Blue Chevaliers International Open

23-29 July 2023

Life is a game. Chess is serious.

Tournament Preview
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 Index to Contents
Welcome Messages Page 3
Blue Chevaliers International Open Championship Page 5
Registration Page 14
New Starting Time for Round 1 Page 14
Determination of Section Groups Page 14
Presentation Ceremony Page 15
Appreciations Page 15
Blue Chevaliers International Female Championship Page 16
Reconfirmation of Entries Page 19
Forfeits Page 19
Arbiter Team Page 20
Blue Chevaliers International Junior Championship Page 21
Spectating After Your Game Page 23
Non-Player Spectating Page 24
Remote Spectating Page 24
Blue Chevaliers International Senior Championship Page 25
Player Discounts at Novotel Phuket Resort Page 27
Telephone Deposit Page 27
Appeals Committee Page 27
Our Partnerships Page 28
Dress Code Page 29
Anti-Cheating Measures Page 29
Shuttle to Playing Room Page 30
Editorial Page 30
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 Welcome Message from the Blue Chevaliers
The Blue Chevaliers warmly welcome our chess friends to the second Blue
Chevaliers International Open!
We keenly look forward to renewing old friendships and beginning brand new ones,
as 101 representatives of 30 nations come together for a full week of chess playing
in the spectacular environment of Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand.
We hope that the tournament brings pleasure to all participants, whether or not
fortune smiles upon them over the board.
No less important to us are our other chess friends who, although unable to join us
in Phuket, will follow the tournament remotely from all over the region. We
welcome them as well.
In this preview of the tournament, we will attempt to set the scene for the coming
absorbing week of international tournament chess.
Thank you to all our players for your entry and your confidence in us. We look
forward to personally welcoming you in Phuket!

Sincerely

Bami Tanachaporn David Camhi Matthieu Penot

Nicolas Noel Jeremi Nodon Peter Frost
(The Blue Chevaliers)

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Welcome from Mr Bryan De Bruyne, General Manager Novotel Phuket Resort

On behalf of Novotel Phuket Resort’s team, I wish to welcome you all and thank
you for joining the “Blue Chevaliers International Open” chess tournament.

It is our greatest honor to have the opportunity to host such a thrilling competition
at our resort.

Chess is a game, but it is also sport, art and science. I am confident that the
tournament will be tense and exciting, and we will witness many beautiful and
brilliant games. Not just from the masters competing, but also from the keen
amateurs, and the many promising juniors taking their first steps to emulate their
heroes seated at the top end of the playing room.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable time, and wish you the very best of luck and
every success. Let the tournament begin!
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 Blue Chevaliers International Open Championship
The Top Seeds

1. GM Moulthun Ly (Australia) ELO 2469

A regular Australian Olympian, Moulthun’s GM title norms were notable for being
secured at illustrious events, including the Gibraltar and Abu Dhabi Chess Festivals
and the Sydney International Open, which he won.
Known for his solid style of play, Moulthun can be expected to concede an
occasional draw but is tremendously hard to beat.
Moulthun is also noted for his statue like presence at the board, much admired by
the local monks, which led to his moniker “The Quiet Assassin.”

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 2. IM Oleg Badmatsyrenov (FIDE) ELO 2440

Winner of the Blue Chevaliers International Championship in April, Oleg is one of

several recently arrived players who have added greatly to the strength of the chess
scene in Thailand. Performed extremely well in the Professor Lim Kok Ann
International Open held last month in Singapore, drawing with elite GM Vladislav
Artemiev and occupying the highest boards throughout the event.
3. IM Pavel Shkapenko (FIDE) ELO 2417

Another recent arrival who fully justified his high ELO amid strong competition in
recent international tournaments in Johor and Penang, playing both tournaments
without a single defeat. Likely to again be a fixture on the top boards in Phuket.
Pavel, pictured here (centre) after a recent simultaneous exhibition at the
Southside Knights Chess Club in Phuket, appears to be one of the top four chances.
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 4 Konstantin Sek (Russian Chess Federation) ELO 2392

Another strong player newly arrived in Thailand, Konstantin has made an

immediate impact with strong performances in several recent regional events.
Born on Sakhalin Island, Konstantin is a multiple champion of tournaments in far
east Russia. He has achieved victories over elite GMs such as Alexander Morozovich
and Radoslaw Wojtaszek.
An especially noteworthy performance was his tie for first place (7/9) in the very
strong Manny Pacquiao International Open earlier this year in the Philippines.
Konstantin also impressed at the Thailand International Open in Chiang Mai and in
the Johor International Open held earlier this month, notably finishing ahead of
Oleg on both occasions.
Konstantin is now familiar with chess playing conditions in the Asian region and is
in excellent form. It would not surprise to see him breakthrough for his first local
victory.

