FIDE World Cup Day 01: “Galactic” games in Sochi
GM Pablo Salinas plays arguably the best game of the year. Monday, July 12th, 2021 – The first day of the World Cup was held this afternoon at the Galaxy Entertainment And Leisure Complex. The principal arbiter, Laurent Freyd from France, opened the round at 3:00 pm sharp and all the clocks were started for White. Due to tournament-specific rules, on this occasion, the traditional handshake greeting was replaced by a simple facial friendship recognition. Of the 309 qualified players in the Open and Women’s groups, there were only 8 justified nonappearances, essentially due to travel-related problems. However, the open group will have 50 new players joining in on the second round while the women’s group will be expanded with 25 players, all of them qualified directly by ranking. As is customary in knockout-format tournaments, where chess players of unequal level face off in the early rounds, there have been quite a few striking surprises. Perhaps the most remarkable result in the open group was International Master (IM) Ravi Haria’s (2440) win over experienced Russian Grand Master (GM) Vadim Zvjaginsev (2608). After an early exchange of queens in a very solid variation of the French Defence, Haria gradually increased his advantage with good technique, finally taking down his opponent in a rook ending. However, most of the media attention was focused on the performance of the USA wunderkind Abhimanyu Mishra (2485), recently crowned the youngest GM in history, at the very early age of 12 years old. He fought tenaciously against the experienced Georgian GM Baadur Jobava (2603) but in the end, he had to concede, not before making it very clear to his opponent that tomorrow’s rematch will be very tough indeed. The other young Russian rising star, IM Volodar Murzin (2502) (pictured above), came very close to defeating his opponent, veteran Moldovan GM Viorel Iordachescu (2589), in an ending with a clear extra pawn. But he will have to wait until tomorrow to try to seal the deal, after his opponent’s precise defence in the game. But the best game of the day must go to Chilean GM Pablo Salinas (2514) (pictured below), for his magnificent win over Danish GM Mads Andersen (2579) a true work of art, worthy of any collection of best games. After a more than correct Semi-Slav defense, Salinas, with Black, began to create pressure on the c-file by pinning the queen on c2 with his rook in addition to the bishop on b4 hitting the pinned knight. Under pressure both on the board and on the clock, Andersen blundered with 19.a3? (the unbelievable 19.Qxe4, sacrificing the queen, is the engine’s recommendation), and Salinas executed the thematic sacrifice 19… Nxf2! destroying White’s castled king. With very little time left, the Dane found the remarkable defensive resource 22.Qf5! – which Salinas acknowledged took him by surprise – but the Chilean player kept his calm and continued the attack with 22… Nf6! with the brilliant idea 23… Ng4!, a real bombshell that unleashed a series of different lines with queen sacrifices, ending in all sorts of fantastic checkmates. After 24.Rd3 the killer move 24…d4! opened up the long diagonal, incorporating Black’s only inactive piece into the attack. The final combination with 25…Qg1!! followed by 26…Nxh2 mate is perhaps one of the most beautiful finishes of the year, maybe even the century? Mads Andersen – Pablo Salinas 25…Qg1!! 26.Nxg1Nxh2# The same pattern was repeated in the women’s group, where the pre-match rating favourites prevailed in most of the encounters. Still, two results stood out above the rest. The women International Master (WIM) Tilsia Varela La Madrid (2072) representing Venezuela, clearly defeated French IM Pauline Guichard (2413), although the main surprise of the day was the defeat of the 2012 World Champion, Ukrainian Grand Master (GM) Anna Ushenina against Egyptian WIM Ayah Moaataz (rated only 2015). Despite having a huge material advantage, Ushenina allowed a decisive lightning kingside attack – instead of 36…Ng7?, the combination 36… Rxe3! 37.dxe3 Qf1! + 38.Kxf1 Nxe3+ would have allowed the Ukrainian player to take home the point. However, even with the favourable score, tomorrow’s game (White plays Black and vice versa) will determine, together with the tiebreaks, who will advance to the second round of the World Cup. The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the World Cup website. About the tournament: Scheduled to take place from July 12th (Round 1) to August 6th (finals), the 2021 FIDE World Cup will gather together in Sochi (Russia) 309 of the world’s best chess players, with 206 of them playing in the Open World Cup (and 103 participants in the first-ever Women’s World Cup. The top two finishers in the tournament, aside from World Champion Magnus Carlsen who is also participating, will qualify for the 2022 Candidates Tournament, in addition to winning the 110.000 USD first prize (80.000 USD for the runner-up). Organisers: International Chess Federation (FIDE), Chess Federation of Russia, Russian Ministry of Sports, and Government of Krasnodar Krai. Partners: Gazprom – general partner Nornickel – general partner PhosAgro – general partner Chessable – event’s partner Aeroflot – CFR’s partner Educational centre “Sirius” Text: Michael Rahal, FIDE Press Officer press@fide.com Photo: Eric Rosen and Anastasiia Korolkova
Riga Technical University Open is back for a special 10th edition
