Happy Chess Halloween to all Chess Friends
Carlsen - Anand World Chess Championship Sochi 2014: Russian President happy with FIDE Prep
Hello chess blog friends, just a week for World Chess Championship 2014 in Sochi where World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen meets five-time former former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand again! The opening ceremony takes place on November 7.
Russian media reports FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss preparations for the World Chess Championship Match which will be held in Sochi.
An official transcript states, Vladimir Putin congratulated the FIDE president for his re-election discussed the preparations for the organization of the World Chess Championship Match.
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said, "Firstly, taking the opportunity, Vladimir Vladimirovich, let me on behalf of the Presidential Board of the World Chess Federation that unites today 181 countries, thank you for the opportunity to hold the World Championship match in Russia. It is good for FIDE that the Championship will be held in Sochi, in the Olympic village, because one of the main FIDE’s objectives now is to join the Olympic movement, to become a member of the International Olympic Committee. Therefore, it is very important for FIDE, for chess players to play in Sochi."
Labels: kirsan iyumzhinov, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, vladimir putin, world chess championship 2014
GM Ivan Ivanisevic wins Chigorin Chess Memorial 2014
Hello chess blog friends, chess talent GM Ivan Ivanisevic has won the Chigorin Chess Memorial 2014. The International Chess Festival “Mikhail Chigorin Memorial 2014 was held on 17-26th October 2014 at Hotel “Park” in Saint Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia.
The 9-round Swiss event with prize fund in the amount of 1.800.000 RUB (nearly 35.000 €) was won by Serbian Olympic representative GM Ivan Ivanisevic with 7.5/9 points.
Russian GM Ivan Bukavshin obtained the same amount of points but had a worse Bucholz score and took the silver.
Third place was shared in an eight-way tie by GM Maxim Rodshtein (Israel), GM S.P. Sethuraman (India), GM Sanan Sjugirov (Russia), GM Evgeny Alekseev (Russia), GM Surya Ganguly (India), GM Vasily Yemelin (Russia), GM Evgeny Levin and GM Pavel Ponkratov on 7 points each. (FIDE)
Official website
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Three Chess Damsels talking about... chess - Can you name them?
Hello chess blog friends, time for chess trivia with a nice shot from a press conference. This was clicked at the Shenzen Chess Grand Prix for women and you can click on the photo to visit the official website. For now, can you name the three chess damsels?
Photo: He Long
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Begin 2015 with Chess in Planet's Chess Capital: Moscow Open Jan 29-Feb 9
Hello chess blog friends, the 2015 Moscow Chess Open - 11th International RSSU Chess Cup is scheduled to take place from 29th Januarya to 9th February in Moscow, Russia.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Registration of participants until 15th January
Arrival of foreign participants January 29 (children), January 30 (adults)
Required accreditation of the participants of the festival January 29 from 10.00 a.m. to 19.00 p.m. – children
January 30 from 10.00 a.m. to 19.00 p.m. – adults
MAIN TOURNAMENTS: CHILDREN’S TOURNAMENTS:
Opening ceremony 31st January 15.00 p.m. 30th January, 10:00 a.m.
1st Round 31st January, 16.00 p.m. 30th January, 11.00 a.m.
2nd Round 1st February,16.00 p.m. 31st January, 10.30 p.m.
3rd Round 2nd February, 16.00 p.m. 1st February, 10.30 p.m.
4th Round 3rd February, 16.00 p.m. 2nd February 10.30 p.m.
5th Round 4th February, 16.00 p.m. 3rd February, 10.30 p.m.
6th Round 5th February, 16.00 p.m. 4th February, 10.30 p.m.
7th Round 6th February,16.00 p.m. 5th February, 10.30 p.m.
8th Round 7th February, 16.00 p.m. 6th February, 10.30 p.m.
9th Round 8th February, 16.00 p.m. 7th February, 10.30 p.m.
Closing ceremony 8th February, 18.00 p.m. 7th February, 16.00 p.m.
DEPARTURE OF PARTICIPANTS 9th FEBRUARY 8th FEBRUARY
The Festival 2015 Consists of Eight Tournaments
Tournament A Men’s Cup of Russia Stage (price fund is 1500 000 RR, first place is 500 000 RR)
Tournament B Women’s Cup of Russia Stage (price fund is 800 000 RR, first place is 300 000 RR)
Tournament C Amateurs’ Cup of RSSU ( players under 2300, price fund is 500 000 RR, first place is 80 000 RR)
Tournament D Veterans’ Cup of RSSU (men 1954, women 1959,price fund is 300 000 RR, first place is 40 000 RR)
Tournament E World Cup Chess Composition (price fund is 200 000 RR, first place is 40 000 RR)
Tournament F Students-grandmasters’ Cup of RSSU (men, price fund is 250 000 RR, first place is 80 000 RR)
Tournament G Students-grandmasters’ Cup of RSSU (women, price fund is 250 000 RR, first place is 80 000 RR)
Tournament H School Champions’ Cup of RSSU (8 prices - complimentary hotel with meals for winners in each age categories for participation in World School Chess Champi¬onship in Thailand, April 2015)
Training courses for coaches, referees and organizers are held during the Festival under the auspices of the Russian Chess Federation and FIDE (Russian language with translation in English).
