59th Biel Chess Festival 2026 Day 3: Le Quang Liem and Alexandra Kosteniuk Wins in Classical
After the 1st Day of Chess960, 2nd Day of Rapid, and rest on the 3rd day. On the 14th July, the 1st Classical Game was played in both the Masters and Generational Challenge. In the Masters, Le Quang Liem scored a win over Jose Martinez, and in the Generational Challenger, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Carissa Yip. The other 2 games in both groups end in a draw. The 2nd classical game will start on 15th July at 2 PM Local Time. Photo: Biel Chess Festival
The Rulebook Blunder
Generations Challenger, we saw something you rarely see at this level. The two youngest prodigies, Marco Materia and Vaclav Finek, played an intense game, traded down pieces, and happily agreed to a draw after 27 moves. There was just one tiny problem: they completely forgot the tournament regulations!
To encourage fighting chess, the Biel rules strictly state that no draws can be agreed upon before move 40. The arbiters stepped in, and the two youngsters literally had to rearrange the pieces they had already set aside, sit back down, and keep playing! Ironically, they just traded down further and agreed to a draw anyway on move 40.
Masters
Le Quang Liem showed excellent preparation against Jose Martinez. Le played his first 22 moves in under 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Martínez was burning through his clock, spending a massive 80 minutes to survive the opening. With a massive advantage on the board and a crushing lead on the clock, Le smoothly converted the full point in 36 moves. Aronian drew against Suleymanli, and Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus drew against Bluebaum.
Replay Masters Game
Generations Challenge
Facing Xiao Tong, Vaishali played brilliant chess to get a bishop on move 29. She was completely winning, but her clock was ticking down. She had to make 40 moves to reach the 2nd time control. With her time running out, she had to play her final six moves in less than a minute. When she finally hit the time control on move 40, she had exactly 6 seconds left on her clock, but the game eventually ended in a draw.
Replay Generations Challenge Games
Masters Open
The Masters Open is only in its second round, but the field is already wide open. Unfortunately, it was a tough day for Indian veteran GM Sasikiran Krishnan. He faced the Swiss WGM Lena Georgescu, who is rated nearly 300 Elo points below him. In a shocking turn of events, Georgescu played a flawless game, putting the Indian GM under immense pressure and forcing a resignation in just 38 moves.
Among other Indian results, GM Gopal G.N. was held to a hard-fought draw by compatriot WIM Ivana Maria Furtado.
Round 2 Results
Bo. | No. |
| White | Rtg | Pts. | Result | Pts. | Black | Rtg |
| No. | PGN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 | FM | 2278 | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | GM | 2578 | 1 | |||||
2 | 2 | GM | 2561 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | GM | 2275 | 22 | |||||
3 | 24 | FM | 2268 | 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 | GM | 2554 | 3 | |||||
4 | 4 | IM | 2549 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | FM | 2257 | 26 | |||||
5 | 29 | WGM | 2253 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | GM | 2546 | 5 | |||||
6 | 6 | GM | 2531 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | FM | 2247 | 30 | |||||
7 | 36 | WIM | 2182 | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | GM | 2529 | 7 | |||||
8 | 8 | GM | 2525 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | CM | 2225 | 32 | |||||
9 | 38 | CM | 2166 | 1 | ½ - ½ | 1 | IM | 2506 | 9 | |||||
10 | 10 | WGM | 2443 | 1 | 1 - 0 | 1 | 2175 | 37 |
Replay Available Games
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Live Stream
The Main Event: Masters Triathlon
The flagship Grandmasters Triathlon features a 6-player field balancing legendary experience with fearless youth.
The Generations Challenge
The Challengers group also boasts a very interesting field - they will follow the same format as the Masters triathlon. The only Indian in the GMT this year is none other than the reigning FIDE Women's Candidates Winner and World Championship Challenger, R. Vaishali!
Format
The Scoring System
Survival in the Triathlon requires mastering every speed. The points are weighted heavily to reward classical chess fightbacks:
Classical: Win = 4 points | Draw = 1½ points | Loss = 0 points
Rapid: Win = 2 points | Draw = 1 point | Loss = 0 points
Blitz: Win = 1 point | Draw = ½ point | Loss = 0 points
Schedule
Venue: Biel Congress Center (Kongresshaus)
A Festival for the Masses
Biel isn't just for the world elite. It remains one of the premier chess holiday destinations because amateurs share the playing hall with Grandmasters.
Masters Open (MTO): A high-stakes, 10-round Swiss event for players rated 1900+ looking for international norms and title norms.
Amateur Open (ATO): A highly competitive 9-round Swiss for players under 2000 Elo, featuring a generous 5,000 CHF total prize fund.
One-Day Tournaments: For visitors looking for quick action, the schedule features the standalone Swiss Rapid Fischer Random (Chess960) Championship, a full-day Rapid Open, an intense Blitz Open, and a Chess Solving Competition.
Important Links
Support Biel Chess Festival: Here
Biel Chess Festival: Official Site, Playing Schedule, Regulations
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