1St National Council for Culture Chess Tournament 2025
Open SwissStandard
41 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 15 Jul 2025 to 25 Jul 2025 in Sharq, Kuwait. 1 titled players from 4 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1732, and top seed was Youssef Youssef Ahmed (🇪🇬 EGY, 1905).
Saksham Upadhyay (🇮🇳 IND, 1829) won with 9.0/9, ahead of Turki Aldaihani (8.0) and Ahmad Alrefae (6.5). Upadhyay won solo starting round 5.
The biggest upset came in round 2: Faisal Alghanim (1558) beat Youssef Youssef Ahmed (1905), a +347-point gap.
Location
🇰🇼Sharq, Kuwait
Dates
15 Jul 2025 → 25 Jul 2025
Time control
Standard: 60 minutes with 30 seconds increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 9 rounds
Titled players · 1
WCM×1
Federations · 4 represented
🇰🇼Kuwait×22
🇪🇬Egypt×5
🇮🇳India×3
🇧🇩Bangladesh×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 9 roundsSaksham Upadhyay led from R5; +1.0-point edge over the runner-up. Title race converged from 2 co-leaders at R4 to 1 by R5.
Co-leaders
18
11
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
R5–R9 · LEAD HELD
Saksham Upadhyay never relinquished the lead after R5; final gap +1.0 over the runner-up.
R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
Saksham Upadhyay beat Turki Aldaihani (White).
WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers
Saksham Upadhyay 9 wins (R1–R9)Turki Aldaihani 4+4 wins (R1–R4, R6–R9)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Saksham Upadhyay | * | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2Turki Aldaihani | 0 | * | — | 1 |
| 3Abdullah Nehan | 0 | — | * | ½ |
| 4Ahmad Alrefae | 0 | 0 | ½ | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saksham Upadhyay | 1829 | IND | +12N | +9B | +29N | +3B | +2B | +4N | +6B | +5N | +8B | 9.0 | 47.5 | 50.5 | 50.50 | 2483 | +102.4 |
| 2 | Aldaihani, Turki | 1895 | KUW | +30N | +11B | +5N | +24B | −1N | +10B | +3N | +14B | +6B | 8.0 | 44.5 | 47.0 | 38.00 | 2023 | +19.0 |
| 3 | Alrefae, Ahmad | 1871 | KUW | +23B | +32N | =4B | −1N | +12B | +8N | −2B | +7N | +9B | 6.5 | 47.0 | 49.0 | 28.75 | 1754 | -32.0 |
| 4 | Nehan, Abdullah | 1615 | BAN | +25N | +27B | =3N | +7B | +5N | −1B | −10N | +9N | +15B | 6.5 | 44.0 | 47.0 | 29.75 | 1795 | +72.8 |
| 5 | Mosawi, Ahmad | 1620 | KUW | +26B | +17N | −2B | +15N | −4B | +16N | +30B | −1B | +14N | 6.0 | 42.5 | 45.0 | 21.50 | 1632 | +0.8 |
| 6 | Alazmi, AmaniWCM | 1733 | KUW | +40B | +16N | F | +9B | +24N | +7B | −1N | +10B | −2N | 6.0 | 42.5 | 43.5 | 23.50 | 1827 | +15.4 |
| 7 | Essam Mohamed, Yousseif | 1573 | EGY | +35B | +18N | =8B | −4N | +15B | −6N | +21B | −3B | +11N | 5.5 | 40.5 | 42.5 | 21.00 | 1644 | +24.4 |
| 8 | Alenezi, Hamad | 1633 | KUW | +34N | +15B | =7N | −10B | +11N | −3B | =13N | +17B | −1N | 5.0 | 43.5 | 45.5 | 20.00 | 1657 | +3.8 |
| 9 | Ezzat GadElrab, Yousab | 1501 | EGY | +22B | −1N | +26B | −6N | +33B | +18N | +11N | −4B | −3N | 5.0 | 43.5 | 45.5 | 17.50 | 1578 | +16.4 |
| 10 | Youssef Ahmed, Youssef | 1905 | EGY | +19B | −36N | +23B | +8N | +13B | −2N | +4B | −6N | F | 5.0 | 41.5 | 43.5 | 23.50 | 1697 | -31.6 |
| 11 | Alhasan, Zainah | 1534 | KUW | +33B | −2N | +19B | +18N | −8B | +17N | −9B | +24N | −7B | 5.0 | 38.5 | 40.5 | 17.00 | 1537 | -3.6 |
| 12 | Alajmi, Abdulrahman Mohammad | 0 | KUW | −1B | +28N | +32B | =16N | −3N | +27B | F | F | +13N | 4.5 | 37.5 | 39.5 | 14.50 | 1642 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Sulaiman, Yousef | 1587 | KUW | −24B | +33N | +36B | +17N | −10N | −14B | =8B | +34N | −12B | 4.5 | 29.5 | 31.5 | 12.50 | 1735 | +28.8 |
| 14 | Riyasri Srinivasan | 0 | IND | −15N | +25B | +34N | −29B | +19B | +13N | F | −2N | −5B | 4.0 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 13.50 | 1473 | 0.0 |
| 15 | Sulaiman, Hussain | 1488 | KUW | +14B | −8N | +35B | −5B | −7N | +25N | +34B | F | −4N | 4.0 | 36.0 | 38.0 | 11.00 | 812 | -53.6 |
| 16 | Farouk Abdulaziz, Mohamed | 1501 | EGY | +38N | −6B | =21N | =12B | +28N | −5B | +32N | F | F | 4.0 | 32.0 | 33.0 | 10.00 | 1498 | -1.2 |
| 17 | Alkhaleefi, Hamad | 1465 | KUW | +37N | −5B | +38N | −13B | +22N | −11B | F | −8N | +24B | 4.0 | 31.0 | 32.0 | 8.50 | 795 | -52.0 |