In these uncertain times, we are pleased to announce some good news – the 10th edition of the Riga Technical University Open has just been confirmed for August 7-15. That means one of the biggest chess Festivals in Europe is back after a one-year hiatus (caused, of course, by the coronavirus pandemic). GM Robert Hovhannisyan was the winner of the 2018 edition/Photo: Organisers As we know the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” and it seems the organisers really missed the chess buzz in Riga. This summer they will warmly welcome back all the chess-lovers with 9 different tournaments (something for everyone!) and the record 28 000 Euros prize fund! To make the 10th edition of RTU Open more special thanks to FIDE’s financial support we have improved several things. Stronger anti-cheating measures will be taken to make sure that every participant will be playing only against his/her opponent. Another important improvement is that women and senior players will have significantly increased special prizes. Despite coronavirus restrictions, it is expected to be as impressive as ever – according to the current guidelines international sporting events in Latvia can happen with an unlimited number of participants. The playing hall is a very spacious Kipsala Exhibition Centre/Photo: Organisers Last edition gathered more than 800 players from 44 different countries, 30 grandmasters and 50 international masters. Winner of the 9th edition was GM Igor Kovalenko, vice-champion of the 2016 European Championship, and the best lady was IM/WGM Irina Bulmaga, winner of the bronze medal in the 2014 Chess Olympiad. Many well-known players have participated in RTU Open over the years, just to name a few – GM Alexei Shirov, GM Richard Rapport, GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, GM Bartosz Socko, GM Hrant Melkumyan, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Daniel Fridman and ladies – GM Zhansaya Abdumalik, GM Monika Socko, IM Dinara Saduakassova and IM Tania Sachdev. Some of the stars that has participated in the RTU Open over the years (from the left): GM Alexei Shirov (picture from facebook Isle of Man International), GM Zhansaya Abdumalik, GM Daniel Naroditsky (photo by David Llada), IM/WGM Tania Sachdev (photo by European Chess TV), GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (photo by European Chess TV), GM Monika Socko (photo by Krzysztof Szelag) This year there are already over 200 participants signed up, with over 100 from 25 different countries in Open A alone. Interestingly, that includes 20 grandmasters and 62 titled players. It should be a great treat for spectators and also an amazing destination for players who want to fight for norms and get new titles. Riga Technical University Open is a perfect event for ambitious players, but also for chess-lovers with a… somewhat more relaxed approach or busier schedule. There are 3 Opens that only take 4 or even 3 days, so even the busiest of us can participate. Interview with the man responsible for making this event so special, the tournament Director – FM Egons Lavendelis./Photo: Toms Kantans Below you can find details regarding each open: Open A – GRANDMASTER OPEN, 9th-15th August ELO Tournament with GM, IM, WGM and WIM norms. 9 rounds, 90 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. The tournament will be part of the ACP Tour Open B – AMATEUR OPEN, 9th-15th August Players with ELO until 2299. 9 rounds, 90 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from the move 1. Open Y – YOUTH OPEN, 9th-15th August Players U14 with ELO until 2199. 9 rounds, 90 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from the move 1. Open C – WEEKEND AMATEUR OPEN, 12th-15th August Players with ELO until 2199. 7 rounds, 60 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from the move 1. Open D – WEEKEND AMATEUR OPEN, 12th-15th August Players with ELO until 1899. 7 rounds, 60 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from the move 1. Open E – WEEKEND AMATEUR OPEN, 13th-15th August Players with ELO until 1599. 7 rounds, 30 minutes per game per player + 30 seconds per move starting from the move 1. Open F – OPENING BLITZ TOURNAMENT, 7th August Swiss system, 11 rounds, ELO rated Open G – OPEN RAPID TOURNAMENT, 8th August Swiss system, 9 rounds, ELO rated .Open H – CLOSING BLITZ TOURNAMENT, 15th August Swiss system, 11 rounds, ELO rated The cherry on top is the venue – the Festival will be held in Riga, often called Paris of the North. A beautiful, classy and modern city, and quite a unique European capital. It has an amazing Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage Site), yet is still very green and close to the seaside. Even from the playing hall, which is just across the river from the city center, the famous Jurmala beaches are only 20-min drive away. To find out all the necessary details about the event (and registration form! 🙂 ) you can visit the main website – www.rtuopen.lv and follow tournament’s social media: Facebook – www.facebook.com/rtuopen and Instagram – www.instagram.com/rtu.chess.open/ Feel free to contact the organizers via email chess@rtu.lv. *Considering a difficult situation in the world, there are some restrictions in Latvia. The most important ones are: people with a covid pass can travel freely; people without the covid pass from the green zone require only a PCR test before arrival; people without the covid pass and from the red zone can also participate in the event, but 3 tests – 1st before the arrival, 2nd a day after the arrival and 3rd no later than 5 days after the arrival (self-isolation should be observed until receipt of the 2nd result). Kids under the age of 10 can not participate in the event. All participants and guests have to be accredited. For more information about the restrictions please check the government page or contact the organisers.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins Croatia Grand Chess Tour
