AL Muthaiah Wins the Hoogeveen Open 2026 With 7.5 Points

India's IM AL Muthaiah won the Hoogeveen Open 2026 in the Netherlands with 7.5 points from 9 games, half a point ahead of GM Thomas Beerdsen.

India's IM AL Muthaiah has won the Hoogeveen Open 2026 in the Netherlands. He finished with 7.5 points from 9 games to take first place on his own.

The Hoogeveen Open is a 9-round Swiss tournament with a classical time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 more minutes, with 30 seconds added for every move.

Muthaiah was not the highest-rated player in the field, which makes his result even more impressive. He finished half a point ahead of GM Thomas Beerdsen, who won his last game against FM Vladislav Lymar to take second place with 7 points.

Three Dutch players finished on 6.5 points, with FM Noah Ritzerveld third on tiebreak ahead of IM Eelke de Boer and FM Bram ten Dam. In the final round, ten Dam beat Ritzerveld, and de Boer beat FM Kobe Smeets.

Open tournaments like Hoogeveen give ambitious players the chance to play stronger opponents and earn norms and rating points. A good result against higher-rated players is one of the best ways to improve and grow in confidence.

There is a simple lesson in Muthaiah's win. Ratings tell you who is expected to do well, but they do not decide games. The player who prepares well, stays focused and plays good moves on the day can beat anyone.

Congratulations to AL Muthaiah on winning the Hoogeveen Open 2026, and to all the players who took part.