Arsens

Khegay

The 5th Blue Chevaliers International Open 2026, hosted at the Novotel Phuket Resort in Patong Beach, Thailand, has delivered three rounds of intense classical chess. With 3 rounds completed and 6 more rounds to go in this 9-round Swiss-system tournament, the battle for the title is heating up as players prepare for Round 4.

The Front-Runners: Three Players with a Perfect 3/3 Start

Out of a competitive 103-player field, only three players have managed to navigate the first three rounds with an unblemished 3.0/3.0 score:

• GM Dmitriy Khegay (FID, 2504) – The top seed has played up to his billing, securing three consecutive victories.
• Arsens Batashevs (LAT, 2201) – The 14th seed has outperformed expectations to join the top tier.
• FM Nikolai Val. Makarov (FID, 2140) – The 22nd seed has put together an impressive streak to share the lead.

Expected Favorites vs. Unexpected Surprises

Expected Mastery

Top seed GM Dmitriy Khegay has executed a textbook opening run, defeating Chay Joon Hoong, Apichit Buakird, and FM Arif Rahman Saragih in succession to hold his spot at the top of the leaderboard.

The Breakout Stars

• Arsens Batashevs scored key wins against Dustin Tennessee Opasiak, Chen-Hao Wu, and Nikolay Gutsulyak to claim a share of first place.
• FM Nikolai Val. Makarov achieved one of the top results of Round 3 by defeating higher-rated FM Ankit Gajwa (2245), catapulting himself into the lead group.

Surprises & Upsets

• Neelabhro Bandyopadhyay (2165) produced a standout result in Round 3 by holding 3rd seed GM David C. Smerdon (2461) to a hard-fought draw.
• GM M.R. Venkatesh (2335) was forced to fight back after an unexpected Round 1 draw against lower-rated Amlan Mahanta (1810), subsequently winning two straight games to reach 2.5 points.
• 2nd seed GM Fabien Libiszewski (2487) and WIM Heather S. Richards (2096) elected to take half-point byes in Round 3, keeping them in prime striking position with 2.5 points heading into Round 4.

Current Standings After Round 3

Behind the leading trio sits a massive, formidable chasing pack of 17 players tied at 2.5 points:

• 3.0 Points: GM Dmitriy Khegay, Arsens Batashevs, FM Nikolai Val. Makarov
• 2.5 Points: FM Ngoc Lan Tran, GM David C. Smerdon, FM Nicolas Grandadam, IM Devaki V. Prasad, IM Nubairshah Shaikh Mohammad, FM Varun Gampa Aditya, AIM A Qil A Lauddin Abd Aziz, Neelabhro Bandyopadhyay, FM Jack Rodgers, FM Eugene Yanayt, WIM Heather S. Richards, GM M.R. Venkatesh, GM Van Huy Nguyen, GM Harmen Jonkman, Tupfah Khumnorkaew, FM Deniel Causo, and GM Fabien Libiszewski.

Round 4 Marquee Matchups: Top Boards Clash

As Round 4 begins, the top boards feature crucial head-to-head battles between the leaders and the elite chasing pack:

• Board 1: Arsens Batashevs (3.0) vs. GM Dmitriy Khegay (3.0) — The ultimate showdown of perfect scores, with Batashevs taking the White pieces against the tournament's top seed.
• Board 2: IM Nubairshah Shaikh Mohammad (2.5) vs. FM Nikolai Val. Makarov (3.0) — Makarov looks to defend his perfect record with Black against the solid Indian International Master.
• Board 3: FM Deniel Causo (2.5) vs. GM Fabien Libiszewski (2.5) — Grandmaster Libiszewski returns to action looking to climb into the lead.
• Board 4: FM Eugene Yanayt (2.5) vs. GM David C. Smerdon (2.5) — Australia's GM Smerdon aims for a win after his Round 3 draw.
• Board 5: Neelabhro Bandyopadhyay (2.5) vs. GM Van Huy Nguyen (2.5) — Fresh off drawing a GM, Bandyopadhyay faces another formidable Vietnamese Grandmaster.
• Board 6: GM M.R. Venkatesh (2.5) vs. IM Devaki V. Prasad (2.5) — An all-Indian battle between Grandmaster and International Master.

With 6 rounds remaining, there is plenty of room for moves on the leaderboard as the tournament progresses toward its conclusion on September 13.