthun Ly 19. Qd4 Qh4 Black must now choose whether to castle or hide his King
Moulthun bounced back with a win, whilst Zhao caught the Murderous is 19…Qa5 20. Bxg7 Bxg7 21. Qxg7 Rf8 behind his central pawns. Gustafsson was critical of his choice
25…b6 26. Bh6 Bf6 27. Qg4 Nd6 28. Rcd1 Nf5 29. Be3 e4
“Queen sacrifice fever” which was so virulent on the top boards 22. Nd6+ Ke7 23. f5 after the game, explaining that he was familiar with this position

50 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 51
1
and that he knew that Black is supposed to be fine after cas- once too often against Kunte and lost.
tling. However, during the game, he preferred e7 for the King Zhao bounced back with a very fine win over Filipino Louie
so that after Black pins White’s knight to his Queen with…Rd8, Salvador, the recent winner of the Laos Open, achieving a near
the pin cannot be simply broken by Qg4+. zugzwang with many pieces still on the board:
However, the King is at risk in the centre of the board, as
Short proceeds to demonstrate.

13…Ke7 14. Kg2 Rd8 (diagram)

15. Nf5+! exf5

After 15…Kf8 16 Qh5 wins
immediately.

16. Qh5 Rf8

White clearly has at least a
draw after 16…Be6 17. Bxe6
fxe6 18. Qxh7+
GM Zong-Yuan Zhao & Louie Salvador
Engines now suggest the
surprising pawn grab 17. Bxf7, GM Zong-Yuan Zhao (2529)-Louie Salvador (2270)
the point of which is of course not to collect a pawn, but to
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
clear the seventh rank so that a later Qh7+ will carry a lot of From left: Kittiratt Na-Ranong, President Thailand Chess Association; IO Kai Tuorila, Tournament Organiser; GM Zong-Yuan
6. Be3 e6 7. Be2 Be7 8. f4 Qc7 9. g4 b5 10. g5 Nfd7
punch. Short prefers the logical and consistent “human” move Zhao (Australia), GM Karthik Venkataraman (India); GM Jan Gustafsson (Germany); GM Deep Sengupta (India); GM Dhopade
11. a3 Bb7 12. f5 e5 13. Nb3 Nc5?!
in this position, bringing his least active piece into his attack. Swapnil (India); Chief Arbiter IA Markku Kosonen (Finland); James Wilson, General Manager Centara Grand Ladprao Hotel
Black misses a chance to break up White’s threatening pawns
17. Rhe1 Nc6 by taking advantage of the White King also being in the centre.
It is much easier to annotate than to play. Engines have pointed After 13…h6! 14 gxh6 Bh4+ 15 Kf1 gxh6 there would be 35. c4 Ke6 36. Rgd1 Rg8 37. Kb3 e4 38. c5 e3 • Raphael Atia 3/9
out the somewhat superior defence 17…Bd7 with a small chances for both sides. 39. Rxh5 e2 40. Re1 1-0 • Jordan Chan 2.5/9
advantage to Black, the point being that after 18 exf5+ the A masterful display of paralysis! Particularly impressive were the performances of the Atia
14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 Qc6 16. Nxc5 Qxd5
Black King can now go to d8 despite the lack of communica- Meanwhile, Moulthun was held to a draw by WIM Varshini. siblings, who added a combined 210 ELO points. We would like
17. exd5 dxc5 18. a4 b4 (diagram)
tion between his Rooks because 19 Qh6 is efficiently met by… Scoring was as follows with one round to play: Gustafsson to know what their mother is cooking for their dinners.
Bc6 with a key tempo gaining check, followed by…Nd7, pro- 19. d6! 7, Sengupta, Pascua, Lalith 6.5, Short, Zhao and Kunte were
The Challenger Tournament
tecting both f8 and f6. Opening the game for the two among an eleven-way tie for 5th on 6/8, while Moulthun had
Filipino Ric Portugalera triumphed in the Challenger tour-
bishops. The light-squared one half a point less.
18. exf5+ Kd6 nament, his 6/7 prevailing on countback over three other
now becomes an unopposed
Now…Kd8 was not possible, as 19 Qh6 would be a winning Round 9 players on the same score, including Thailand’s Theemathas
monster.
double attack against f8 and f6. Gustafsson took a quick draw against Savige’s victim Swapnil, Chirananthavat, who impressed after a lengthy period away
