On October 10, the Oskemen Open 2024 international chess tournament concluded with a grand ceremony in Ust-Kamenogorsk. For the first time, this tournament brought together renowned grandmasters and international masters from 15 countries in the East Kazakhstan region. The tournament was organized by KazChess/The Kazakhstan Chess Federation with the support of the East Kazakhstan regional administration, the federation’s general partner Freedom Holding Corp., and the company Shymbulak Water, DKnews.kz reports.
Starting from October 2, the tournament featured 10 rounds following the Swiss system, where players competed in two divisions: "Masters," with 121 participants with ratings no lower than 1900, and "Open," which gathered 74 participants with ratings not exceeding 2100.
Tournament Highlights
The winner of the "Masters" tournament and the recipient of a cash prize of 5 million KZT was 29-year-old Ukrainian grandmaster Vitaliy Bernadskiy (2530), who took an early lead and maintained his position throughout the final rounds. The second place went to Chinese grandmaster Bai Jinshi (2549), who won a prize of 3.5 million KZT. The third place and a certificate for 2.5 million KZT were awarded to Jahongir Vakhidov (2572), a bronze medalist of the 2024 Olympiad with the Uzbekistan team. Additionally, three players were recognized with cash prizes in the categories "Best Female Performance" and "Best Kazakh Player": Russian player Yana Zhapanova (FIDE, 2183) and the youngest member of Kazakhstan's national men's team, 16-year-old Aldiyar Ansat (2456), each received 1 million KZT for taking first place in their respective categories. The total prize fund for the "Masters" tournament amounted to 24 million KZT, with the top 15 players awarded cash prizes as per the regulations.
Closing Ceremony and Special Guests
The closing ceremony of the international tournament took place at the D. Serikbayev EKTU building, where the chess battles were held. Distinguished guests at the closing ceremony included the Deputy Akim of the East Kazakhstan region, Yerbol Nurgaliyev, the First Vice-President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, Darmen Sadvakasov, the Chairman of the KazChess branch in East Kazakhstan, entrepreneur Anvar Rakhimov, and others.
"This is the first chess tournament of this scale in the history of the East Kazakhstan region. It is especially valuable for the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Holding such high-level international open series tournaments provides our players with unique competitive experience. Notably, after Oskemen Open, six players have met the criteria for international titles, proving the significance of such tournaments," noted Darmen Sadvakasov.
In the "Open" tournament, where 74 participants with ratings not exceeding 2100 competed, the leaders faced off in the final round. Despite his efforts, Ailen Suleyev (2084), playing black, could not penetrate the defensive structures of Kumar Gaurav (2040) from India. The Indian chess player secured first place with 8 points and received 1 million KZT. The FIDE master from Astana, who was half a point behind, took second place, while his compatriot Arlen Abdrashev (1956), with the same 7½ points, took third. The guaranteed prize fund for the "Open" tournament was 4.5 million KZT, with cash prizes awarded to the top 7 players, as well as winners in categories such as best results among women, veterans (born in 1964 and earlier), and boys and girls under 10 and under 14.
It is worth noting that Oskemen Open is the second stage of the 2024 Kazakhstan Cup. The first stage, the Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial - Aktobe Open 2024, took place in Aktobe at the end of May, and the third stage, Pavlodar Open, will be held in Pavlodar from October 13 to 21. The results of the Cup will be finalized during the knockout-style final in Almaty in mid-November.