The total prize fund of the Festival is 4,3 million rubles
Time Control, Financial Regulations and Prizes
Tournaments A, B, D, F, G (except tournament C, E, H) played on the classical scheme (one match per day) with the time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes with an in¬crement of 30 seconds per move, starting from the first move. In tournaments C and H - 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move, starting from the first move. For being late for the tour, more than 30 minutes, is putting the defeat. In this case, the opponent is putting “+”, the latecomer is putting “-”.
In case of equal points, prizes are not divided (one player can receive only one prize - the highest). Places are determined by:
a) in tournaments under the Swiss system (A, B, C, D, H): 1) the Buchholz rating system; 2) number of wins; 3) “Performance” rating system; 4) the result of a personal competition;
b) in tournaments with a round-robin system (F, G): 1) the result of a personal competition; 2) by the Sonneborn-Berger rating system; 3) number of wins; 4) the number of matches, played with black
.For tournament E will be special time-control and rules.
To get the prize the participant must score at least 50% of points (excluding round-robin tournaments).
All prizes are the subjects of taxation in accordance with the legislation of the Rus¬sian Federation (Russian citizens the deduction of income tax rate is 13%, for foreign citizen’s tax deduction is 30%).
If the winner is missing at the close ceremony of the festival or not in compliance with the dress code, the prizes are not given and will not be sent.
Tournament fee
Men’s Cup of Russia Stage - A
The value of the fee depends on the FIDE rating on the payment date
ELO-RATING FEE (IN RUBLES)
more than 2600 without a fee
2500-2599 1000
2400-2499 1500
2300-2399 2000
2200-2299 5000
2100-2199 7000
less than 2100 and without a rating 10000
Women’s Cup of Russia Stage - B
The value of the fee depends on the FIDE rating on the payment date
ELO-RATING FEE (IN RUBLES)
more than 2400 without a fee
2300-2399 1000
2200-2299 1500
2100-2199 2000
2000-2099 2500
1900-1999 3000
less than 1900 and without a rating 4000
Amateurs’ Cup of RSSU - C
The value of the fee depends on the FIDE rating on the payment date
ELO-RATING FEE (IN RUBLES)
2250-2299 1000
2200-2249 1500
2100-2199 2000
2000-2099 2500
1900-1999 3500
less than 1900 and without a rating 4500
Hotel Reservation
Applications for accommodation are accepted until January 11, 2015 on the festival web¬site open.moscowchess.org (“Registration Form”).
Hotel “Тourist” is located in three minutes’ walk from RSSU. Single/Double room “Standard” costs 1400 rubles per room per day, Single/Double room “Comfort” - 1500 rubles per room per day.
Visa Support
Visa support is provided to all foreign chess players, who have addressed to the Organizing Committee before 15th December 2013. For subsequent treatment of the Organizing Committee it is not responsible for obtaining visas. (via FIDE report)
CONTACTS:
Tournament Director: Alexander KOSTYEV
E-mail: iscu@mail.ru
Mob. + 7 903 796 41 76
Registration and the hotel reservation: open.moscowchess.org
Questions on the hotel reservation: mo2015_hotel@mail.ru
Moscow Chess Federation:
E-mail: moschess@mail.ru
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Tata Steel Chess 2015 Avg Rating 2748!
Hello chess blog friends, here is the update from Tata Steel Chess: World Champion Magnus Carlsen will be among the star line-up of chess grandmasters to compete in the next Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands from 9-25 January 2015.
The 77th edition of the tournament, which is one of the most important events in the chess calendar, will again have a very strong field of competitors. Joining Norway's Magnus Carlsen will be Fabiano Caruana of Italy (currently the world's No 2 player), Armenia's Levon Aronian (4-time winner of the tournament, including the 2014 event, and world No 5), Anish Giri of the Netherlands (world No 7) and Women's World Champion Hou Yifan of China.
Participants of Tata Steel MastersNameCountryRatingPositionGM Carlsen, Magnus NOR 2863 1GM Caruana, Fabiano ITA 2844 2GM Aronian, Levon ARM 2793 5GM Giri, Anish NED 2768 7GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime FRA 2757 13GM So, Wesley USA 2755 14GM Ding, Liren CHN 2730 22GM Ivanchuk, Vasil UKR 2726 24GM Radjabov, Teimour AZE 2726 25GM Saric, Ivan CRO 2678 66GM Hou, Yifan CHN 2673 72GM Van Wely, Loek NED 2664 85
Average rating : 2748
Category : 20
FIDE-ratings of October 2014
As happened for the first time during the 76th edition, the Tata Steel Chess Tournament will visit other prestigious Dutch venues in 2015. On 15 January the 5th round of the Tata Steel Masters - the main competition featuring the world's leading grandmasters - will take place in De Rotterdam, the recently opened, eye-catching building on the river Meuse waterfront in Rotterdam, designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. On 21 January the 10th round of the Tata Steel Masters will take place in the recently renovated press centre Nieuwspoort in The Hague.