19…Bxd6 20. 0-0-0 Be7 21. trusting that his tiebreak tally (the combined scores of all of from tournament activity.
19. Qh6 Bd7
f6 gxf6 22. gxf6 Bxf6 one’s opponents) would hold up against any of his pursuers Of the Australians, David Lovejoy played solidly to achieve
Had the King been on d8, this move would not have con-
If 22…Bf8, 23 Rd5 regains should they win. His judgment proved to be sound, as Sengupta 5/7 (including a loss to the winner) to enhance his ELO rating.
nected the two Rooks.
the pawn with huge interest. (the only winner of the three) needed his opponents to score Myiesha Maunders and Melbourne Chess Club’s Elizabeth
20. Qf4+ Ne5 21. Qd4+ Ke7 22. Bd5! two more points than they managed. The title, therefore, went Warren scored four and two points respectively.
23. Bf3 Ra7 24. Bxc5 Rd7 25. Bd6 Rd8 26. Rhg1 h6 27. Kb1!
Interfering with the Queen’s defence of e5. A drawing sacrifice for the second time to Jan Gustafsson, who did his reputation in
White has noticed that Black is helpless. His pieces are very Next Year
on that square now cannot be prevented. Bangkok no harm with his declaration at the prize-giving cere-
close to zugzwang. Almost any move by a piece will lose mate- Any Australians reading this report and contemplating partic-
mony that the Bangkok Chess Club Open “is arguably the best
22…Rfd8 23. Rxe5+ fxe5 24. Qxe5+ Kf8 25. Qh8+ Ke7 rial, and pawn moves will soon run out. ipating in the 20th Open in 2020 can be assured of a warm
tournament in the world”.
26. Qe5+ Kf8 27. Qh8+ 1/2-1/2 reception to the premier chess tournament in South East Asia
27…h5 Sengupta, while narrowly missing out on the title, shared
A high-class encounter. (or perhaps the world, as the winner suggested!) Usually, the
If 27…Nd7 28 Bc6 (threatening Bc7)  Rc8 29 Bb7 Rd8 30 Bc7 first and second prize money of 170,000 baht [AUD $7,500]
Meanwhile, the Australian challenge was set back when tournament alternates each year between Bangkok and a
wins. with the winner. Zong-Yuan defeated Kunte to advance into a
Zhao suffered his first defeat on board 4 to Vietnamese IM The seaside resort, which suggests that those who do come next
Black is reduced to making harmless moves with his Queen’s tie for third place on 7/9, and Moulthun also won to finish on
Anh Duong (who now caught the two leaders) and Moulthun year should pack their bathers.
Rook.  Any other move by a piece loses material immediately. 6.5/9 and ensure a healthy cheque, sharing seventh place with
could only draw with Indian IM Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi on We hope to welcome you to the Land of Smiles in 2020!
(among others) Nigel Short.
board 6. 28. a5 Rc8 29. Bb7 Rd8 30. Ka2 Rxd6
Of the other Australians, positive ELO performances were
Equivalent to resignation, but 30…Rd7 31 Be4 Rd8 32 Kb3!
Round 8 achieved by the following Open players: About the Author: Peter Frost is an Australian residing in Bangkok
Rc8 33 Bxb8 Rxb8 34 Rd6 followed by Rxa6 also wins com-
This turned out to be the decisive round of the tournament. • Rebecca Stones 5.5/9 and a member of the host Bangkok Chess Club.
fortably, as White retains a powerful attack.
Gustafsson efficiently halted the charge of Duong, whilst Short, • Colin Savige 5/9
Reprinted with permission of the Australian Chess Federation
who had sacrificed a piece in almost every game so far, did so 31 Rxd6 Be7 32. Rd5 f6 33. c4 bxc3 34. bxc3 Kf7 • Ben Atia 4/9
Newsletter.

52 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 53
1
Dining with PYN
O ne of the highlights of the BCC Open is the splendid
drinks and dinner sponsored by PYN Asia Research.
This year it was held at the fine Vietnamese restaurant
The multi-course menu featured gourmet dishes from
different Asian countries, each accompanied by a specially
selected wine.
La Danang in the Centara Grand Ladprao.
The 26 invited guests include our top Grandmasters,
Tournament Organisers and luminaries to make the
evening interesting.