| 18 | Almatar, Khalifa | 1627 | KUW | F | −7B | +31N | −11B | +23N | −9B | +33N | +32B | F | 4.0 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 10.00 | 1438 | -51.6 |
| 19 | Safar, Hussain | 1411 | KUW | −10N | +20B | −11N | +38B | −14N | +28B | −24B | F | +32N | 4.0 | 29.0 | 30.0 | 10.00 | 1493 | +4.4 |
| 20 | Almutairi, Jumanah | 0 | KUW | −36B | −19N | +39B | −22N | −30B | −31N | +41N | +37B | +25N | 4.0 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 5.00 | 665 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Alhuraiji, Sultan | 0 | KUW | −29B | +39N | =16B | −32N | +31N | +23B | −7N | F | F | 3.5 | 28.5 | 29.5 | 9.00 | 1369 | 0.0 |
| 22 | Krithikesh Srinivasan | 0 | IND | −9N | +34B | −27N | +20B | −17B | −30N | =31B | +28N | F | 3.5 | 27.5 | 29.5 | 10.25 | 1135 | 0.0 |
| 23 | FIDE 555001467 | 0 | — | −3N | +41B | −10N | +37B | −18B | −21N | +38B | =30N | F | 3.5 | 26.5 | 26.5 | 3.25 | 1002 | 0.0 |
| 24 | Alhalwaji, Asaad | 0 | KUW | +13N | +30B | F | −2N | −6B | −32B | +19N | −11B | −17N | 3.0 | 40.0 | 42.0 | 11.00 | 1433 | 0.0 |
| 25 | FIDE 10311106 | 0 | — | −4B | −14N | −28B | +40N | +37N | −15B | +?N | F | −20B | 3.0 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 2.00 | 752 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Alhabeeb, Abdulaziz | 0 | KUW | −5N | +37B | −9N | +?B | F | F | F | +27B | F | 3.0 | 27.0 | 27.0 | 4.00 | 1395 | 0.0 |
| 27 | Alkhadher, Abdulwahab | 1431 | KUW | +39B | −4N | +22B | F | F | −12N | +28B | −26N | F | 3.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 7.50 | 816 | -10.4 |
| 28 | FIDE 10311882 | 0 | — | F | −12B | +25N | +?N | −16B | −19N | −27N | −22B | +40N | 3.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 4.00 | 1256 | 0.0 |
| 29 | Mohsen, Hussain | 1580 | EGY | +21N | +31B | −1B | +14N | F | F | F | F | F | 3.0 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 10.00 | 1628 | +2.0 |
| 30 | FIDE 555001459 | 0 | — | −2B | −24N | −33B | F | +20N | +22B | −5N | =23B | −31N | 2.5 | 32.5 | 32.5 | 9.25 | 848 | 0.0 |
| 31 | Alhasan, Laila | 1424 | KUW | F | −29N | −18B | −33N | −21B | +20B | =22N | F | +30B | 2.5 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 8.25 | 804 | -21.2 |
| 32 | Alazemi, Aisha | 1512 | KUW | F | −3B | −12N | +21B | F | +24N | −16B | −18N | −19B | 2.0 | 32.5 | 35.5 | 6.50 | 803 | -31.6 |
| 33 | Alotaibi, Hasan | 0 | KUW | −11N | −13B | +30N | +31B | −9N | F | −18B | F | F | 2.0 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 5.00 | 1296 | 0.0 |
| 34 | FIDE 10311769 | 0 | — | −8B | −22N | −14B | F | +38N | +?B | −15N | −13B | F | 2.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 | 1.00 | 769 | 0.0 |
| 35 | Alkhadher, Abdullah | 0 | KUW | −7N | +?B | −15N | F | F | F | +40B | F | F | 2.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 1.00 | 731 | 0.0 |
| 36 | Alghanim, Faisal | 1558 | KUW | +20N | +10B | −13N | F | F | F | F | F | F | 2.0 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 9.00 | 1746 | +17.2 |
| 37 | FIDE 10307800 | 0 | — | −17B | −26N | F | −23N | −25B | +40N | −39B | −20N | F | 1.0 | 21.5 | 21.5 | 1.00 | 664 | 0.0 |
| 38 | FIDE 10311122 | 0 | — | −16B | +40N | −17B | −19N | −34B | F | −23N | −?B | F | 1.0 | 20.5 | 20.5 | 1.00 | 659 | 0.0 |
| 39 | FIDE 10307818 | 0 | — | −27N | −21B | −20N | F | −40B | F | +37N | F | F | 1.0 | 18.5 | 18.5 | 1.00 | 631 | 0.0 |
| 40 | FIDE 10311874 | 0 | — | −6N | −38B | −?N | −25B | +39N | −37B | −35N | F | −28B | 1.0 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 1.00 | 935 | 0.0 |
| 41 | FIDE 10311866 | 0 | — | F | −23N | −?B | F | −?N | F | −20B | F | F | 0.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 0.00 | 654 | 0.0 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Saksham UpadhyayIND+102.49.0 pts · #1
- 2Nehan, AbdullahBAN+72.86.5 pts · #2
- 3Sulaiman, YousefKUW+28.84.5 pts · #12
Top rating losers
- 1Sulaiman, HussainKUW-53.64.0 pts · #32
- 2Alkhaleefi, HamadKUW-52.04.0 pts · #28
- 3Almatar, KhalifaKUW-51.64.0 pts · #14
Biggest upsets
- R2+347 Elo gap
- R8+172 Elo gap
- R6+126 Elo gap