Deadline extended: Bids for FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament and WGP Series 2022-23
1.1 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) will hold the Women’s Candidates Tournament in the first part of 2022 (see the Tournament Regulations). 1.2 FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to invite any federation member of FIDE or any organiser approved by the national federation to host the event. 1.3 Any Applicant shall fill in the Bidding Form. A signed copy shall be submitted as an e-mail message to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com no later than February 15, 2022, 23:59 Lausanne time (FIDE has the right to extend this deadline). All the documents shall be submitted in English. Additional documents may be requested by the FIDE General Strategy Commission (GSC) for further evaluation. 1.4 Bid Evaluation Report shall be presented by GSC for approval of the FIDE Council. 1.5 Once the Organiser is granted the right to host the event, a relevant announcement shall be made on the FIDE website. FIDE Technical Delegate (FIDE TD) may be appointed at the same time to supervise the event on behalf of FIDE in consultation with GSC. 1.1 The International Chess Federation (FIDE) will hold the Women’s Grand Prix Series from August 2022 to June 2023 (see the Tournament Regulations). 1.2 FIDE is opening a bidding procedure to invite any federation member of FIDE or any organiser approved by the national federation to host the event. The federation’s letter of support may be provided later when the bid’s evaluation procedure is launched. 1.3 The bid may contain special proposals on financial and commercial conditions. The FIDE Council shall decide whether these conditions are admissible. 1.4 Bid Forms shall be filled in by an Applicant. A signed copy shall be submitted as e-mail messages to the FIDE Secretariat to office@fide.com no later than March 01, 23:59 Lausanne time (FIDE has the right to extend this deadline). All the documents shall be submitted in English. Additional documents may be requested by the FIDE General Strategy Commission (GSC) for further evaluation. 1.5 Bid Evaluation Report shall be presented by GSC for approval of the FIDE Council. 1.6 Once the Organiser is granted the right to organise one of the four Women’s GP tournaments, a relevant announcement shall be made on the FIDE website. FIDE Technical Delegate (FIDE TD) may be appointed at the same time to supervise the event on behalf of FIDE in consultation with GSC.
Petrosyan and Mkrtchyan win Armenian Champioship
Manuel Petrosyan and Mariam Mkrtchyan are new Armenian champions. Both won the first national titles in their careers. The 82nd Armenian Championship Highest League and 77th Armenian Women’s Championship took place in Yerevan from January 12–23, 2022. Both events were round-robin tournaments with classical time control. The Highest League turned into a close race of Manuel Petrosyan (pictured above), Haik Martirosyan and Shant Sargsyan taking turns on the top. Petrosyan was coming to the final round a half-point ahead of his main competitors, with all three contenders playing with black pieces. The former U18 World Junior Champion (2016) took things into his own hands and clinched the title with an excellent score of 8/11 after defeating Arman Mikaelyan. Martirosyan and Sargsyan also won their games, finishing on 7½/11, with Haik (pictured below) taking silver thanks to better tiebreaks. The bronze-winner Shant Sargsyan became the only unbeaten participant. Final standings: 1 GM Petrosyan, Manuel 2620 8 2 GM Martirosyan, Haik 2621 7½ 3 GM Sargsyan, Shant 2628 7½ 4 GM Ter-Sahakyan, Samvel 2637 6½ 5 GM Gabuzyan, Hovhannes 2589 6 6 GM Harutyunyan, Tigran K. 2552 5½ 7 IM Gharibyan, Mamikon 2467 5 8 GM Pashikian, Arman 2606 5 9 GM Mikaelyan, Arman 2508 4 10 IM Shahinyan, David 2486 4 11 GM Petrosian, Tigran L. 2573 3½ 12 GM Andriasian, Zaven 2578 3½ It all came down to the wire in the 77th Armenian Women’s Championship, a 10-player round-robin tournament, as two leaders, a four-time champion Maria Gevorgyan and the top-rated Mariam Mkrtchyan (pictured above), clashed in the final, ninth round. Mariam Mkrtchyan prevailed in a long, tense battle to clinch her maiden title. The defending champion Susanna Gaboyan, trailing the leaders by a half-point, bested Asya Edigaryan to take silver. Maria Gorgyan had to settle for bronze. Final standings: 1 WIM Mkrtchyan, Mariam 2300 7 2 WIM Gaboyan, Susanna 2254 6½ 3 WGM Gevorgyan, Maria 2218 6 4 Hakobyan, Astghik 2053 4½ 5 WIM Gasparian, Narine 2004 4½ 6 Khachatryan, Veronika 2007 4 7 WFM Avetisyan, Mariam 2012 3½ 8 Arakelyan, Nare 1912 3½ 9 Yedigaryan, Asya 2022 3 10 WFM Khachatryan, Anna 2134 2½ Photo: Armenian Chess Federation Facebook page