Annemarie Manger, director Engineering & Site Services at Tata Steel in IJmuiden, said: "The new format of the tournament, featuring the Tata Steel Masters playing in the Rijksmuseum and on the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, was enthusiastically received this year by both players and public. That is why we have decided to play at two iconic satellite locations next year as well."
Alderman Adriaan Visser of Rotterdam (Sports, Culture, Finances and City Centre) welcomed hosting one of the rounds of the tournament in Rotterdam: "We are going to create a world-class event, linking one of the biggest and strongest tournaments in the world to the beautiful architecture of De Rotterdam. We will ensure maximum attention for the event by organising side-events in the city and at schools, thus giving the citizens of Rotterdam a taste of the sport of chess."
Alderman Karsten Klein of The Hague (City marketing): "The Hague is honoured to host a round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2015, which will take place in the heart of Dutch parliamentary democracy. Our city has a long tradition of international chess matches, which will now be continued."
The 2015 tournament will feature another high average player rating, the figure of 2748 slightly exceeding the 2014 player average of 2743. Two more players than at the 2014 event mean there will also be two extra rounds in Wijk aan Zee in 2015.
As usual the tournament will feature the Tata Steel Challengers event, also competed for by ranking grandmasters. In addition, in cooperation with the Royal Dutch Chess Association, on 9 January the tournament will host the finals of the Dutch Championship for Students (secondary schools) in Wijk aan Zee. Twelve teams, each of four students, will battle for the title. The winners will have a place alongside the international grandmasters during the opening ceremony at the end of that day, when they will pick up their prize.
Apart from the Student Championship, Tata Steel will also host special events for young children at various locations preceding and during the tournament, as part of Tata Steel's "Future Generations" community programme.
The Tata Steel Chess Tournament has a long tradition. Starting as an employee competition, it has grown into an international tournament of global standing, for which grandmasters and amateurs alike clear their diaries. Chess entails strategic thinking and focuses on finding creative solutions for complex issues. The same goes for steelmaking, a high-tech process in which innovation plays a crucial role. Tata Steel employees are continuously improving processes and products in order to help customers be successful in their markets while contributing to creating a sustainable society.
Every January the best chess players in the world test their competitive strengths at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament. They do so in the same room as hundreds of other players participating in the amateur tournaments, giving the event a unique atmosphere. All over the village of Wijk aan Zee chess competitions are organised, transforming it for two weeks of the year into the 'Wimbledon of Chess'.
More Information about the Tata Steel Chess Tournament can be found on www.tatasteelchess.com - which was visited by 1.3 million people during the 2014 event.
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Blind Chess: McDonald's Chess Docu Algorithms nominated for Grierson Prize
Hello chess blog friends, we've written about Ian McDonald and his chess documentary on blind chess players from India before. McDonald, from Newcastle University actually remortgaged his home to make the documentary which is now nominated for yet another award, reports ChronicleLive.
Dr Ian McDonald, a senior lecturer in film, is in the running for a Grierson prize for his documentary Algorithms, which follows blind chess players in India. He made the documentary, which spans three years, after reading about the chess players in an Indian newspaper in 2006. Dr McDonald directed, filmed and edited the film alongside his wife Geetha, the producer.
He said: “It is a great privilege to be nominated for a Grierson.
“Making the film has been a real struggle, but it’s had a great response wherever it has screened and now for the film to receive this nomination is a real honour for us.”
Dr Ian McDonald and his wife Geetha
Algorithms has already won six awards, including best foreign documentary at this year’s LA Femme film festival and the best film trophy at Film South Asia in Nepal last year. Dr McDonald was inspired to create the film after discovering a “community that was almost unknown to the outside world”.
He said: “To be part of their world for three years was a transformative experience.
“It changed my understanding of ability and disability and reminded me of the forgotten significance of touch.”
The husband and wife duo followed three boys competing in tournaments in India and abroad, as well as visiting the chess champions at home.
Dr McDonald found out for himself that despite being blind, the boys were still able to see the winning moves on the board.
The Grierson awards were set up in memory of renowned Scottish filmmaker John Grierson in 1972, and recognise groundbreaking documentaries. Read full article.
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World Chess Championship Carlsen - Anand 2014 Tickets Now on Sale
Hello chess blog friends, the tickets for World Chess Championship 2014 in Sochi between reigning chess talent Magnus Carlsen and former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand are now on sale.
Depending upon the dates you wish to attend the event, you can pick daily tickets or a season pass for the world chess championship. Meanwhile, the Fide president has invited the Indian Prime Minister to the opening ceremony in Sochi.
Click on graphic to visit the website for tickets purchase.
