The third Play-In of the Chess.com Open, one of the key qualification paths to the Esports World Cup, took place on March 23 — and it delivered exactly what you would expect: chaos, brilliance, and rising stars making statements.
At the end of nine intense rounds, it was Sina Movahed who stood above the rest.
🌟 A Star on the Rise
For those following the chess scene closely, Movahed's victory is not a surprise — but it is still impressive.
The young Iranian talent finished clear first with an outstanding 7.5/9, losing only a single game — against Fabiano Caruana — while taking down an elite list of opponents that included:
- Wesley So
- Parham Maghsoodloo
- Nihal Sarin
- Daniil Dubov
This is not just a strong result. It is a statement.
Movahed has already been building momentum, recently winning the ChessKid Youth Championship ahead of top young talents like Andy Woodward, Yağız Erdogmuş, and Faustino Oro — and this Play-In victory confirms that he is quickly becoming a real force in top-level online chess.
In the post-tournament interview, when asked about potential future opponents, he confidently named Arjun Erigaisi.
🎭 Dubov's Show: Style, Chaos… and a Bed
If Movahed brought precision, Daniil Dubov brought spectacle.
Finishing with 7/9, the 2018 Rapid World Champion secured qualification through the playoff path and earned a mini-match against Fabiano Caruana, who had finished second in the Play-In.
Dubov's games were, as always, creative, unpredictable, and full of personality.
But the real highlight?
He played the entire tournament from his bed.
Aura.
After the event, Dubov initially joked that he would instinctively choose to face Magnus Carlsen, before changing his mind and selecting Javokhir Sindarov as his preferred opponent.
♟️ Caruana: Brilliant Start, Bitter Ending
It was a tournament of two halves for Fabiano Caruana.
He started perfectly with 5/5, looking completely in control of the event — but things quickly turned. Two consecutive losses in rounds 6 and 7 derailed his run, forcing him to settle for 7/9.
Still, Caruana showed resilience, bouncing back in rounds 8 and 9 with two dramatic time-pressure wins against Theodorou and Vidit.
One game worth revisiting is his round 3 clash against Alan Pichot, where Caruana produced two brilliant moves in a sharp, high-level encounter.
Despite the strong performance overall, he fell to Dubov in the deciding mini-match — a tough ending to an otherwise excellent tournament.
📊 The Chasing Pack
Behind the top names, several players delivered strong and consistent performances:
- Vladislav Artemiev secured a solid 4th place
- Followed by Nihal Sarin, Alan Pichot, and a slightly unlucky Vidit, who played a very strong event
🔥 Performances to Watch
Beyond the top standings, a few performances deserve special mention.
Bojan Maksimović had an outstanding tournament, finishing on 6/9 with wins over:
- Hans Niemann
- Nodirbek Yakubboev
- David Navara
Equally impressive was the young Polish player Jakub Seemann, also finishing on 6/9, with notable victories against:
- Levon Aronian
- Benjamin Bok
These are the kinds of results that often go under the radar — but matter.
📅 What's Next?
The road to the Esports World Cup continues.
Another chance. Another battlefield.
💭 Who do you think will take the next one?