JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Reigning Russian chess champion Arseniy Nesterov on Thursday claimed victory in the Jerusalem Open rapid chess tournament, scoring eight points out of nine games.

The 22-year-old grandmaster secured first place on a tiebreak ahead of grandmasters Evgeny Alekseev of Israel, Bulgaria's Momchil Nikolov, and Israel's Ido Gorshtein, who finished second through fourth, respectively.

The competition, played over nine rounds in a Swiss system, saw Nesterov clinch the title with a final-round draw against Azerbaijan's Azer Mirzoev, earning him the first prize of 5,000 euros.

Runner-up Alekseev defeated Russia's Alexander Evdokimov in his last game to claim 3,000 euros, while Nikolov received 2,000 euros for third place. The competition featured 421 players from 38 countries and regions.

Both Alekseev and Nesterov also secured spots among the 12 top grandmasters who will compete in the Jerusalem Masters rapid chess tournament, a four-day event that begins Sunday. ■