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Labels: Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, world chess championship 2014
Asia Amateur, Seniors Chess in Sri Lanka December 5
Hello chess blog friends, the Asian Seniors and Amateurs Chess Championships is going to take place in Sri Lanka this December. On behalf of the Asian Chess Federation, the Chess Federation of Sri Lanka has made all the arrangements to hold the 5th Asian Seniors and Amateur Chess Championships from 5th to 12th December 2014 at Waskaduwa Sri Lanka. Waskaduwa is a City which is about 75 Km from the Colombo airport and venue will be the Citrus, Waskaduwa on a very nice beach front.
5th Asian Seniors and Amateur Chess Championships
5th to 12th December 2014 Sri Lanka
The Chess Federation of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Asian Chess Federation, invites your players to participate in the 5th Asian Seniors and Amateur Championships to be held from 5th to 12th December 2014 in Waskaduwa, Sri Lanka.
Prizes
Total of US$5,000 ($2,200 for the Asian Seniors and $2,800 for the Asian Amateur) as follows:
Asian Seniors 1st $800; 2nd $500; 3rd $300; 4th $200 and 5th $100; Best Woman $300 Best over 65 player 300 Asian Amateur 1st $1000; 2nd $600; 3rd $400; 4th $200 and 5th $100; Best Woman $300 Best Unrated Player $200/
Gold, Silver and Bronze with trophies for Champions will be arranged. All are awarded with certificates.
The Asian Seniors and Amateur Championships are open to all Asian seniors and amateurs players.
The Asian Amateur Championship is open to all eligible players who shall have no FIDE Title or published FIDE Rating above 2000 at the start of the tournament nor had such a Rating for at least 2 years prior to the start of the event.The ASIAN SENIORS Championship is open to Asian senior players.All participants must have been born in 1963 or before. The tournament will be played over 9 rounds under the Swiss pairing system. The event will be FIDE-rated and played under the FIDE time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move starting from move one. The highest rank player in the Age group of more than 65 will be named as the over 65 winner and the women’s the same procedure as Amateur will be used.
The Entries must be submitted on the attached registration form and should be returned together with payment receipt not later than 22 November 2014.
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Qatargas invites young chess enthusiasts to second Qatargas Chess Championship
Hello chess blog friends, this chess news is from Doha where the second edition of the Qatargas Chess Championship, a chess tournament for children in the age group of 6 - 14 years, organized by the Qatar Chess Association will be held at the Copthorne Hotel Doha from 13 - 15 November 2014. The tournament is open to all residents of Qatar.
This was announced at a joint press conference held at the Qatargas Doha Head Office attended by Mansour Rashid Al Naimi, Public Relations Manager, Qatargas and Mohammed Ahmed Al Modaihki, General Secretary of the Qatar Chess Association.
Commenting on Qatargas’ support for the championship, Mohammed Ahmed Al Modaihki, General Secretary of the Qatar Chess Association, said:
“We thank Qatargas for its continued support to this championship which will help to further promote the game of Chess in Qatar particularly amongst the youngsters. Last years’ tournament was a great success and we hope to attract even more participants this year. Chess, as we all know, has great benefits in terms of enhancing the mental skills of children and boosts their academic achievement. Qatargas’ support to this event underlines the Company’s commitment to the local community and its keenness in supporting the overall development of our young generation.”
Mansour Rashid Al Naimi, Qatargas Public Relations Manager said:
“We are pleased to continue our support to the Qatar Chess Association in organizing this tournament, which will provide an excellent opportunity for young chess enthusiasts in Qatar to compete against each other and test their skills. Our support to the game of chess is part of a strategy we have adopted in promoting sporting activities that are gaining popularity in Qatar. The aim of this strategy is to help in nurturing young talents in the country by creating opportunities for them to develop further, thereby contributing to achieving the Human Development goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.”
Explaining further details of the tournament, Mr. Al Modahihki noted that the championship will start at 5 p.m. on Thursday, 13 November and will conclude by 8 p.m. on Saturday 15 November. Registration of players will begin at the Copthorne Hotel on Thursday, 13 November from 4 p.m. onwards. The championship will comprise a total of nine rounds with each round lasting up to 20 minutes. Valuable prizes are being offered to winners and participants. (Press release)
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Labels: arga, children chess, qats chess championship
Five-TIme World Chess Champion Philosophy: You're Your Only Competition, Says Anand
Hello chess blog friends, former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand is looking at another world chess title this November. Anand told the Economic Times, he feels confident and is prepared well to challenge World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in Sochi from November 7.
"I am in competition with myself. Now it is the last mile of preparation," he says. Last time, in an interview to the ET, Anand said mentioned "Coffee & Coldplay" as his addictions. When asked, what has changed since then, he replied "Coffee has gotten better this time. Even I make good coffee nowadays. Although the music mix has remained the same. Five Little Ducks seems to be a new hit now and Peppa Pig is a tension reliever!"
"I can say I am happy with my chess" he says, "at Khanty my play was very much like how I liked to play. I am happy that I have been able to play the chess I want. Of course chess theory has no constant. It has been fun that we have so many high level events to follow."
"Theory" means the myriad ways in which a particular opening can be played. Grandmasters are constantly on the lookout for refinements and improvements played in tournaments all over the world. Anand explains, "When you prepare for a match you are afraid that two club-level players could upset your whole theory".