54 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 55

56 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 57
Songkran Celebrations
S ongkran is Thailand’s most famous festival. An important
event on the Buddhist calendar, this water festival marks the
beginning of the traditional Thai New Year. The name Songkran
comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ or ‘approaching’.
Water is an important element of Songkran, especially in
more recent times when the throwing of water has become a
huge part of the annual celebrations. If you’re visiting Thailand

during this period, prepare to get splashed! Crowds of people

roam around throwing buckets of water, using water pistols
and just generally soaking anyone in the vicinity. Appreciation
of family is another important aspect of the festival, with
many Thai people making their way to their
hometowns to spend time with older rela-
tives. Buddhists also visit temples throughout
Songkran where water is poured on Buddha
images and on the hands of Buddhist monks as
a mark of respect.

58 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 59

60 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 61
Prizegiving
T he final event is always the prizegiving. The prize fund
this year was 481,000 baht, shared between the top
twelve in the Open Group, the top five in the Challenger
Group, and the top 15 Thai players (sponsored by the
Thailand Chess Association).
There were also trophies and certificates for best juniors
and best lady in both tournaments.

62 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 63

64 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 65
 “In my opinion by far the best
tournament in the world – venue,
playing conditions, everything.”
GM Jan Gustafsson
19 BCC Open Champion
th

66 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 67
1
Collateral Material

BANGKOK CHESS CLUB

Centara Grand Ladprao • 6–14 April 2019
Bangkok, oriental setting, and the city
don’t know what the city is getting: the 19th Bangkok Che
Créme de la Créme of the chess world,
with more than 300 talentedToamateurs
ss Club Open
urnament Pr
and Grandmasters competing 19th BCinC Open 2019
the ogramme
most successful chess tournament
Saturday, 6 Ap
ril in
Time
12:00
Activity

Southeast Asia. Join us at the luxurious 13:00

Registration clo
Player list displa
sed
14:30 yed at entrance
Centara Grand Ladprao for Sunthe chess
day, 7 April 15:00 – 20:00
Welcome & ann
ouncements
Round 1
event of the year. Monday, 8 Ap
Tue
ril
14:00 – 19:00
14:00 – 19:
Round 2
sday, 9 April 00 Round 3
www.BangkokChess.com
Wednesday, 10
April
11:00 – 16:00
11:00 – 16:00
Round 4
Thursday, 11 Ap
ril Round 5
rd:...............
........... Certificates of Achievement for winners and Friday, 12 April 14:00 – 19:00
Round 6
Round: ..... ................. Boa Saturday, 13 Ap 14:00 – 19:00
.................... ril Round 7
Open Challenger Date: .....
ELO: ...............
.... Country:.....
..... ................
Certificates of Participation for all players. Sunday, 14 Ap
ril
14:00 – 19:00
Round 8
.................
............... .................... ..... ........... 09:00 – 14:00
.................... Country:..........
White: ..... ELO : ................... Round 9 (final
.................. Bla ck 16:00 round)
.................... Wh ite
.......... .................... Bla ck Closing cerem
Black: .......... Wh ite BCC Challeng ony
Bla ck 51 er 2019
Wh ite
26
52 Monday, 8 Ap Time
1 ril Activity
2
27
53 Scoresheets used by all players 12:00
Registration clo
28
54
13:00 sed
3
29
55
every round, and kept as a 14:30
Player list displa
yed at entrance
4 Welcome & ann
30 Tuesday, 9 Ap 15:00 – 20:00 ouncements
5
31
56
record of the game. Wednesday, 10
ril
11:00 – 16:00
Round 1
57 April
6 Round 2
32
58 Thursday, 11 Ap 11:00 – 16:00
7 ril Round 3
33
59 Friday, 12 April 14:00 – 19:00
8 Round 4
34
60 Saturday, 13 Ap 14:00 – 19:00
9 ril Round 5
35
61 Sunday, 14 Ap 14:00 – 19:00
10 ril Round 6
36
62 09:00 – 14:00
11 Round 7 (final
12
37
63 Tournament Poster. 16:00
Closing cerem
round)
38 19th Open Bli ony
13
64 tz*
39 Tuesday, 9 Ap Time
14
65 ril Activity
40 16:00
66 Registration clo
15 sed
41 Wednesday, 10 18:00 – 20:30
16
67 April 5-8 qualifier gro
42 * Registration for 18:00 – 20:30 ups
68 Blitz final (16 pla
17 the Open Blitz
18
43
69 Tournament Table in front of Tournament wil
Open Section Bal l be available fro
lroom. Entry fee m 1pm on Monda
yers)
44
70 1st Prize 50%, is 200 Baht (fre y 8th April at the
e Registration
19
45
Result:
Schedule 2nd 30% and
3rd 20% of pri
ze fund (= 100%
ent ry for GMs).
20 total entry fees
46 for Open Blitz
21
47
White: distributed to Tournament)
22

