JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Czech chess grandmaster Vojtech Plat is leading the two-day Jerusalem Open tournament, which opened on Wednesday.

The competition features 421 players from 38 countries and regions, including 36 grandmasters. It is being contested over nine rounds under the Swiss system, with five rounds completed on the opening day.

Plat, 31, has won all five of his games, including against Indian grandmaster Prraneeth Vuppala, and is ahead of six other players who have not yet lost.

The six grandmasters are Russia's Arseniy Nesterov, Azer Mirzoev of Azerbaijan, Vietnam's Duc Hoa Nguyen, Evgeny Alekseev of Israel, India's Harikrishnan A Ra, and international master Dhulipalla Bala Chandra Prasad, also from India.

The competition will be decided on Thursday, with four more rounds. In the sixth round, Plat will play against Mirzoev, Nesterov will face Prasad, while A Ra will meet Alekseev.

The competition has a total prize pot of 30,000 euros, with the winner receiving 5,000 euros, the runner-up 3,000 euros, and the third-placed player 2,000 euros.

The top two will also qualify for the Jerusalem Masters rapid chess tournament, which takes place next week. ■