Has his assessment of Magnus changed since last year? "That is a question after the match is over" he parries. When pressed on the point he takes the big picture, "There have been new developments in chess and certain players like Fabiano have been exceptional achievers this year. This surely influences chess and how we players assimilate".
Anand refuses to be drawn into his opponent's mindgames, "My opponent has to be asked that question" he says, on why there was so much drama around the venue. He emphasizes, "After winning the Candidates I was clear on who I was working against" making it clear that he always thought that Carlsen would sign in the end. Anand, who has a good fan following in Russia, does not share Carlsen's apprehensions about Sochi. "Aruna has inspected the venue and the arrangements seem fine".
Anand says, "You keep running looking at the goal in front of you. Kilometres done, slope climbed. You try to increase your heart rate. When you are on it you only hear your breathing and you realize the only competition is your mind and body. In a way that is how I look at my career. I enjoy working on chess. I am happy that I have a good life. A bit of everything... makes life complete".
DOWN MEMORY LANE: WHEN WORLD CHAMPIONS MEET
Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, Chess video, Viswanathan Anand, world chess championship
World Mind Games Online Chess: Win TVs, Watches More!!!
Hello chess blog friends, are you playing chess online in the chess section of the SportAccord Countdown Online Tournaments yet?
Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk Official Ambassador 2014
Big Prizes!!!
- Formula 1 grand prix tickets sponsored by presenting partner Alliance Renault-Nissan
- Watches from World Mind Games official partner Rado
- Samsung TVs, tablets and gift cards
- A total cash prize purse of $12,000 will be shared between the winners of the different tournaments
SportAccord has begun the countdown to the launch of the 4th edition of the World Mind Games Online Tournament on the 15th of September. The tournament, featuring Bridge, Chess and Go, is being organized by SportAccord in partnership with RSportz, the community-based global sports network and online platforms BridgeBase Online, Chess.com and Pandanet.
The online tournament marks the countdown to the 4th SportAccord World Mind Games to be held in Beijing from December 11-17 this year. Last year’s online tournament attracted over 700,000 players from all across the globe and SportAccord expects to comfortably attract a higher number of participants through the tournament online portal www.onlinewmg.com. The portal will be the gateway for participants and enthusiasts for game rules, registration and all further information surrounding the SportAccord 2014 World Mind Games Online Tournament.
Like in 2013, Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk - the 12th Women's World Chess Champion and several-time champion at the World Mind Games - is the official ambassador at the event in Beijing for 2014 as well! Click on graphic (on left) to see some of last year's victory videos of GM Alexandra Kosteniuk.
SportAccord 2014 World Mind Games Online Tournament partners, Bridgebase Online, Chess.com and Pandanet will operate the online hosting of the disciplines of Bridge, Chess and Go, respectively.
SportAccord, the Union of International Sports Federations, operates and is in the process of organising 4 multi-sports games- the World Combat Games, the World Beach Games, the World Urban Games and the World Mind Games. The 4th edition of the SportAccord World Mind Games will be organized in Beijing from December 11-17, 2014, featuring Bridge, Chess, Draughts, Go and Xiangqi in cooperation with the respective international sports federations. The SportAccord World Mind Games unite the world’s best players in a quest for glory and prize money. SportAccord is constantly looking to engage more people in mind sports in a fun and exciting way through cultural programs and online games.
Online tournament dates: September 15 – November 15 Website: www.onlinewmg.com Official hashtag: #mindgames2014
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Labels: Alexandra Kosteniuk, online chess, world mind games
Sparkling Chess Stars Trivia Photo: Name the Chess Celebrities
Hello chess blog friends, the 2014 Corsican Circuit Rapid has started and includes multiple World Champion Vishy Anand and Women World Champion Hou Yifan. They were joined by fourteen qualifiers from the Open held before. The tournament has not been without surprises. You can follow the action live at the official website. For now, here is the trivia chess question: Name the chess stars in this photo:
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Tashkent Chess Grand Prix Round 1: Andreikin, Nakamura, Vachier-Lagrave begin with Wins
Hello chess blog friends, the Tashkent Chess Grand Prix has begun with chess stars Andreikin, Nakamura and Vachier-Lagrave scoring in the first round. Dmitry Andreikin, Hikaru Nakamura and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated their opponents, perhaps, inspired by the great Champions Bobby Fischer, Tigran Petrosian and Mikahil Tal (whose portraits are on the background of the photo from the opening ceremony). Maxime Vachier-Lagrave started the Grand Prix series with victory over the top seed of the tournament Fabiano Caruana.
Photo: FIDE/Yulia Monakova
In a “must see” game Nakamura vs Jobava, the Georgian player sacrificed a rook for three pawns but blundered in a very complex position being short of time. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov unexpectedly lost in the endgame with pawn up against Dmitry Andreikin. Three other games Giri-Gelfand, Kasimdzhanov-Jakovenko, Radjabov-Karjakin were drawn.
Round 1 resultsSNo. Name Rtg Res. Name Rtg SNo.
