Armenian Grandmaster Hrant Melkumyan convincingly won the 1st International Chess Open Casino Graz which took place on 14-21st February at the Casino Graz and Joanneum Quarter in Graz, Austria.

Melkumyan concluded the Open A with 7,5 points from nine rounds, a full point ahead of the chasing pack.

IM Rajpara Ankit from India, who drew Melkumyan in the final round, earned a Grandmaster norm. Full standings below.

Replay top games with analysis

The Open B had 57 participants rated under 2000 elo. Austrian players Anton Neubauer and Franz Kerschenbauer shared the first place with 7,0/9 points each.

Tournament website

Open A final standings (top finishers):

1. GM Melkumyan Hrant ARM 2589 – 7.5

2. GM Ragger Markus AUT 2646 – 6.5
3. IM Rajpara Ankit IND 2455 – 6.5
4. GM Li Chao b CHN 2697 – 6.5
5. GM Istratescu Andrei FRA 2671 – 6.5
6. GM Haznedaroglu Kivanc TUR 2437 – 6.5
7. GM Kozul Zdenko CRO 2588 – 6.5


8. GM Negi Parimarjan IND 2633 – 6
9. GM Can Emre TUR 2520 – 6
10. FM Veerappan Aravindh Chithambaram IND 2381 – 6
11. GM Felgaer Ruben ARG 2569 – 6
12. FM Baldauf Marco GER 2396 – 6


13. GM Bachmann Axel PAR 2577 – 5.5
14. Lei Tingjie CHN 2346 – 5.5
15. IM Barbosa Evandro Amorim BRA 2459 – 5.5
16. IM Berchtenbreiter Max GER 2421 – 5.5
17. IM Diermair Andreas AUT 2459 – 5.5
18. IM Santiago Yago De Moura BRA 2451 – 5.5
19. Nguyen Thai Dai Van CZE 2175 – 5.5
20. WGM Ohme Melanie GER 2330 – 5.5
21. FM Handler Lukas AUT 2398 – 5.5
22. IM Froewis Georg AUT 2437 – 5.5
23. IM Schreiner Peter AUT 2487 – 5.5
24. FM Hauge Lars Oskar NOR 2310 – 5.5
25. FM Perhinig Robert AUT 2273 – 5.5
26. Dragnev Valentin AUT 2145 – 5.5
27. IM Prosviriakov Vladimir USA 2268 – 5.5
28. FM Schnider Gert AUT 2378 – 5.5

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tags: ,