The second edition of the Amsterdam Chess Open, November 1-3 at the Corry Tendeloohuis in Amsterdam Southeast, will feature two grandmasters and a total of 37 titled players among the participants. GM Erik van den Doel (2559) is the top favourite. Four streamers will also participate, whose games can be followed live with video coverage.
Most participants have indicated their federation during registration, showing that at least 37 different chess federations will be represented, from Iceland to New Zealand and from the United States to China.
As of writing, there are 117 players in the A group (2000+), 118 in the B group (1800-2000), 88 in the C group (1650-1850), and 133 in the D group (<1700). Many of these players are members of an SGA club, and those in the A group are also competing for the SGA Individual Championship, which comes with a first prize of €250. An additional perk is that this winner will also qualify for the preliminary rounds of the Dutch Championship 2025.
With 29 in total, there are plenty of participants from Germany, including two titled players: IM Marius Deuer (ranked third) and FM Vitali Braun (ranked tenth). Besides Van den Doel, the strongest Dutch participants are IM Robert Ris and defending champion Rick Lahaye, who won the A-group at the first edition of the Amsterdam Chess Open. These A-group participants are competing for a substantial first prize of €2000. Lower groups will aim for rating prizes, with a nice €400 to be won in the A group.
Streamers
An exciting aspect of our tournament is that we’re welcoming four streamers who, along with their fan bases, will bring in plenty of additional viewers. Their participation aligns with one of the goals of the ACO to reach home players and make chess more accessible.
FM Anna-Maja Kazarian (24), based in Voorschoten, boasts 25 national titles in classical, rapid, and blitz chess. Once inspired by Alexandra Botez, Kazarian has been streaming for nearly five years and has 37.6 thousand followers on Twitch.
“My plan during the tournament is to stream my games live on my Twitch and YouTube channels,” Kazarian tells us. “I’ll also make recaps (short analyses) of my games, which I’ll share on YouTube. The main reason for participating in the Amsterdam Chess Open is to be able to share this chess journey with my viewers live and because of the fantastic support from the tournament organizers to make this possible.”
Phoebe Witte (25), from The Hague, has been playing chess for almost three years, half of which she’s also been streaming. In this relatively short time, she has amassed 17.8 thousand followers on Twitch and sixteen thousand on Instagram. Phoebe will also livestream her games with commentary. “I hope to have some interesting games to learn from,” she says. “I actually wanted to play last year but couldn’t, so when I got the chance to play this year, I jumped at it! Amsterdam is a great city, and playing a weekend tournament here is a wonderful combination.”
Thomas Huften (22), from Houten, has been playing chess seriously since the summer of 2022. He started making chess videos on YouTube in February 2023. Across several channels, he has over two thousand followers, with sixteen hundred on YouTube, where he’s most active.
“My games will be streamed live via Twitch,” Huften says. “Additionally, I’ll make a YouTube video analysing each game, which will be available on my channel in the days following the tournament. In these videos, I’ll analyse my games with video clips from my live games.”
Why is he eager to join the ACO? “I always enjoy competing against strong opponents, and there are plenty at the Amsterdam Chess Open. Plus, I’m very drawn to the international aspect of the tournament and the city of Amsterdam. I’m really looking forward to it!”
Zach Saine (23), known as “the chess nerd,” was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, studied in Amsterdam for a year, and is now playing tournaments across Europe until his residency expires. He’s been playing chess seriously for about nine years and has been streaming for over two and a half years. Across various social media channels, he has over 350,000 followers, with over 200,000 on YouTube.
“I plan to stream my entire Amsterdam Chess Open for the second time in two events!” he said. “I was exhilarated when I inquired last year to stream and Marjolein and the team were so gracious to have me. I am happy to be returning to this great tournament in the heart of Amsterdam. It has emotional attachment to me as I feel like I was the first streamer to really see its potential. As I was the only streamer there in the first edition, I am content (but not surprised) on seeing this much growth in a city with such a vibrant chess scene yet so few opens.”
Tournament Coaches
Aligned with our main partner, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, our tournament has a strong focus on education, including training and improvement. During the tournament, four coaches will be available to assist participants: GM Paul van der Sterren, IM Merijn van Delft, Ewoud de Groote, and Ashley Krishnasing.
Paul van der Sterren: “I was a full-time professional chess player until I was 45, became Dutch champion twice (in 1985 and 1993), achieved the grandmaster title, and qualified for the 1994 Candidates’ Matches. Since retiring from competitive chess, I’ve been writing books and doing some coaching. From 2019 to 2024, I served as chairman of the Max Euwe Center. I recently received the English Chess Federation’s Book of the Year Award 2024 for my book In Black and White. This will be my debut as a tournament coach.”
Merijn van Delft: Merijn holds the title of master in both chess and psychology and is proud of his book Mastering Positional Sacrifice*. He tries to combine as many chess activities as possible: playing, training, coaching, writing, organising, commentating, and selling books. He finds the enthusiasm and determination of Jan and Marjolein contagious and sees it as an honour to be part of the Amsterdam Chess Open family as a tournament coach.
Ewoud de Groote: Ewoud’s primary roles at the Bussum Chess Club (BSG) are as youth supervisor and top youth trainer. He currently competes for BSG 1 and in the SOS league. Ewoud has earned one IM norm and once held a rating close to 2400. He has been an active player in the past, competing both nationally in the master class BSG and internationally, including in Germany, and he has contested top places at youth nationals.
Ashley Krishnasing: “I teach top youth players in Baarn and hold a chess trainer diploma for levels 1 and 2. I also provide occasional training for adults and have worked as a youth supervisor for Grand Prix youth chess events. In the past, I’ve won various B group tournaments, competed in the Dutch league for different clubs, participated in the youth Dutch Championship A, frequently won the BSV club championship, and held a rating well above 2100. I currently play for BSV in the SOS league.”
Additional Prizes
Besides the regular prizes in various groups, there will be additional prizes raffled between rounds:
- 2 x Pegasus online chess computers
- 4 x DGT 2500 clocks
- 3 x Chessity 3-month premium subscriptions
- 3D-printed chess sets
- ACO sweaters
- ...and more!
District Tournament with Focus on Home Players
The format of the District Tournament, on October 31 at the Corry Tendeloohuis, has been adjusted to allow more participants. The Amsterdam Chess Open organisers chose a flexible format that maintains the competitive aspect of a district rivalry. Precise changes can be found here. Currently, there are over 100 registrations, mostly from home players. Club players are also welcome, and spots are still available in various districts. You can register here.