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 5. IM Torben Sorensen (Malta) ELO 2283

Originally from Denmark, Torben switched his chess allegiance to Malta and
assumed board one for that nation at the Turin, Dresden and Khanty-Mansiysk
Olympiads from 2006-2010, achieving a plus score on each occasion.
Torben has also won several notable tournaments in Europe, including the
Copenhagen Championship in 2000 and four successive Malta Opens from 2004-
2007.
Torben is not without experience in South-East Asian tournament chess, having
participated in two Bangkok Chess Club Opens. Rated as a medal chance if he can
overcome any rust generated by a lighter tournament schedule in recent years.

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 6. FM Nikolai Makarov (Russian Chess Federation) ELO 2251

The winner of the Blue Chevaliers International Championship in 2021 and runner
up in this year’s edition, Nikolai has demonstrated his credentials to compete at
this level. A resident of Phuket, Nikolai will be determined to do well here.
7. FM Jony Habla (Philippines) ELO 2214

The defending champion. A trainer at the Big Rook Chess Academy in Bangkok, Jony
is well known for his “100 move war” with GM Nigel Short at a Bangkok Chess Club
Open, when it was the famous Englishman who salvaged a draw after a long, grim
defence. Jony’s chances of repeating his success here should not be discounted.

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 8. FM Danil Najdin (Russian Chess Federation) ELO 2197

Yet another recent arrival in these parts, Danil acquitted himself well in his first
Malaysian tournament and then again in the Blue Chevaliers International
Championship in April, before struggling in the Penang Mini-Open. Danil will now
have adjusted to the rigors of local chess conditions, and could well bounce back
strongly in Phuket.
9. FM Ko Ko Ohn (Myanmar) ELO 2169

Another trainer at the Big Rook Chess Academy, Ko Ko enjoyed his first tournament
success in Thailand last month when he won the gold medal in the Senior category
at the ASEAN Age Group Championships. Known locally as “The Smiling Assassin.”

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10. Ebrahim Momeni (Iran) ELO 2145

Ebrahim is attending the tournament

with his chess playing teenage
nephew, Sina.
Ebrahim returned to tournament
chess last month after a lengthy lay
off, acquitting himself well in a
tournament in Turkey and then again
in the Asian Zonal held in his home
country of Iran.
Phuket will be Ebrahim’s first taste of
tournament chess in South East Asia.

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 11. Raghav Bansal (India) ELO 2079

An Economics student, Raghav achieved third place in the Santi Marti Open in
2018, during a brief Spanish chess tour which netted Raghav over 500 ELO points
in just three events. Raghav has not played tournament chess since then, and
may have improved further in the interim.
12 Xin Hao Looi (Malaysia) ELO 2061

Xin appears to be the strongest

representative of the large contingent of
players journeying to Phuket from
Malaysia. A professional chess trainer,
Xin’s students have achieved notable
successes in a variety of regional
tournaments.
When not focused on developing his
chess or that of others, Xin keenly
follows Liverpool in the English Premier
League.

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 Bami’s Tips for the Medals

Bami Tanachaporn of the Blue Chevaliers presents her open section tips as follows:
Gold for IM Oleg Badmatsyrenov “because Bami was very impressed with his play
in Singapore.”
Silver for GM Moulthun Ly “because Bami thinks Moulthun will lose no games at
all.”
Bronze for Konstantin Sek “because he is coming into form at the right time.”
Bami’s “dark horse” for the open section is Tom Barbe of Belgium.

Bami’s “dark horse”

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 Registration

All players are required to register personally by reporting to the playing room
between 11.00am and 2.00pm on the day of the first round.
Players who have not yet paid their entry fee must do so when registering.
The Novotel Phuket Resort shuttle will operate continuously from shortly before
11.00am throughout the 3 hours registration period to transport players from the
resort entrance up the hill to the playing room for registration.
Any player not registering in person and not giving advance notice of their
inability to do so risks not being paired for round one.