1 GM Giri, Anish 2768 ½ - ½ GM Gelfand, Boris 2748 12
2 GM Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar 2764 0 - 1 GM Andreikin, Dmitry 2722 11
3 GM Nakamura, Hikaru 2764 1 - 0 GM Jobava, Baadur 2717 10
4 GM Caruana, Fabiano 2844 0 - 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2757 9
5 GM Kasimdzhanov, Rustam 2706 ½ - ½ GM Jakovenko, Dmitry 2747 8
6 GM Radjabov, Teimour 2726 ½ - ½ GM Karjakin, Sergey 2767 7
You can find lots of lovely photos and a detailed report at the official website.
Labels: tashkent chess grand prix
Saint Louis Chess Thanksgiving Open 2014 begins Nov 7
Hello chess blog friends, the Saint Louis Thanksgiving Chess Open and ALS Benefit will take place from 7-9th November at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, 4657 Maryland Ave. Saint Louis, MO 63108. The five-round Swiss event will offer a guaranteed prize fund of $4,000.
3 Sections: Open, U1800, U1400
- Open Section: (FIDE Rated) $1000-$600-$400-$300. U2300: $250-$150. U2000: $125-$100
- Under 1800 Section: $250-$200-$125
- U1400 Section: $200-$150-$100
- Winner of each Section qualifies for 2015 Club Championship
Ent: 4657 Maryland Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63108, or online at saintlouischessclub.org Info: 314-361-CHESS info@saintlouischessclub.org
Entry Fee:
Open Section- $ 50.00
U1800 Section- $ 50.00
U1400 Section- $ 50.00
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Tashkent Chess Grand Prix begins Today
Hello chess blog friends, the second stage of the FIDE Chess Grand Prix Series 2014-15 begins in Tashkent, Uzbekistan today. The premier chess event runs from October 20 to November 2. Back in 2012 and 2013 Tashkent hosted one of the stages of the Grand Prix series 2012-2013 as well as one of the tournaments of the Women's Grand Prix series 2013-2014.
The tournament follows the first stage which recently finished in the capital of Azerbaijan. Fabiano Caruano (ITA) and Boris Gelfand (ISR) tied for the first place in Baku Grand Prix and are the leaders in the third GP series.
Both winners will come directly from Baku to participate at the second stage in Tashkent as well as six other participants from the previous stage including former world chess champion and local hero Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), Teimour Rajabov (AZE), Hikaru Nakamura (USA). Sergey Karjakin (RUS) and Dmitry Andreikin (RUS). Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA), Anish Giri (NLD), Dmitri Jakovenko (RUS) and Baadur Jobava (GEO) are the other 4 participants, who join the GP series 2013-2014 starting from the second stage.
On 15th of October FIDE announced the change of the third leg of the Grand Prix series to Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. According to regulations the representative for the new host city is GM Baadur Jobava who replaces GM Ghaem Maghami with his complete playing schedule.
Over eleven rounds, the strongest players in the world will compete in the round robin tournament with the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 60 minutes being added at that point and then each player will be allotted 15 minutes after the second time control and an increment of 30 seconds per move will be allowed from move 61 onwards.
The prize money offered by host city is 120,000 Euros. The winner of Grand Prix in Tashkent will get 20,000 Euros.
A very special cup will be prepared for the strongest player in the Grand Prix series 2014-2015. During the opening ceremony in Baku the Classic Jewelry House Lobortas demonstrated the models of future Big and Small trophies to award the FIDE Grand Prix series winner.
The trophy consists of precious elements and stones of varying size, including silver, gold and diamonds. The Classic Jewelry House Lobortas has experience addressing the FIDE’s needs, having previously created for the FIDE the Large and Small Chess Cups "Caissa" and the cup for the winner of recently finished Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014.
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Russia, China Rule in World Junior Chess; Aleksandra Goryachkina, Lu Shanglei World U-20 Chess Champions
Hello chess blog friends, Russian and Chinese chess ruled at the World Junior Chess this year in Pune, India. Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina defended her title to become the World Junior Girls' Chess Champion for the second time in a row. She earned the gold with a round to spare. In the open section, Chinese Lu Shanglei won the gold with a winning performance in the final round.
Four players, Wei Yi of China, Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland, Vladimir Fedoseev of Russia and Lu Shangleiu, went into the 13th round with 9 points each.
There was a four way tie from second to fourth position where Wei Yi of China secured Silver, Vladimir Fedoseev of Russia bagged bronze while Duda Jan Krzysztof was a trifle unfortunate to go without a medal, finishing fourth after the resolution of the tie-break by the Bucholz system. All four players had scored 9.5 points. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi was the best Indian finisher with 9 points and was placed fifth. Shardul Gagare was the best performer from Maharashtra and was awarded the Pune Mayor Cup in the Open section.
In the Girls section 16-year-old Aleksandra Goryachkina had successfully defended her title with a round to spare yesterday and today settled for a short draw against Anna Iwanova to raise her points tally to 11. Ann Chumpitaz of Peru also drew against Sarvinoz Kurbonboeva while Sarasadat Khademalsharieh of Iran defeated Srija Seshadri of India to bag the bronze, both tallying 9.5 points each. After the tie-breaks Sarasadat secured the Silver medal and Chumpitaz had to settle for the bronze.
