January Classic Chess Tournament 2026

Open SwissStandard

62 players participated in this 9-round tournament, held from 10 Jan 2026 to 19 Jan 2026 in Kuwait, Kuwait. 1 titled players from 8 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 1830, and top seed was Krithik Muthukumar (🇮🇳 IND, 1998).

Adriel Job (🇮🇳 IND, 1812) won with 7.5/9, ahead of Ahmad Alrefae (7.5) and Abdullah Nehan (7.0). Job shared the lead from round 5, winning on tie-break.

The biggest upset came in round 7: Hani. Bou Hamdan (1442) beat Zeyad Saleh Al Abdali (1795), a +353-point gap.

Location

🇰🇼Kuwait, Kuwait

Dates

10 Jan 2026 → 19 Jan 2026

Time control

Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1

System

Swiss · 9 rounds

Top seed

🇮🇳Krithik Muthukumar1998

Avg top 10

1,830

Participants

Titled players · 1

WCM×1

Federations · 8 represented

🇮🇳India×22

🇰🇼Kuwait×19

🇪🇬Egypt×5

🇸🇾Syria×4

🇱🇧Lebanon×1

🇧🇩Bangladesh×1

🇸🇦Saudi Arabia×1

🇹🇷Turkiye×1

Top 3

🥇
Adriel Job
🇮🇳IND·1812
7.5pts·1928perf+45.6
🥈
Ahmad Alrefae
🇰🇼KUW·1822
7.5pts·1886perf+14.0
🥉
Abdullah Nehan
🇧🇩BAN·1728
7.0pts·1893perf+65.2

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 9 rounds

Tight race until R9; 2 players tied at 7.5/9, decided on Buchholz.

Co-leaders

Alrefae7.5Job7.5Nehan7Lodhi6.5Nithyanand6.5Srinivasan6— ex-leaders:Muthukumarled R4, #10

R6 · LEADER CHANGE16 Jan

Adriel Job takes the sole lead (5.5/6).

R9 · TIEBREAK CLUSTER

2 players finish on 7.5/9. Job takes the title on Buchholz Cut1 (48.0).

R4 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND

Ahmad Alrefae drew with Adriel Job (Black).

Key matchups · top 4

Head-to-head between the four finishers

Player	1	2	3	4
1Ahmad Alrefae	*	½	1	—
2Adriel Job	½	*	½	½
3Abdullah Nehan	0	½	*	—
4Khalid Lodhi	—	½	—	*