23
48 Black:
every player.
49 Arbiter:
24
50
25

Trophy plaques.

68 19
68 BANGKOK
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BANGKOK
CHESS
CHESS
CLUBCLUB OPEN 1
9TH BANGKOK
BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 69
CLUB CLUB 69
 19th Bangkok Chess Club Challenger • 8–14 April 2019 • Bangkok, Thailand

Wong Zi Yue
Passes for Arbiters and Tournament Officers.

MAS 1619

19th Bangkok Chess Club Challenger • 8–14 April 2019 • Bangkok, Thailand

Tan Yong Xi Rey Matthew

MAS 1401
19th Bangkok Chess Club Open • 6–14 April 2019 • Bangkok, Thailand
24

Atia Raphael
AUS 1015
Nameplates
19th Bangkok Chess Club Open • 6–14 April 2019 at every chess
• Bangkok, board for all players.
Thailand

19 1 9 Saksaringkarn Nattawut
THA 1764
Table Numbers:
Copper for the Open
Tournament and Blue

3 2
for Challenger.

3 2
117

100cm high Wall Charts, displaying results round by round.

70 19
70 BANGKOK
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BANGKOK
CHESS
CHESS
CLUBCLUB OPEN 1
9TH BANGKOK
BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 71
CLUB CLUB 71
BCC Open on the Web
T he BCC Open is widely published on the web, in
various languages, and followed by fans both of the
chess club and the individual players. Particularly of inter-
Also various countries like to follow their nation’s
players, especially the well-represented India and the
Philippines.
est are the Grandmasters like former world number two
Nigel Short, and popular broadcaster Jan Gustafsson.

www.chess.com
(international chess web site)

BangkokChess.com (Thailand chess web site)

72 BANGKOK CHESS CLUB 19TH BANGKOK

BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 73
CLUB CLUB 73
 Report and live games at chess24.com
(international chess web site)

Chessbase.com (international chess web site)

74 19
74 BANGKOK
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BANGKOK
CHESS
CHESS
CLUBCLUB OPEN 1
9TH BANGKOK
BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 75
CLUB CLUB 75
 Above: Chess Express (international chess
web site)
Left: Inte Bara Schack (Danish chess web site)

Gamesmaven (US web site)

76 19
76 BANGKOK
TH
BANGKOK
CHESS
CHESS
CLUBCLUB OPEN 1
9TH BANGKOK
BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 77
CLUB CLUB 77
 Above: Institute of Chess Excellence
(Malaysian chess web site)
Left: Quantum Gambitz (international chess
web site)

Above: Spraggett on Chess

(UK chess web site)
Right: Business World
(international business web site)