New Starting Time for Round 1

We are mindful that some players are arriving on the morning of round one. To
avoid the risk of players not arriving at the tournament in time due to flight delays
or underestimating the journey from the airport to Patong (which is a full hour by
taxi) we have rescheduled round 1 from 2.00pm to the new time of 3.00pm.
Determination of Section Groups
The top 16 seeds will be deemed to be competing for the open prizes. The
remainder of field (who are also eligible for the open prizes) will be divided into five
section groups, of approximately equal number, from which the cash prizes and
medal winners of each group will be determined.
The exact composition of each section group will be announced on our facebook
page “Blue Chevaliers Chess Tournament” and also emailed to all players prior to
round 2.

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 Presentation Ceremony

Cash prizes, trophies and medals will be awarded at the Presentation Ceremony to
be held at 3.00pm on the final day. Any person is most welcome to attend this
ceremony. The winner of a prize not exceeding 5,000 baht must be present at the
ceremony in order to claim their prize. Prizes exceeding 15,000 baht may be
electronically transferred within 5 days of the tournament ending.
Appreciations

The Blue Chevaliers acknowledge with gratitude the extensive assistance we have
received from Bobby Tsang of Southside Knights Chess Club and Jeroen Wismeijer
of Phuket in the preparation of the tournament. We are also grateful to Thailand
Chess Association, Big Rook Chess Academy, Red Knight Chess Club, Double Bishop
Chess Academy, Hua Hin Chess Club and Yedda Blue School of Phuket for the
provision of clocks and sets. We are particularly grateful to FIDE, the International
Chess Federation, for its financial support pursuant to its Open Aid Program.

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 Blue Chevaliers International Female Championship
We are particularly pleased to have received 15 female entries this year, three
times the number who played in 2022.
There are many medal chances. Yulia Babak enjoys the highest rating, but this will
be Yulia’s first tournament for some time, and she is untested in Asian tournament
conditions.

Top seed Yulia Babak, an intrepid traveller and a keen hiker, is seen here in the
Genting Highlands in Malaysia. Yulia now lives in Phuket.

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Malaysia’s WFM Fahada Azhar is almost as highly rated and may be more
tournament hardened, while Penang’s WCM Jia-Tien Chua put in fine performances
at the Selangor Open and the ASEAN Age Group Championships just last month.

WCM Jia-Tien Chua has shown good form recently

Melita Buhagiar will be playing in her first tournament as national champion of
Thailand, while Phuket’s Valiliia Makarova will be seeking to build on her
impressive debut at the Blue Chevaliers International Championship in April.

2023 Thailand Champion Melita Buhagiar

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Richily Cuizon and equestrian showjumper Nathasha Mekarapiruk, both from
Bangkok’s Red Knight Chess Club, are also expected to bid strongly for a medal,
while Zhansaya Azhar of Malaysia will be striving hard to keep pace with her big
sister.

Nathasha Mekarapiruk

Bami’s Tips for the Medals

Gold for WFM Fahada Azhar “because Bami thinks fFahada’s recent tournament
experience and familiarity with Asian tournament conditions will give her an edge
when the pressure comes in the final rounds.”
Silver for Yulia Babak “because Russian girls know a lot about chess, like Bami.”
Bronze for Nathasha Mekarapiruk “because she likes horses.”
Bami’s “dark horse” for the female section is Sreekarthika Velmurugan of
Singapore.

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 Reconfirmation of Entries
To minimize the risk of round one forfeits the Blue Chevaliers will be emailing each
entrant in the days leading up to the tournament to reconfirm their entry.
All players are asked to immediately respond to the email requesting
reconfirmation upon receiving it from a Blue Chevalier.