Tata Steel Masters: Mamediarov pulls level with Carlsen
There is the duality of power on the top after Round 08 in Tata Steel Masters as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa to tie for the first place with Magnus Carlsen, who made a draw with Sam Shankland. The leaders will clash in Round 9 after the rest day on Monday. Vidit Gujrathi and Anish Giri are trailing the leader by a half-point after scoring victories over Andrey Esipenko and Nils Grandelius, respectively. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov essayed an early queen sortie 4.Qa4 in the English Opening, which his opponent Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa correctly met with a pawn sacrifice. However, on the move ten, the Indian youngster was too cooperative, exchanging the light-squared bishops. Three moves down the road, he erroneously protected his c6-pawn as Shakhriyar chipped away at the centre with 14.f3 and got a huge advantage. Mamedyarov’s conversion was not ideal, but eventually, the Azerbaijani GM put his opponent away in a knight endgame. Andrey Esipenko had a theoretical discussion in a long theoretical line of the Italian Opening, in which the Dutch GM sacrificed a knight but got three pawns in return. The opponents steered into a complicated endgame in which exchanges favoured black. That is exactly what happened, and Anish started gradually pressing for a win by advancing his kingside pawns. Esipenko had some defensive resources, but after a terrible mistake, 45.Nd2? Giri weaved the mating net around White’s king. Anish scored his third full point to tie for third position, just a half-point behind the leaders. Nils Grandelius opted for a sharp provocative line against Vidit Gujrathi, luring his opponent into chasing Black’s knight with e4-e5 and g2-g4. The Indian GM went for it and found an excellent follow-up 9.Nf5! sacrificing the knight. Nils turned it down, but Vidit traded his knight for the dark-squared bishop and grabbed the initiative. On move 18, Black had an interesting defensive option 18…Bf5, but this move slipped under the radar of the Swedish GM. White took total control over proceedings, and his victory became just a matter of time. Nils’s blunder on the move 34 put an end to his resistance. Magnus Carlsen sprang an opening surprise by playing Hennig-Schara Gambit as Black against Sam Shankland, but his opponent did not cling to extra material, completed development and after breaking in the centre transposed in an opposite-coloured bishops drawish endgame. The grandmasters split a point on the move 35. Richard Rapport comfortably equalized with Black in the Advance Variation of French Defense against Sergey Karjakin. Realizing that White’s position does not promise much, the Russian GM forced a draw by repetition. Jan-Krzysztof Duda spent a lot of time in the opening, but passed the test as Black in Daniil Dubov’s pet Catalan and reached an equal position. The Russian GM slacked off a bit in a drawish rook ending and lost a pawn, but quickly restored his focus, found the right setup and instructively reached a draw. The game Caruana – Van Foreest saw the line in the Open Ruy Lopez with 11…Nxf2 sacrifice, extensively analysed and tested back in 1940s. Black trades two minor pieces for a rook and a pawn but gets compensation in the form of a powerful center. According to modern chess engines, Black’s position is playable, and this encounter was further proof – Fabiano started repeating moves and got no objection from his opponent. Standings after Round 7: 1-2. Маgnus Carlsen and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 5½; 3-4. Vidit Gujrathi and Anish Giri – 5; 5. Richard Rapport – 4½; 6-9. Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, Jorden Van Foreest and Andrey Esipenko – 4; 10-11. Sam Shankland and Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 3½; 12. Daniil Dubov – 3; 13. Praggnanandhaa R. – 2½; 14.Nils Grandelius – 2. Official website: tatasteelchess.com/ Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit and Lennart Ootes – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2022