78 19
78 BANGKOK
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BANGKOK
CHESS
CHESS
CLUBCLUB OPEN 1
9TH BANGKOK
BANGKOK
CHESSCHESS OPEN 79
CLUB CLUB 79
Final Standings – Open Tournament
Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts. Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts.
Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts. Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts.
21 Neelash Saha IND 2303 6 31 GM Barua Dibyendu IND 2409 6
1 GM Gustafsson Jan GER 2633 7.5 11 GM Sriram Jha IND 2381 6.5
22 GM Villamayor Buenaventura SGP 2398 6 32 IM Roy Prantik IND 2374 6
2 GM Sengupta Deep IND 2551 7.5 12 IM Lou Yiping CHN 2482 6.5
23 GM Kunte Abhijit IND 2485 6 33 Sonkalan Bharati IND 2092 6
3 GM Karthik Venkataraman IND 2505 7 13 IM Vijayalakshmi Subbaraman IND 2345 6.5
24 GM Bellon Lopez Juan Manuel SWE 2343 6 34 WFM Hng Mei-En Emmanuelle SGP 2124 6
4 GM Zhao Zong-Yuan AUS 2529 7 14 FM Susilodinata Andrean INA 2296 6.5
25 GM Horvath Jozsef HUN 2479 6 35 Larichev Dmitry RUS 2267 6
5 GM Swapnil S. Dhopade IND 2488 7 15 IM Pascua Haridas PHI 2426 6.5
26 IM Damia Angelo ITA 2215 6 36 Avinash Ramesh IND 1834 6
6 GM Stella Andrea ITA 2512 7 16 FM Sauravh Khherdekar IND 2247 6.5
27 Sarbojit Paul IND 1984 6 37 Saptorshi Gupta IND 2051 5.5
7 IM Duong The Anh VIE 2302 6.5 17 GM Vasquez Schroeder Rodrigo CHI 2487 6.5
28 Sanket Chakravarty IND 1887 6 38 FM Habla Jony PHI 2146 5.5
8 GM Short Nigel D ENG 2636 6.5 18 Razali Muhd Syukur MAS 1792 6.5
29 WIM Luong Phuong Hanh VIE 2273 6 39 IM Deshmukh Anup IND 2253 5.5
9 GM Lalith Babu M R IND 2577 6.5 19 FM Menkinoski Riste MKD 2306 6.5
30 WIM Varshini V IND 2182 6 40 Salvador Louie PHI 2270 5.5
10 GM Ly Moulthun AUS 2490 6.5 20 GM Schebler Gerhard GER 2385 6

80 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 81
1
 Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts. Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts. Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts. Rk. Name Fed. Rtg. Pts.