Forfeits
The Blue Chevaliers take very seriously the issue of players not appearing for a
game after being paired for the applicable round. Players are reminded of our
policy as follows:
1. A player may request via the arbiters not to be paired for any round provided
such request is made before the pairings for the applicable round are
prepared. No score will be allotted to the player for the applicable round.
2. Once paired for a round, a player is expected to take all reasonable steps to
ensure their attendance for the game.
3. If a player does not appear for a game after being paired, the player will not
be paired for the following round unless a timely and satisfactory explanation
for their forfeit is provided to an Arbiter or [email protected]
4. Any player who does not provide a timely and satisfactory explanation for a
forfeit may be removed from the tournament to minimize the risk of further
forfeits. The player will also jeopardise their entry into future Blue
Chevaliers events.
Players are also reminded that, having begun the tournament, they are expected
to finish it unless special circumstances apply. Several prizes are usually dependent
on a countback which tallies the scores of a prize candidate’s competitors. Such a
candidate prizewinner can be seriously disadvantaged if one of his earlier
opponents does not complete the tournament.

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 Arbiter Team

Although rated 1481 in chess, concert performer Cholapat is over 2500 in piano.
Our Arbiter Team has been expanded this year and now comprises the following:
Chief Arbiter: Cholapat Chongstitwattana (FIDE Arbiter)
Deputy Arbiters: FM Riste Menkinoski and Loreshyl Cuizon (National Arbiters)
Arbiter: Rod Plant (FIDE Arbiter)

Our two Deputy Arbiters are known to work well together as a team
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 Blue Chevaliers International Junior Championship
A wide-open field of promising young talents will fight for the junior trophy and
medals.
Scotland’s Rishi Vijayakumar is the top seed, and should be in sharp form after a
series of tournaments in the UK this year which resulted in a strong rise in his rating.
Strong challenges are expected from markedly improved local players (and
accomplished musicians) Ian Hong and Brunel Burbach.

Chess isn’t the only thing Brunel Burbach is good at…

…and Ian Hong is an accomplished trumpet player

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Shuma Endo of Japan and Hong Kong’s Li Yiheng also have strong claims, and
Singapore’s Ashwath Kaushik is another to watch.

Shuma Endo at Horyu-ji Temple in Japan

Bami’s Tips for the Medals
Gold for Ian Hong “because everybody under 2100 is scared of him now.”
Silver for Rishi Vijayakumar “because any boy who can enjoy eating haggis is
tough enough to withstand the rigors of an international chess tournament.”
Bronze for Brunel Burbach “because he won’t want to let his sister get too close
to his rating.”
Bami’s “dark horse” for the junior section is Daniel Rolston of Ireland.

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 Spectating After Your Game
Generally, the Blue Chevaliers are supportive of allowing players to remain in the
playing room after their game has ended, in order to observe other games. We feel
this adds atmosphere to a playing room.
At the same time, consideration must be given to ensuring freedom of movement
for the arbiters, as well as minimising distraction to players.
In an effort to balance these considerations, players will be permitted to remain in
the playing room to watch other games. Players can also return to the room after
departing it. However, Arbiters will have full discretion to clear the room of all
spectators at any time if they feel that the presence of spectators is compromising
the quality of the playing conditions.

Our Arbiters will likely intervene if spectator numbers approach these levels.

Participants are reminded that they are not permitted to possess mobile phones or
electronic devices in the playing venue, even after they have finished their games.

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 Non-Player Spectating
Parents and any other interested persons will be permitted in the playing room for
up to five minutes after the beginning of each round. Photographers may also
actively take photos of games in progress during this period.
After five minutes, Arbiters will clear the playing room of any person other than
players engaged in a game. Non-players are therefore asked to ensure they have
already exited the playing room before the five minutes grace period expires.
Remote Spectating

Excitement was high among remote spectators during the final round of the Blue
Chevaliers International Championship in April
We are mindful that many of our chess friends, whilst not actually present in
Phuket, will be keenly following the progress of the tournament. Tournament
reports, photos and videos will be published during the tournament on our
facebook page “Blue Chevaliers Chess Tournament.” The games of the top six
boards will be published within 24 hours of the end of the applicable round.
Spectators will be able to play through these games by accessing them at either our
tournament page at chess-results.com, or our tournament page with lichess at
https://lichess.org/study/FWas0Evu/6GxVOfT1 (right click “open hyperlink”).

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 Blue Chevaliers International Senior Championship
This is another very wide-open field, with many potential medal winners. IM
Torben Sorensen will be helped by his broad experience at very high levels of chess
competition, but may be hampered by recent inactivity. Zafer Djabri of Wales,
currently resident in Singapore, appears to be very capable but is an unknown
quantity in these parts, as are Sweden’s Fredrik Attefall and France’s Didier
Dominguez.

