8th Johor International Open kicks off from 5th July

by Peter Long - 21/06/2023

The Johor Chess Open is back for its 8th edition and it promises to be bigger and better than ever before. The tournament will take place from the 5th to the 11th of July 2023. This year, there are two sections – the Masters and the Amateurs. The 8th Johor International Open is now part of the new ASEAN CHESS Series! The total prize money for the Masters section is RM90,000 while the Amateurs section has RM35,000 up for grab. So, whether you are a seasoned chess player or a beginner, there is a chance for you to win big at the Johor Chess Open. Read the article below for all the tournament information and registration link:

8th Johor International Open 2023 from 5th-11th July!

The 8th Johor International Open is now part of the new ASEAN CHESS Series! For the first time, the Johor Open was a sister event to the Penang Open in December of each year - an added competition to encourage participation. But the success of the previous year, building in years of excellent hospitality and care, has shown that it is ready to no longer to just be a bridesmaid.

Official banner of the 8th Johor International Open

The Johor International Open will therefore this year be from 5th to 11th July, following the Thailand Open, 1st leg of the ASEAN CHESS Series to be held in Chiangmai from 28th June to 4th July.

Tournament venue and regulations

The tournament will be held at the Fairview International School, Johor!

The tournament is divided into 2 sections - Masters section (for players rated above 2000), and Amateur section (for players rated below 2000). The time control for the event is 90 minutes + 30 second increment per move from move 1. 9 rounds of chess will be played following a swiss system of pairing.

The tournament venue

Interestingly, there is an Amateur section which replaces the Challengers and while essentially the same, it is more accurate as both are really separate competitions with no other connection. Participation in the Amateur is capped at a 2000 rating with the innovation that the higher rated will be paying a higher entry fee, the organiser’s argument is they are primarily playing for prizes and are the favourites! At the same time, norms are being protected in Masters section where players under 2000 are not allowed to participate.

GM Vitaly Sivuk won the Johor Open 2022 | Photo: Johor Chess

IM Harikrishnan A Ra finished as the 2nd runner-up | Photo: Gila Chess

From last year’s event, it can be seen that this event maximises both norm and rating opportunities and should be very attractive to players seeking the same with little risk of not playing enough players from other countries.

Schedule and Registration

The first round kicks off at 4:30 PM local time, 5th July. The final round will take place on 11th July from 9 AM local time.

There is no entry fee for Grandmasters. For the rest of the players, the entry fee is of varying amounts in accordance to their rating and whether they are taking part in the Masters section or Amateur section. There is a special discount available for players above the age of 65! A special Open Rapid Chess Tournament will take place on 7th July 2 PM onwards.

Prize fund

The total prize fund of the tournament is whopping RM 1,35,000

The prize money for the Champion is 22,000 RM (Malaysian Ringgit). There are prizes for the top 20 players in the open section. In the Ladies category, there are prizes for the top 6 players. In the Amateur section, the winner takes home 4000 RM. The top 20 players will get prizes, and top 5 players among the ladies.

Official Hotel

The Official hotel for the tournament is Austin Park Hotel, 71 Jalan Austin Heights 8/2

Tournament Registration

For any queries you can contact Brian ( +60 129503301), Dinesh (+60 146115256), Andrew (+60 167203338) or connect on Whatsapp ( +60 167202272)

Check the payment details above for tournament fee payment and registration. The entire registration process will take place online - there are separate registration link for the main event and the Open Rapid event. Don't miss this chance to play in such a strong event! The registration links are given below.