Mwale and Priyasha win Malawian Championship
Left to right: Susan Namangale (CHESSAM President), Priyasha Shriyan, Dr. Sunduzwayo Madise (Malawi National Sports Council Board Chairman), FM Joseph Mwale and Tapiwa Banda The Malawi National Chess Championship, organized by CHESSAM, took place from April 14-18, 2022, at Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu (Malawi’s Northern Region). The championship started with regional qualifiers back in November 2021, with three regions selecting the top 16 players (eight in the open category and eight in the women category). Grand Palace Hotel, Mzuzu, Malawi. Photo: Francisco Mwangupili A total of 39 players (including presidential nominees) participated in the final stage of the championship (26 players in the open category and 13 players in the women category). Both events were 9-round Swiss tournaments. In the open category, FM Joseph Mwale, Malawi’s highest-rated player (2151) was coming into the final round as the clear leader with 6.5 points, needing only a draw to claim the title and trophy. He did draw his last-round against CM Joseph Nyambalo and clinched the first position with 7 points. Stanford Chiwambo CM Joseph Nyambalo finished just a half-point behind tied for the second place. The silver went to Stanford as the winner of their direct encounter. In the women’s category, 16-year old Shriyan Priyasha dominated the competition, scoring 8/9. Her only hiccup occurred in Round 5 when Shriyan lost to ninth-rated Tapiwa Banda. Still, a strong finish helped her to secure the title with a round to spare. The runner-up Tapiwa Banda, the only player to defeat the champion, netted 6/9 points, enough to claim silver. Three players shared third place scoring 5.5 points each, with bronze going to Tupokiwe Msukwa, who beat her opponents in the direct encounters. The Malawi Championship was also a qualification tournament for the national teams to represent the country at the 44th Chess Olympiad this summer. The top-5 finishers in both sections made the cut. Malawi’s national teams Final standings Open 1 Mwale, Joseph 2151 7 2 Chiwambo, Stanford 1875 6½ 3 Nyambalo, Josephy 2037 6½ 4 Matola, Ernest 1947 6 5 Chimthere, Alfred 2048 6 6 Mphungu, Gerald 2084 6 7 Mwale, George 2049 5½ 8 Mkamanga, Rumbani 1754 5½ 9 Mwangupili, Franscisco 1874 5 10 Nthala, Bright 1721 5 Final standings Women 1 Priyasha, Shriyan 1583 8 2 Banda, Tapiwa 1114 6 3 Msukwa, Tupokiwe 1371 5½ 4 Jambo, Linda 1450 5½ 5 Kapalamula, Martha 1155 5½ 6 MpinganjIra, Ellen 1360 4½ 7 Namangale, Susan 1301 4½ 8 Msiska, Royce 1271 4½ 9 Tadeyo, Charity 1096 4 10 Khanyera, Madalitso 0 3½
American Cup: Caruana and Krush clinch titles
GM Fabiano Caruana claimed clear 1st place in the inaugural 2022 American Cup, after defeating GM Levon Aronian in today’s decisive classical game. In the Women’s Field, GM Irina Krush completed her campaign for the title as well, securing the victory after drawing the second game in her match against FM Alice Lee. Open Field – Final Standings Women’s Field – Final Standings CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES CARUANA – ARONIAN 1-0 A quiet line of the English Opening saw the players reach a dynamically balanced middlegame, with the pair of bishops for Caruana in exchange for a more harmonious position for Aronian. But a practical mistake by Levon to trade queens left him in a surprisingly awkward endgame to defend. Aronian then attempted to fix his problems with a pawn sacrifice in order to build a blockade, but he simply wasn’t in time as Caruana’s king, rook and bishop had plenty of room to infiltrate. With an extra pawn and the more active pieces, Caruana showed flawless technique to win the game and the match without needing a playoff. After 34.Bd4, White’s extra pawn, better king, and stronger minor piece secured a decisive advantage. | 1-0, 53 moves The final handshake. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes LEE – KRUSH ½-½ Utilizing a solid variation of the Slav Defense, Krush gave up a tempo in the opening in order to saddle Lee with an isolated queen pawn. Needing a win to force a playoff, the up-and-coming prodigy tried various piece maneuvers but just couldn’t make headway against Krush’s defenses. As more pieces came off the board the position became more and more drawish, until eventually the players found themselves in a dead drawn king and pawn endgame. A stellar event for GM Irina Krush, who won every match without going to a playoff. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The 2022 American Cup concludes with a star-studded blitz event Friday, April 29 starting at 12:50 PM CT. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Yasser Seirawan, Cristian Chirila, and Alejandro Ramirez on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Watch all the action LIVE at USChessChamps.com Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photo credit: Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes Dates & Location:April 20 – 29, 2022, Saint Louis Chess Club Web: uschesschamps.com | Twitter: @STLChessClub Instagram: @STLChessClub | Facebook: @STLChessClub YouTube: @STLChessClub | Twitch.tv: @STLChessClub Photo Credits:Photos and appropriate credits available on Flickr Press Contact:Rebecca Buffington rbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org Saint Louis Chess Club | Building Champions 4657 Maryland Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63108 | (314) 361.CHESS (2437)