Zafer is the one on the right.

Australia’s James Attwood is considered to have strong claims, and his experience
of local conditions as a regular player in the Bangkok Chess Club Open will be a clear
asset. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s FM Ko Ko Ohn has just won the senior gold medal at
the ASEAN Age Group Championships, and his regular recent tournament play may
give him an edge over several rivals striving to regain their former sharpness.

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England’s Geoff Brown, Phuket resident Jeroen Wismeijer of the Netherlands,
Canada’s Michael Rohland, India’s Vivek Nambiar and Denmark’s Soren Mortensen
are five more fully capable of finding a place on the medal podium.
Germany’s Frank Kebbedies could also be among the contenders, having sharpened
his form during a recent successful tour of European tournaments. Malaysia’s
Ahmad Muzzaffar should also not be discounted if he can alleviate a recent form
lapse.

The notorious Kuala Lumpur motorcycle gang leader Ahmad Muzzaffar

Bami’s Tips for the Medals

Gold for FM Ko Ko Ohn “because he smiles so politely, no-one will want to beat
him.”
Silver for IM Torben Sorensen “because Bami always says…class counts.”
Bronze for Ahmad Muzzaffar “because he needs cheering up after his recent
reverses.”
Bami’s “dark horse” for the senior section is Frank Kebbedies of Germany.

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 Player Discounts at Novotel Phuket Resort
All players and accompanying persons, whether staying at the Novotel Phuket
Resort or elsewhere, will receive a 15% discount on resort spa, food and non-
alcoholic beverages during the tournament.
If asked to do so, our participants should identify themselves to resort staff by
displaying our “blue horse” logo using their mobile phone. If a player does not have
their mobile phone with them, they should state the code phrase “blue horse” to
the resort staff member concerned in order to access the discount.
Telephone Deposit

Generally speaking, players are not encouraged to bring their phone with them into
the playing room. Nevertheless, consistent with usual practice, a table will be
provided adjacent to the Arbiter tables upon which a player (free of charge) can
place their phone before a round commences, and retrieve it after their game.
The table will not be actively supervised, and the Blue Chevaliers and its arbiters do
not accept responsibility for such deposited phones.
Appeals Committee
The Appeals Committee will comprise of Blue Chevaliers Peter Frost (Chairperson),
Jeremi Nodon and Nicolas Noel. The Chairperson may seek outside assistance to
assist the Committee in its deliberations at his discretion.
The procedure for lodging an appeal is set out in the tournament information flyer
document accessible on our chess-results.com page.

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 Our Partnerships
We wish to recognize our official partners for the event, being Novotel Phuket
Resort, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Thailand Chess Association,
Southside Knights Chess Club, Red Knight Chess Club, Big Rook Chess Academy and
Yedda Blue School of Phuket.

Thailand Chess Association

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 Anti-Cheating Measures
Bathrooms will be periodically searched by Arbiters.
Arbiters will be in possession of an electronic scanner which may be used to scan a
player or players at any time and in any manner Arbiters see fit to maintain the
integrity of the tournament, including scanning of players as they enter the playing
room prior to some rounds.
Any player found to be in breach of fair play measures will be subject to all usual
enforcement procedures, and will not be admitted to future Blue Chevaliers events.
Dress Code
Thailand is a conservative society in terms of dress, especially at organized events.
We ask that players show respect for the tournament and for our partner resort by
dressing appropriately in a neat and tidy style in all public areas of the resort,
including the playing room.
As in 2022, gold and silver medals will be presented to the best dressed player and
the runner up, as judged by Bami. The defending champion is FM Poompong
Wiwatanadate of Thailand.

The 2022 Gold Medalist in Dressage. Who will challenge Poompong this year?

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 Shuttle to Playing Room

The playing room is located a short distance up a relatively steep hill. Players not
staying at the resort may wish to make use of a shuttle service which will transport
players from the resort entrance at the base of the hill directly to the playing room.
The shuttle will operate from 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each
round until 10 minutes after the round begins.

Editorial
Supreme Editor Bami Tanachaporn
Assistant to the Supreme Editor Peter Frost
Blue Chevaliers David Camhi
Jeremi Nodon
Matthieu Penot
Nicolas Noel

A Blue Chevaliers Production

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