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Adriel Job	1812	IND	+57N	+18B	+17N	=2B	+6N	+22B	+7B	=3N	=4B	7.5	48.0	49.0	38.50	1928	+45.6
2	Alrefae, Ahmad	1822	KUW	+29B	+25N	+32B	=1N	+3B	−7N	+11B	+5N	+9B	7.5	47.0	51.0	41.25	1886	+14.0
3	Nehan, Abdullah	1728	BAN	+52N	+50B	+54N	=6B	−2N	+16B	+8N	=1B	+7N	7.0	42.0	44.0	29.75	1893	+65.2
4	Khalid Lodhi	1765	PAK	+51N	−17B	+12N	−16B	+29N	+10B	+19N	+18B	=1N	6.5	43.0	45.0	31.25	1667	-15.2
5	Arnav Nithyanand	1593	IND	+37B	+31N	+15B	−11N	+42N	=8B	+18N	−2B	+13B	6.5	42.5	45.5	29.50	1780	+58.4
6	Advik Srinivasan	1815	IND	+47B	+24N	+23B	=3N	−1B	−15N	+26B	=8N	+21B	6.0	45.0	48.0	29.00	1750	-21.2
7	Alasfour, Zaid	1652	KUW	+60B	+53N	−39B	+21N	+9B	+2B	−1N	+27N	−3B	6.0	43.0	43.0	24.50	1733	+24.4
8	Alazmi, AmaniWCM	1763	KUW	+58B	+19N	+27B	−39N	+11B	=5N	−3B	=6B	+28N	6.0	42.0	42.5	25.25	1693	-10.6
9	Sudhanshu Muluka	1573	IND	+42N	−39N	+53B	+55B	−7N	+17B	+15N	+16B	−2N	6.0	37.5	38.5	21.00	1697	+27.6
10	Mohamed Abdellah, Ahmed	1498	EGY	+45B	−15N	−49B	+33N	+59B	−4N	+44B	+23N	+27B	6.0	33.0	33.0	19.00	1607	+13.6
11	Mohammed Junaid Khan	1547	IND	=49B	+30N	+13B	+5B	−8N	+40B	−2N	+38N	F	5.5	42.0	44.5	24.75	1896	+127.6
12	Mohsen, Hussain	1573	EGY	+20B	=13N	−4B	−40B	−14N	+58N	+49B	+26N	+25B	5.5	37.5	38.0	19.75	1600	+2.6
13	Bhavanya Panchumarthi	1840	IND	+16N	=12B	−11N	F	+49B	+48N	+40B	+22B	−5N	5.5	36.5	36.5	21.75	1669	-49.6
14	Srinadh Panchumarthi	1537	IND	F	+41B	−50N	F	+12B	=49N	+34N	+19B	+30N	5.5	26.5	26.5	23.25	2414	+71.2
15	Youssef Ahmed, Youssef	1822	EGY	+56N	+10B	−5N	+17B	−18N	+6B	−9B	+24N	F	5.0	45.0	46.0	23.00	1623	-31.2
16	Al Deib, Alaa	1417	SYR	−13B	+37N	+33B	+4N	+32B	−3N	+23B	−9N	F	5.0	43.0	47.0	23.50	1690	+76.8
17	Vaibhav Vishaan Nandakumar	1474	IND	+33B	+4N	−1B	−15N	+45B	−9N	+31B	=25N	=20B	5.0	42.5	45.5	22.25	1558	+15.2
18	Sumesh Suresh	1544	IND	+28B	−1N	+31B	+49N	+15B	+27N	−5B	−4N	F	5.0	42.5	45.0	19.50	1556	+0.4
19	Shrhi Harini Anandkannan	1493	IND	+43N	−8B	+59N	+28B	−22N	+25B	−4B	−14N	+38B	5.0	38.5	38.5	15.50	1564	+29.6
20	Byrakdar,Abd Alrazag.	0	SYR	−12N	+56B	+35N	−22B	−30N	+43B	=28N	+36B	=17N	5.0	34.5	35.5	16.50	1552	0.0
21	Bou Hamdan,Hani.	1442	SYR	−54N	+34B	+43N	−7B	−28N	+46B	+30N	+32B	−6N	5.0	34.0	36.0	18.00	1691	+66.8
22	Celebi, Bahadir	1610	TUR	+61B	−27N	+47B	+20N	+19B	−1N	+35B	−13N	F	5.0	34.0	34.0	17.00	1664	+4.6
23	Alabdullah, Khalid	1607	KUW	+41N	+59B	−6N	+50B	−27N	+42B	−16N	−10B	+31N	5.0	33.5	33.5	12.50	777	-65.2
24	Alajmi, Nayef	1487	KUW	+46N	−6B	F	+34B	+43N	−32N	+33B	−15B	+45N	5.0	32.0	33.0	17.00	1477	-6.8
25	Sulaiman, Yousef	1533	KUW	+44N	−2B	F	+52B	+55N	−19N	+45B	=17B	−12N	4.5	34.0	35.0	11.50	1264	-52.8
26	Akshith Cheekati	1568	IND	+34N	−54B	+57N	−42B	+50N	=28B	−6N	−12B	+33B	4.5	30.5	31.5	13.00	951	-33.2
27	Almeer, Khalid	0	KUW	+40N	+22B	−8N	F	+23B	−18B	+32N	−7B	−10N	4.0	40.5	42.5	17.50	1624	0.0
28	Sathvika Umashankar	0	IND	−18N	+51B	F	−19N	+21B	=26N	=20B	+35N	−8B	4.0	38.5	40.5	15.75	1497	0.0
29	Safar, Hussain	1418	KUW	−2N	+44B	+38B	−32N	−4B	−31N	−37B	+61N	+43B	4.0	36.0	36.0	10.00	1585	+17.6
30	Al Abdali, Zeyad Saleh	1795	KSA	−53B	−11B	+41N	+31N	+20B	−35N	−21B	+44N	−14B	4.0	35.5	37.5	15.50	714	-66.8
31	Jihan Pandya	0	IND	+35N	−5B	−18N	−30B	+53N	+29B	−17N	+51B	−23B	4.0	35.5	37.5	12.00	1408	0.0
32	Almuneer, Muhammad	1627	KUW	+62N	+55B	−2N	+29B	−16N	+24B	−27B	−21N	F	4.0	35.5	35.5	10.00	1447	-24.2
