The 9th Istanbul International Open kicked off in Istanbul with A Category players battling through Round 1. Quparadze, Poormosavi, and Hüseyinoğlu anchor the field in this 9-round Swiss affair. The 90-minute time control plus 30-second increments gives players room to think, though mistakes still punish. Nine rounds means one slip costs real rating points. Follow the broadcast to see who emerges when the dust settles.