Padmini Rout was the best Indian finisher with 9 points and was placed fourth. Rucha Pujari was the winner of the Pune Mayor’s Trophy for Girls as the best performer from Maharashtra.. Today Padmini scored a quick victory over Marina Brunello of Italy. Srija Seshadri had scored 8/11 but lost the last two rounds to finish tenth.
Both Lu Shanglei and Aleksandra Goryachkina earned a qualification slot for the World Cup 2015 for Open and Women respectively. The World Cup is a part of the World Championship Cycle. Both players also received a cash Prize of Rs 1,50000 each. The silver Medalists were richer by RS 100000 each and the bronze medallists by Rs 50000.
This 13 round gruelling Swiss League event was sponsored by LIC and Government of Maharashtra and Amanora, ONGC, Jain Irrigation and Everstone were the Associate sponsors. There were 132 players from 51 countries in fray while the Girls section had 77 players.
The encounters between Wei and Krzysztof was a hard fought Italian game lasting 57 moves before fizzling into a draw. Top seed Fedoseev could not also make much headway and had to settle for a draw after 40 moves. Shanglei opted for the Dutch Defence against Indjic and appeared heading for trouble in the initial stages with Indjic playing positively and aggressively. However White lost way, failed to keep the momentum, did not castle and watched helplessly as Black’s pieces (Knight, queen and rook ) infiltrated decisively to weave a check-mating net. (FIDE)
Final standings:
Open: 1. Lu Shanglei (China) 10 points; 2. Wei Yi (China) 9.5 (106.5 Bucholz), 3. Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia) 9.5 (105.5 Bucholz), 4. Dida Jan-Krzysztof (Poland) 9.5 (99.5 Bucholz), 5. Vidit Gujrathi (India) 9 (94.5 Bucholz), 6. Kamil Dragun (Poland) 9 (92.5 Bucholz), 7. Srinath Narayanan (India) 9 (91.5 Bucholz), 8. Murali Karthikeyan (India) 9 (85.5 Bucholz), 9. Diptayan Ghosh (India) 8.5 (97 Bucholz), 10. Bai Jinshi (China) 8.5 (95.5 Bucholz).
Girls: 1. Aleksandra Goryachkina (Russia) 11 points, 2. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Iran) 9.5 (98.5 Bucholz), 3. Ann Chumpitaz (Peru) 9.5 (97 Bucholz), 4. Padmini Rout (India) 9, 5. Zhai Mo (China) 8.5 (95.5 Bucholz), 6. Anna Iwanow (Poland) 8.5 (95 Bucholz), 7. Sabina Ibrahimova (Azerbaijan) 8.5 (92 BUcholz), 8. Meri Arabidze (Georgia) 8.5 (89.5 Bucholz), 9. Sarvinoz Kurbonboeva (Uzbekistan) 8.5 (81 Bucholz), 10. Srija Seshadri (India) 8 (91 Bucholz).
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Labels: aleksandra goryachkina, lu shanglei, world junior chess
Lagos Chess Classic 2014 begins
Hello chess blog friends, there is a chess tournament in Lagos coming up with titled players from India and Egypt, apart from several other international players, taking part. This is going to be the second edition of the Lagos International Chess Classic 2014.
The tournament will be hosted at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium and is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Grandmaster Sriram Jha of India, International master duo of Hesham Abdelrahman and Ezat Mouhamed of Egypt and FIDE Master, Degondo Simplice Armel, and his compatriots from Cote d’Ivoire, Lobognon Anderson Oliver and Manan Yoboue Hermann will be in Lagos for the four-day chess tournament.
Others expected include, Ghana’s duo of Jamena Joseph Mensah and Anquandah Francis Eric as well as Kenyan national champion, Magana Ben. The prize money for this year’s tournament is $22,000 while players will compete for honours in three categories while the star prize is $6,000.
The Nigerians include International Master, Odion Aikhoje, and a gold medalist at the Elista Olympiad in 1998, while 2012 zonal champion, international master, Bunmi Olape, will also be part of the party. United States-based Dapo Adu will also be part of the championship. According to Tournament Director, Bayo Babalola, this year’s Section B was introduced to cater for lower rated players that may want to play those on their level or those slightly higher as the might not be able to play in the tougher International Open categories.
“We have more foreign players this year and this goes to show that the tournament is growing each year and it is getting attention from international players while the star prize in the Open Section was increased to $6,000 against $5,000 for last year. We are expecting over 150 participants in this year’s edition,” he said.
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Bangladesh Chess League: Agrani Bank in Lead
Hello chess blog friends, the Bangladesh Chess League is on. Chess news updates state, in Dhaka, the Agrani Bank Limited Daba Dal is in lead with 8 match points after the 4th round games of the 2nd Division Chess League being held at Bangladesh Chess Federation hall.