The final day of the Croatia Grand Chess Tour has certainly kept the audiences glued to their chairs today as the event continued to unfold and the tournament lead was highly contested. Although it seemed clear after the last four days that Ian Nepomniachtchi would claim the Croatia Rapid & Blitz title, on the final day things took a turn for him and it was the French super-GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave who ended with a fabulous finish and first place win. MVL was able to keep his cool today and played brilliantly, with a bit of luck saving him from a few difficult positions. Ultimately the French superstar secured the first place prize with an extra round to spare. He is now leading the Grand Chess Tour, just half a point ahead of Wesley So. Another amazing performance of today was by 5-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, who scored 6.5 points and finished second. Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri maintained his 3rd position in the standings. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave What a fabulous finish by the French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave who won the event with one round to spare. He was able to pace himself well in the first part of the day and scored 3/3 in the final rounds. It is no wonder that the commentators often call him “Tactical Wizard”. His tactical and defensive skills helped him remain unbeatable in the final round. With this win he is currently leading the overall GCT standings with 22 points, but he has already played 3 events. He remains with one event to be played and that is the Sinquefield Cup. Congratulations to the 2021 Croatia Grand Chess Tour winner, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave! Viswanathan Anand As Maurice Ashley put it, Viswanathan Anand “remains an inspirational figure in the world of chess”. After a 17-month break from over-the-board chess, Anand played inspirational chess throughout the competition. His fighting spirit and ambition to maintain a high level of play never ceases to amaze his fans. Today, he was the only other player not to suffer a loss. Anish Giri Anish Giri had a slow start in the final day of blitz, though he picked up the pace in the final rounds finishing on +1 (5points out of 9) for today’s portion of the event. He was able to maintain his 3rd place position in the standings in the Croatia leg of the Grand Chess Tour. He is currently in 6th position with 10.5 points in the overall GCT standings but has two more events to play in to try to climb up the ladder. Ian Nepomniachtchi Though the World Champion Challenger, Ian Nepomniachtchi led the event in the first four days, he had a tough day at the office scoring only 3 points in today’s matchups and suffering three losses. His strong result in the Rapid portion kept him in the position to share 4th place in the overall standings. This may have been the last rapid event this year fans saw him as Ian begins his preparation for the match with Magnus Carlsen. Jan-Krzysztof Duda Jan-Krzysztof Duda showed he can be a permanent member of the tour should he keep a consistent score in all forms of chess. He demonstrated a great technique in many of his games in this entire event. The Pole finished the day with two wins against one of which was against the former tournament leader Ian Nepomnichtchi with whom he shared 4th place. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov After yesterday’s tough day, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov came ready for blood. He had a spectacular start scoring 5.5 out of the first 6 games and seemed like nothing could stop him. Unfortunately for him, he had a tough loss in today’s round 7 against Ukrainian Grandmaster Anton Korobov and finished todays’ portion of the event with 6 points, leaving him in 6th place in the standings of this leg of the Grand Chess Tour. With two events to go, has accumulated 18 points so far and is currently in 3rd place in the overall standings of the GCT. Alexander Grischuk Alexander Grischuk started the day with two wins but lost some steam as the day continued. He ended up scoring 5 points and finishing in 7th place. He is currently in 5th place in the overall GCT standings. Alexander will have to score well in his remaining two events to climb up the ladder. Anton Korobov Though he only scored 4 points today it was Anton Korobov who took down the unstoppable Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in a beautiful attacking game. He is a very enthusiastic and inspired chess player and it is always fun to watch him play even when he may not be in his top form. Jorden Van Foreest Being a wild card competitor in this event Jorden Van Foreest has certainly shown why he belonged among the tournament field. As the winner of the latest edition of Tata Steel, Jorden has a lot to offer in the years to come. He may lack a little experience, but he is fearless and we will be surely seeing more of him in top-level tournaments. Garry Kasparov Everyone was rooting for former World Champion Garry Kasparov to find the strength to come back in this second day of blitz. He did start the day with a win and scored two other draws, but unfortunately, as he has stated himself at the end of the event, not having played enough over-the-board blitz, and only playing online has kept him from having good time management. Overall it was a somewhat tough showing for Garry Kasparov but we look forward to seeing a stronger side of the legendary World Champion later this year in Saint Louis for Chess 9LX. The 2021 Grand Chess Tour will continue next month for the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, August 10 – August 16th, and the Sinquefield Cup August 16 – August 27, 2022. Learn more about these upcoming events and information at grandchesstour.org. Text: WGM Sabina Foisor Photo: Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes and Bryan Adams Official website: grandchesstour.org/