41 WIM Arpita Mukherjee IND 2197 5.5 81 Sandhiratne Akkarawut THA 1865 5 121 Toh Joseph MAS 1847 4 161 Matzies Alexander GER 1956 3
42 Looi Xin Hao MAS 2145 5.5 82 Khumnorkaew Tupfah THA 2059 5 122 Foo Jiu Weir Brien MAS 1679 4 162 Samatthanan Jirath THA 1322 3
43 Adarsh Tripathi IND 1840 5.5 83 WCM Sim Jia Ru MAS 1890 5 123 Brown Geoffrey M ENG 1863 4 163 Hart Alexander SWE 1854 3
44 FM Nouri Alekhine PHI 2001 5.5 84 Dutta Sarthak IND 1652 5 124 Arya Nirag Shah HKG 1837 4 164 Camhi David TPE 1546 3
45 Mohd Saprin Amir Ghaazi MAS 1971 5.5 85 Teo Hong Ming SGP 1394 5 125 Morris Byron AUS 1799 4 165 Jackson John Marvin USA 1586 3
46 FM Teerapabpaisit Wisuwat THA 2142 5.5 86 Laurain Dominique FRA 1908 5 126 Mueller Jens GER 1981 4 166 Leonardo Franklin SGP 1596 3
47 Alriyami Faris Rashid THA 1623 5.5 87 Schloeffel Christian GER 1979 5 127 Atia Ben AUS 1445 4 167 Green Gary Richard MAS 1295 3
48 FM Ismail Ahmad MAS 1887 5.5 88 Jaiveer Ma.5hendru IND 1519 4.5 128 Riangrungrote Phawat THA 1577 4 168 Muthu P IND 1482 3
49 Sibi Visal R IND 1955 5.5 89 Poh Yu Tian MAS 1858 4.5 129 Soumik Datta IND 1730 4 169 Rangkaew Katunchalee THA 1415 3
50 Nguyen Le Minh Phu VIE 1934 5.5 90 FM Thompson Ian D ENG 2149 4.5 130 Foo Jiu Yarng Clarance MAS 1656 4 170 Atia Raphael AUS 1015 3
51 Wong Zhenyong Jayden SGP 1869 5.5 91 CM Laine Panu FIN 2076 4.5 131 Frederiksen Erik DEN 1873 4 171 Jago Stephen AUS 1492 3
52 Stones Rebecca AUS 1775 5.5 92 Langreck John USA 2203 4.5 132 Mekarapiruk Chawit THA 1575 4 172 Saksaringkarn Nattawut THA 1764 3
53 Hoekstra Peter NED 2047 5.5 93 Manthan Kashyap Datta IND 1832 4.5 133 Trinkl Andreas GER 1699 4 173 Noel Nicolas FRA 1479 3
54 Bhattacharya Niladri Shekhar IND 1998 5.5 94 Dhrupad Kashyap IND 1847 4.5 134 Abe Yuta JPN 1706 4 174 Lie Terje NOR 1544 3
55 Hoffman Ron NED 2050 5.5 95 FM Wiwatanadate Poompong THA 2025 4.5 135 Watharow Sean AUS 1937 4 175 Samatthanan Theerath THA 1173 3
56 Hansing Saphong THA 1997 5.5 96 Nattavutthisit Kavin THA 1776 4.5 136 Batchis Paul USA 1709 3.5 176 Prayoonthamrongthiti Pisut THA 1317 2.5
57 Arunnuntapanich Tinnakrit THA 2039 5.5 97 Ozbek Gorkem TUR 1614 4.5 137 Liew Mark SGP 1633 3.5 177 Arsh Shah HKG 1311 2.5
58 Savige Colin B AUS 1952 5 98 Rindhiya V IND 1803 4.5 138 Clark Domenic JPN 1751 3.5 178 Choy Siew Mun SGP 1409 2.5
59 WFM Cholleti Sahajasri IND 2232 5 99 WIM Chandreyee Hajra IND 1916 4.5 139 Wettasinha Vasanta SRI 1556 3.5 179 Chan Jordan AUS 1340 2.5
60 Tobor Mick GER 1949 5 100 Nguyen Truong Bao Tran VIE 1908 4.5 140 Foo Jing Er Claire MAS 1538 3.5 180 Srivatanakul Pricha THA 1387 2.5