Duda comes from behind to win Oslo Esports Cup
Polish star Jan-Krzysztof Duda pulled off a stunning late charge to clinch the $210,000 Oslo Esports Cup, the first Major of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season. The 24-year-old took full advantage as both World Champion Magnus Carlsen and India’s boy wonder Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa – the two hot favourites – crashed dramatically at the final hurdle. On a day of high-pressure chess, Duda stayed calm as everyone around him panicked. Round 7 started with four players in with a chance, but out of them only Duda managed to win a match in regulation time. He takes home $35,000 – $2,500 per point scored – and the Oslo Esports Cup NFT trophy. Duda also has the honour of ending Carlsen’s run of Tour victories. Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa both lost in just three games as they came up against opponents in inspired form. That left Vietnam’s speed specialist Liem Quang Le with a last chance to take the title in a high-stakes final game that decided everything. Liem, who beat Duda earlier in the tournament, needed to win his match against Jorden van Foreest within the regulation 4 games to take the title. Tiebreaks weren’t enough. But Webster University’s chess coach could only manage a draw as van Foreest held firm to hand Duda the title. It was a blockbuster end to an event of the highest-quality. Duda said: “It’s very nice to win the tournament, actually, I didn’t believe I had a real chance before today, before now. I’m just happy to play good chess here, most of the time. It’s quite surprising to me to win this event, and I find it quite lucky because of today’s results. I’m just very happy and pleased with my play.” Liem was left fighting for second-place in a tiebreak worth $2,500. The managed it in style breaking through in the second blitz game with the brilliant 24.fxe6 offering a queen sacrifice. Liem secured his second runners-up spot of the Tour so far. Before that, Pragg and Carlsen falling out of the running had been a huge double shock. The two front-runners throughout the 7-day event were expected to decide the event between them. When Carlsen stumbled as he entered the arena for game 1, Grandmaster David Howell said it was a bad sign for superstitious chess players. And so it proved. Pragg, who led the field until Round 5, collapsed first losing his first two games to Dutch star Anish Giri. The youngster kept his hopes alive by hanging on for a draw in Game 3, but it was over when he lost the final game. Carlsen, meanwhile, came up against an opponent in inspired form and playing exceptional chess. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is one of the world’s most dangerous players and unstoppable when in the mood. This was one of those days. Carlsen found himself in massive trouble in game 2 after giving up a pawn in the endgame with 36.a5 as he pushed for the win. It was a risk that left Mamedyarov with doubled passed pawns on the a-file and the computer said the Azerbaijani was winning. With Carlsen’s knight tied down and Mamedyarov’s piece now dominating the board, the champ was in a hopeless position and crashed to a rare endgame defeat. It was a huge result for the tournament standings and Carlsen now needed a comeback. At this point, with 2 games played and 2 to go, Duda suddenly emerged in pole position to win. In Carlsen’s crucial third game, the champion found himself desperately trying to get up off the floor. Yet another big mistake with 41…d5 left his c-pawn hanging and his bishop boxed in. Mamedyarov capitalised and it was game, set and match. Carlsen resigned and offered a handshake. The Tour leader, stuck on 12 points, had almost-certainly failed to win a third event in a row. “It’s not nearly good enough,” he said. “I have no energy in my body whatsoever.” Over to Duda and Liem. A win for either of them could clinch it. At that moment Liem was locked in a chaotic third game with van Foreest that could have gone either way. Liem eventually escaped with a draw, but he was playing with fire. While this was happening, Duda was 2-0 up against the lowest-rated player in the event, world number 237 Eric Hansen, and just needed just a draw to secure the match. As the tension rose, the Pole had to tread carefully in the endgame. He wobbled – a lot – but Hansen couldn’t convert what looked like an advantage and Duda saved the draw to take the match 2.5-0.5. It meant Liem, at that point level 1.5-1.5 with van Foreest, with one final game where everything would be decided. Win, and Liem was champion. Any other result, and Duda would take the title. Duda, watching from the sidelines, said he would sit back and “enjoy the show”. Liem pushed hard early on creating a chaotic position but van Foreest gradually took control before it ended in a draw. Not enough for Liem, but Duda was in dreamland. For further comments contact: Leon Watson leon@championschesstour.com About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information visit www.championschesstour.com. About Play Magnus Group Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The