Mir Chess Club and Sonargaon Chess Club follow the leaders jointly with 7 points. In the 4th round games held on Friday, Agrani Bank beat Asad Chess Club of Habiganj by 2.5-1.5 points.Miniruzzaman Khan and Mukitul Islam Ripon of Agrani Bank won against accordingly M Abdur Rauf and Rezaul Karim of Asad Chess, Habibur Rahman Sohel of Agrani Bank split points with Fariduddin and Jewel Khan lost to Quamruzzaman Khan Imran.Besides, Sonargaon Chess Club beat Dabanol Chess Club by 4-0 points, Mir Chess Club beat Monipur Chess Club by 2.5-1.5 points, Chess Q beat Barimojlish Chess Academy by 3-1 points, Konika Sangaskritik Sangah beat New Nation Chess by 2.5-1.5 points, Dhaka Chess Club split points with Pin Chess Power by 2-2 points, Nahar Chess Academy of Narayanganj beat Phenomenon Chess Club by 2.5-1.5 points, Boroder Daba School beat Learning Chess Academy by 3.5- 0.5 points, Bangladesh Mohila Daba Samity beat Golden Chess Club (Boys) by 4-0 points, DPS STS School Chess Club (Boys) beat Golden Chess Club (Girls) by 3-1 points and Geandaria Friend's Chess Club beat DPS STS School Chess Club (Girls) by 4-0 points.
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Top Chess Stars to Play Tashir Chess in Memory of 9th World Chess Champin Tigran Petrosian
Hello chess blog friends, a special chess tournament in memory of chess legend GM Tigran Petrosian will be held in Moscow from November 3-11. The chess tournament is being organised by the Tashir Group of Companies and the Russian Chess Federation. Petrosian was the ninth World Chess Champion. 2014 is the 85th birth anniversary year of Petrosian.
Some of the top chess players of the world will be attending the tournament. The chairman of the tournament organising committee is the President of the Republic of Armenia, Mr. SerzhSargsyan.
The competitors in the 21 Category tournament will be: the World Cup holder, three-time Olympic Chess Champion Levon Aronian (Armenian), former world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), two-time World Blitz Chess Champion Alexander Grischuk (Russia), former Vice World Chess Champion Boris Gelfand (Israel), Vice World Champion Peter Leko (Hungary), China’s leading Grandmaster Din LiZhen, two-time Chess Champion of Russia Alexander Morozevich and the winner of the Russian Championship Higher Leagues Ernesto Inarkiev (Russia).The tournament will be a round-robin. The prize fund of the tournament is 100,000 euro.
Zara Agemyan, aide to the President of the Tashir Group of Companies, Head of Communications and Marketing department, says: “Tashirinvariably strives to support the most promising cultural and sports initiatives.We are convinced that a tournament where the world’s most prominent grandmasters compete will become yet another contribution of our Group to the sports and culture development in Russia. An international tournament is not a mere mastery competition betweenchess players from different countries. It also represents a uniting effort for nations, an additional confirmation that for people who have a passion for something no borders or divisions exist."
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9th Continental Chess Championship begins in Brazil, offers 4 slots for Baku World Chess Cup 2015
Hello chess blog friends, a Latin America chess news release states Cuban Grandmasters Isam Ortiz and Lazaro Bruzon will be taking part in the 9th Continental Chess Championship in Brazil starting Saturday. This event extends four tickets to the upcoming World Chess Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan next year.
Bruzón, second best player in Latin America due to his 2679 Elo points, is the top seed of the event. Meanwhile, Ortiz (2611) is the sixth in a list that includes as favorite players Peruvian Julio Granda (2674), the Paraguayan Axel Bachman (2645), Brazilian Rafael Leitao (2636) and American Samuel Shankland (2633).
According to information by the organisers, over 180 participants from 11 nations are expected to attend the competition in the Brazilian city of Rio Grande do Norte. The tournament will run from Oct 18-26.
In these Continental chess tournament, Bruzón, currently 72nd in the world ranking list, won in 2005 and 2011, while Ortiz, a national champion was second in 2013. Granda took the title in 2012.
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World Chess Championship 2014: GM Sasikiran says Anand on Track to Challenging Carlsen
Hello chess blog friends, Indian media reports that Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran has said former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand is on track to taking on World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in Sochi for the World Chess Champion 2014.
"The way he bounced back winning Candidates and Bilbao (recently) speaks volumes about Anand's determination. Certainly, he's on track," Sasikiran told the Times of India.
Fresh from his stint with Anand, Sasikiran did not divulge the team preparation ahead of the chess world championship scheduled to be held in Sochi from November 7-21.
Sasikiran said: "He did not play that badly during the World chess championship in Chennai. Had it not for the few blunders he did in the middle, the result would have been completely different."
"I'm sure things would start looking better in terms of getting sponsors after our historic win in the Chess Olympiad. We may think of organising big tournaments (like Bilbao Masters)," he said.
"Team game is all about complementing and backing each other. Thankfully we all did well and at the same time we maintained a fine strategy with coach RB Ramesh. Both the factors played in our win," he said.
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