61 Meenal Gupta IND 1878 5 101 WFM Cramling Bellon Anna SWE 2089 4.5 141 Haraldsson Oskar ISL 1725 3.5 181 Ahn Juyong KOR 1465 2.5
62 Yutithamnon Surapole THA 1914 5 102 WIM Dhar-Barua Saheli IND 2038 4.5 142 Mak Xiu Ning Charlene SGP 1340 3.5 182 Rist Karl-Johan NOR 1564 2.5
63 CM Wang Zideng CHN 2117 5 103 Sajjapornthep Jarunpol THA 1885 4.5 143 Jarnstrom Henrik FIN 1693 3.5 183 Piyathumawuttikul Kantapat THA 1503 2.5
64 Tuorila Kai THA 1927 5 104 Lim Kian Hwa MAS 1663 4.5 144 Bodemar Jonathan THA 1573 3.5 184 Wangthumboon Patawee THA 1223 2.5
65 CM Goh Zi Han SGP 1992 5 105 CM Nisban Cyrus SGP 1878 4.5 145 Anirudh Daga IND 1647 3.5 185 Lee Wing Kin HKG 1178 2.5
66 Shubh Kapur IND 1697 5 106 WCM Goh Jie Yi MAS 1715 4.5 146 Nodon Jeremi JPN 1827 3.5 186 Kunanantakul Kunawach THA 1113 2.5
67 Eng Jia Qian MAS 2033 5 107 Hng Mei-Xian Eunice SGP 1780 4.5 147 Chotichanathawewong Sanquan THA 1288 3.5 187 Asavasaetakul Chawit THA 1708 2
68 Pheephacharakan Pinatpong THA 1827 5 108 Nandan Buragohain IND 1913 4.5 148 Chongstitwattana Cholapat THA 1517 3.5 188 Chiravanich Pathee THA 1202 2
69 Kollmann Robert GER 1874 5 109 Mokawattana Wongsathorn THA 1534 4.5 149 Chia Yu Zhe Ashton SGP 1611 3.5 189 Jingjang Shin THA 1564 2
70 Laohawirapap Prin THA 1844 5 110 Nadeem Aziz PAK 1828 4.5 150 Bourgouint Julien FRA 0 3.5 190 Ferrie Peter ENG 1374 2
71 Hairul Muhd Ilhan Mansiz MAS 1684 5 111 Medhansh Saxena IND 1590 4.5 151 Penot Matthieu FID 1586 3.5 191 Taulananda Anon THA 1304 2
72 CM Tanmay Jain IND 1789 5 112 Aarohon Bharadwaj IND 1604 4.5 152 Lim Bernard Carleton SGP 1604 3.5 192 Ngo Bao Quyen VIE 1293 2
73 Wongsawan Thoetsak THA 1827 5 113 WCM Vishwa Vasnawala IND 2018 4 153 Burbach Brunel Baron THA 1700 3.5 193 Piirainen Rami FIN 0 1.5
74 Muzzaffar Ahmad MAS 1781 5 114 Le Phi Lan VIE 1560 4 154 Ashvin Sharma IND 1403 3.5 194 Asavayutphol Pattarapong THA 1328 1.5
75 Anannth Varun R IND 1612 5 115 Silva Winston Joseph R PHI 1880 4 155 Saravanan Durga IND 1507 3.5 195 Mikalsen Harald NOR 2041 1.5
76 FM Reilly Tim AUS 2140 5 116 Armstrong Malcolm J ENG 2035 4 156 Ang Jing Xuan MAS 1703 3.5 196 Calacday Henry PHI 1820 1
77 Runarsson Gunnar ISL 1927 5 117 CM Norris Damian C FIJ 1917 4 157 Yang Oliver AUS 1544 3.5 197 Karasmaki Seppo FIN 1677 1
78 Ashwin Hariharan SGP 1801 5 118 WCM Ding Dao En MAS 1619 4 158 Andersson Kent SUI 1705 3.5 198 Dieleman Marco NED 0 1
79 Ilmoni Tommy FIN 2055 5 119 Yeoh Yuan Hui MAS 1722 4 159 Garv Rai IND 1738 3 199 Petchrongrusamee Pornpong THA 1566 1
80 Tantipura Noppakorn THA 1945 5 120 Frost Peter AUS 1810 4 160 Brunner Karl SUI 1900 3 200 Vongrungrot Kritin THA 0 1
201 Stables Luke ENG 0

