Thirteen years of progress: A new chapter for Asian chess

Press release by FIDE

Since its inception in 2010, the Hong Kong International Open has now reached its 13th edition. This year marked a historic milestone, featuring the largest number of Grandmasters and International Masters in its history and setting records for both titled player participation and total entrants.

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The opening ceremony was graced by distinguished guest Akaki Iashvili, a member of the FIDE Management Board and Chairman of the FIDE Events Commission, who made the ceremonial first move to officially inaugurate the championship.

As one of Asia's largest and most prestigious open chess championships, the event is not only a celebration of the sport but also a significant occasion for Hong Kong. It is estimated to have contributed nearly HKD 10 million in economic impact through tourism, hospitality, and related activities.

To showcase Hong Kong's unique local culture, the organizing committee presented several top-seeded players with a special Cantonese-style gift set from the beloved brand "Foodie Dim Sum" during the opening ceremony. This gesture celebrated the players' arrival and invited them to experience Hong Kong’s famed "yum cha" dining tradition – a true taste of the city’s vibrant culinary charm beyond the chessboard.

KK Chan, President of the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, stated:

Our vision is to make the Hong Kong International Open Chess Championship an annual gathering where chess enthusiasts from around the world come together to compete, connect and contribute to our vibrant international chess community.

China and Mongolia players claim victories

After seven days and nine rounds of intense competition, the top three places in the Open Category were claimed by Mongolia's IM Amartuvshin Ganzorig (pictured above), China's GM Peng Xiongjian and India's GM N R Visakh.

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The remaining top-ten finishers were:

4^th place: IM Vilka Sipila (Finland)
5^th place: IM A R Ilamparthi (India)
6^th place: GM Jacek Stopa (Poland)
7^th place: GM Pang Tao (China)
8^th place: GM Abhijeet Gupta (India)
9^th place: FM Sehyun Kwon (South Korea)
10^th place: GM Maxim Vavulin (Germany)

Final standings

...129 players

In the Challenger Category, players from China and Hong Kong, China, swept the podium. The standings were topped by China's Zheng Xiner, the only female player in the top ten, followed by China's Li Tianbo in second and Hong Kong, China's Tong Ho Man in third.

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The remaining top-ten finishers in the Challenger Category were:

4^th place: Lam Yui Hei (Hong Kong, China)
5^th place: Geng Haolin (China)
6^th place: Guo Bo Kai Owen (Hong Kong, China)
7^th place: Stanislav Khudovekov (FIDE)
8^th place: Zhang Hanwen (Hong Kong, China)
9^th place: Zhang Yangming (China)
10^th place: Andrew Andi Wu (USA)

• Complete final standings – Challengers
• Official website: hkcfl.com

All available games - Main event

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