33	Thrinish Saii Gokulnath	0	IND	−17N	+52B	−16N	−10B	+51N	+41B	−24N	+34B	−26N	4.0	35.0	37.0	11.50	689	0.0
34	Dheepak Balamurugan	0	IND	−26B	−21N	+58B	−24N	+47B	+59N	−14B	−33N	+44B	4.0	30.5	30.5	6.50	710	0.0
35	Hadi Kansou	1529	LBN	−31B	+60N	−20B	F	+46N	+30B	−22N	−28B	+42N	4.0	30.0	30.0	10.00	1705	+17.6
36	Sulaiman, Hussain	1448	KUW	−39B	+61N	F	−46B	+37N	−44N	+43B	−20N	+55B	4.0	27.0	27.0	8.00	1638	+14.4
37	FIDE 8136700	0	—	−5N	−16B	−51N	+60N	−36B	+56B	+29N	+59B	F	4.0	26.5	26.5	5.00	1280	0.0
38	Dharmendra Pranav Naidu Ravuluru	1662	IND	−50N	+62B	−29N	+51B	−40N	+55B	+42N	−11B	−19N	4.0	26.0	26.0	6.00	733	-106.8
39	Krithik Muthukumar	1998	IND	+36N	+9B	+7N	+8B	F	F	F	F	F	4.0	22.0	22.0	22.00	2451	+19.2
40	Wahid,Hlal	1692	SYR	−27B	=49N	+48B	+12N	+38B	−11N	−13N	F	F	3.5	30.0	30.0	13.75	1698	+1.4
41	Alsaifan, Bader	0	KUW	−23B	−14N	−30B	=58N	+60B	−33N	F	+49N	+48B	3.5	27.5	27.5	5.75	1420	0.0
42	Alwasmi, Sara	0	KUW	−9B	+48N	F	+26N	−5B	−23N	−38B	+55N	−35B	3.0	37.5	38.5	8.50	1423	0.0
43	Sreya Kadiyala	1414	IND	−19B	+58N	−21B	+47N	−24B	−20N	−36N	+52B	−29N	3.0	33.0	33.5	5.50	657	-88.8
44	Gloria Excelsis Wilson Sodadasi	0	IND	−25B	−29N	−52N	+62B	+56N	+36B	−10N	−30B	−34N	3.0	29.5	29.5	5.00	1303	0.0
45	Mohan Sai Kumar. K	0	IND	−10N	−57B	F	+56B	−17N	+50B	−25N	+48N	−24B	3.0	27.5	27.5	6.00	1263	0.0
46	Remoun Lamie, Rojeh	0	EGY	−24B	−47N	+60B	+36N	−35B	−21N	−48B	+56N	−52B	3.0	27.0	27.0	5.00	1247	0.0
47	FIDE 10311769	0	—	−6N	+46B	−22N	−43B	−34N	F	F	+60B	+61N	3.0	26.5	26.5	3.00	815	0.0
48	Alkandari, Ahmed Waleed	1511	KUW	−55N	−42B	−40N	+61B	+52N	−13B	+46N	−45B	−41N	3.0	24.5	24.5	5.00	966	-15.6
49	Faisal Abdelhamid, Hany	0	EGY	=11N	=40B	+10N	−18B	−13N	=14B	−12N	−41B	F	2.5	40.0	40.0	13.25	1502	0.0
50	Almutairi, Abdullah Mohammad	0	KUW	+38B	−3N	+14B	−23N	−26B	−45N	F	F	F	2.0	29.5	29.5	9.50	1549	0.0
51	Alhabeeb, Abdulaziz	0	KUW	−4B	−28N	+37B	−38N	−33B	F	F	−31N	+59N	2.0	29.5	29.5	4.00	914	0.0
52	Almaayouf, Naser	0	KUW	−3B	−33N	+44B	−25N	−48B	F	F	−43N	+46N	2.0	28.5	28.5	6.00	750	0.0
53	Alesmail, Yousif	0	KUW	+30N	−7B	−9N	F	−31B	F	+60N	F	F	2.0	24.0	24.0	4.00	1554	0.0
54	Khan, Yunus	1863	IND	+21B	+26N	−3B	F	F	F	F	F	F	2.0	20.5	20.5	9.50	1711	-9.0
55	Joshnika Maddipatla	0	IND	+48B	−32N	F	−9N	−25B	−38N	F	−42B	−36N	1.0	33.5	35.5	3.00	1293	0.0
56	FIDE 10309225	0	—	−15B	−20N	+61B	−45N	−44B	−37N	F	−46B	F	1.0	23.5	23.5	0.00	1022	0.0
57	Aldousari, Fahed	0	KUW	−1B	+45N	−26B	F	F	F	F	F	F	1.0	15.0	15.0	3.00	890	0.0
58	Alhalwaji, Asaad	0	KUW	−8N	−43B	−34N	=41B	F	−12B	F	F	F	0.5	25.0	25.0	1.75	784	0.0
59	FIDE 39949621	0	—	F	−23N	−19B	F	−10N	−34B	F	−37N	−51B	0.0	29.0	29.0	0.00	726	0.0
60	FIDE 10312404	0	—	−7N	−35B	−46N	−37B	−41N	F	−53B	−47N	F	0.0	26.5	26.5	0.00	789	0.0
61	FIDE 10312560	0	—	−22N	−36B	−56N	−48N	F	F	F	−29B	−47B	0.0	24.0	24.0	0.00	701	0.0
62	FIDE 10312579	0	—	−32B	−38N	F	−44N	F	F	F	F	F	0.0	16.5	16.5	0.00	845	0.0

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Mohammed Junaid KhanIND
+127.6
5.5 pts · #5
2Al Deib, AlaaSYR
+76.8
5.0 pts · #13
3Srinadh PanchumarthiIND
+71.2
5.5 pts · #14

Top rating losers

1Dharmendra Pranav Naidu RavuluruIND
-106.8
4.0 pts · #46
2Sreya KadiyalaIND
-88.8
3.0 pts · #55
3Al Abdali, Zeyad SalehKSA
-66.8
4.0 pts · #52

Biggest upsets

R7+353 Elo gap
Bou Hamdan,Hani.1442 beat Al Abdali, Zeyad Saleh1795
R4+348 Elo gap
Al Deib, Alaa1417 beat Khalid Lodhi1765
R3+293 Elo gap
Mohammed Junaid Khan1547 beat Bhavanya Panchumarthi1840