82 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 83
1
Final Standings – Challenger Tournament
Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts. Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts.
1 Portugalera Ric PHI 2075 6 29 Aarav Kumar Koni Dena IND 1263 4 57 Burbach Bruno GER 1497 3 85 Pantong Tikampon THA 1571 2
2 Sacar Mohamad PHI 2092 6 30 Sathyanarayan Subramanian SGP 0 4 58 Gaitan Jose Edmundo PHI 1604 3 86 Buhagiar Julian Robert THA 1307 2
3 WFM Nguyen Thi Thuy Trien VIE 2002 6 31 Kunnavakkam S. Vin USA 1562 4 59 Scherrer Georg SUI 0 3 87 Simawit Tirasak THA 1075 2
4 Chirananthavat Theemathas THA 2042 6 32 Naudin Yvan FRA 1937 4 60 Hanif Mollah BAN 1722 3 88 Thonjungreed Sumreang THA 0 2
5 AGM Shahid Ahmed S.K. IND 1900 5.5 33 Maunders Myiesha AUS 1695 4 61 Tan Fischer SGP 1382 3 89 Valliammai Saravanan IND 0 2
6 AGM Tushar Anand IND 1953 5.5 34 Rishi Kapoor SGP 1231 4 62 Kalagara Aniketh IND 1227 3 90 Nisban Corwin SGP 0 2
7 Catayas Rodrigo PHI 0 5 35 Schmidt Stephan GER 1731 4 63 Muhd N. M. I. Qayyum MAS 0 3 91 Punyanitya Prempipath THA 0 2
8 Manaog Stewart PHI 2080 5 36 Buhagiar Melita Sunan THA 1360 4 64 Boonchai Putthakhun RSA 0 3 92 Saksaringkarn Nattawee THA 1565 1
9 Lozano Arvie PHI 1989 5 37 Koh Wei Le Gladys SGP 1211 4 65 Bhandari Arya Neel ENG 1188 3 93 Pattanak Wittawat THA 1372 1
10 Lovejoy David AUS 1877 5 38 Khanijou Rajbir Singh THA 1694 4 66 Shanmathi Sree S IND 0 3 94 Aryan Sriram IND 0 1
11 Samrat Ghorai IND 1933 5 39 Brasoy Aksel NOR 1900 4 67 Tuorila Nina THA 1241 3 95 Gunnarsdottir Bergthora Helga ISL 0 1
12 Hong Ian KOR 1144 5 40 Lian Kai En Gerard SGP 1355 4 68 Simaroj Ratravee THA 0 3 96 Kunanantakul Kunapat THA 0 1
13 Loyaga Nathaniel PHI 1865 5 41 Vogelsanger Nicolas SUI 1205 4 69 Norris Christopher THA 0 3 97 Preeti S IND 0 1
14 Salazar Dominador Jr. Jayoma PHI 0 5 42 Langendoen Aad NED 1357 4 70 Burbach Anya Belle THA 1037 3 98 Gunnarsson Sigurdur Runar ISL 0 0
15 Wong Zi Yue MAS 1619 5 43 Kuich Gero SUI 1533 3.5 71 Burman Ray Pritish SGP 1147 2.5 99 Mithilesh Ranjithkumar IND 0 0
16 Dimayuga Necodemus PHI 1821 5 44 Chua Yaw Teng Leonidas SGP 1240 3.5 72 Siddharth Sai SGP 1022 2.5 100 Alidani Leonardo PHI 1865 0
17 De Jesus Normel Benigno PHI 1648 4.5 45 Bhandari Arjun Neel ENG 1095 3.5 73 Khanijou Harin THA 1050 2.5 101 Juaneza Joshua PHI 1406 0
18 Calacday Henry PHI 1820 4.5 46 Bolduan Michael GER 1820 3.5 74 ACM Muniraju Narayanappa IND 1310 2.5 102 Saengsrijan Jakkraphon THA 0 0
19 Borigas Edgardo HKG 1745 4.5 47 Legge Terence ENG 1396 3.5 75 ACM Kapoor Shomita SGP 1030 2.5 103 Taulananda Piyanut THA 0 0
20 Nguyen Trong Hung VIE 1853 4.5 48 Nicolas Liagre HKG 1535 3.5 76 Kapoor Tanush IND 1113 2.5
21 AIM Sushrutha Reddy IND 1627 4.5 49 Htet Htet Than Sein MYA 1532 3.5 77 Techamuanvivit Pawit Cooper THA 1117 2.5
22 Veer Sethi IND 1559 4.5 50 Tuorila Christina THA 1444 3.5 78 Punyanitya Jirath THA 1106 2
23 AIM Kapoor Satvik IND 1674 4.5 51 Wong Sai Wai MAS 0 3.5 79 Kiattananan Punn THA 0 2
24 Lysakov Anton RUS 1987 4.5 52 Rolston Daniel Haruma IRL 1245 3.5 80 Volkov Petr An. RUS 0 2
25 Tan Yong Xi Rey Matthew MAS 1401 4.5 53 Mekarapiruk Nathasha THA 1221 3.5 81 Fischer Achim GER 0 2
26 Mahendran T. IND 2000 4.5 54 WCM Kong Zi Yau Bernadette SGP 1357 3 82 Warren Elizabeth AUS 1164 2
27 Krueger Malte FID 0 4.5 55 Jourde Michel FRA 1749 3 83 Bende Janos HUN 1107 2
28 Rohan Nag Chowdhury IND 1598 4 56 Bhandari Neel SGP 1220 3 84 Brantzeg Pal NOR 1586 2

84 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 9TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN 85
1
Final Standings – Blitz Tournament
Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts.
1 GM Vasquez Schroeder R. CHI 2531 12,0
2 IM Roy Prantik IND 2336 11,5
3 Salvador Louie PHI 2131 11,0
4 GM Karthik Venkataraman IND 2371 10,0
5 IM Duong The Anh VIE 2260 9,5
6 FM Habla Jony PHI 2257 9,5
7 GM Stella Andrea ITA 2441 9,0
8 IM Damia Angelo ITA 2311 7,0
9 FM Causo Deniel PHI 2338 6,5
10 Larichev Dmitry RUS 2267 5,5
11 Portugalera Ric PHI 2153 5,5
12 WIM Luong Phuong Hanh VIE 2135 5,0
13 De Jesus Normel Benigno PHI 1648 5,0
14 Dhrupad Kashyap IND 1488 4,5
15 Arunnuntapanich Tinnakrit THA 2054 4,5
16 Dutta Sarthak IND 1630 4,0
Below: 19th BCC Blitz Champion
Grandmaster Schroeder Vasquez from Chile

Grandmaster Nigel Short,

3-time BCC Open Champion
and Deputy FIDE President

86 19TH BANGKOK CHESS CLUB OPEN