FIDE World Senior Chess Championship 2022 kicks off in Assisi, Italy
The 30th edition of the FIDE World Senior Championship began in Assisi, Italy. The country is hosting this event for the eighth time. After the tournaments in Arco (2001), Lignano Sabbiadoro (2005), Arvier (2006), Condino (2009), Arco (2010), Acqui Terme (2015 and 2017), Assisi, the capital of Umbria, a small town in the heart of Italy, picked up the baton. The event, organized by IO/IA Cristina Pernici Rigo from ArcoWorldChess, attracted 345 players from 53 national federations battling for the titles of World Champion in the categories Open 50+, Women 50+, Open 65+, and Women 65+. FIDE council approved a decision of the FIDE EVE commission that female players will play together in the Open section but will get separate women’s prizes and also are entitled to the Open prizes. This year the prize fund of the championship hit record-high € 37,000. After a technical meeting, a brief opening ceremony attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, was held. Arkady Dvorkovich made the first ceremonial move in the game between GM John Nunn (ENG) and FM Sameer Sursock (LBN). The event brought together several former and current Senior World Champions:: Open tournaments: Anatoly Vaisser (FRA, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016) Zurab Sturua (GEO, 2014) Vlastimil Jansa (CZE, 2018) Photo: David Llada Women tournaments: Nona Gaprindashvili, the reigning 65+ women’s champion (GEO, 1995, 2009, 2014-16, 2018-19, pictured above) Galina Strutinskaia (FID, 2011, 2012, 2015) Tatjana Bogumil (FID, 2016) Elvira Berend, the defending 50+ women’s champion (LUX, 2017-19) The championship is officiated by the chief arbiter IA Gerhard Bertagnolli (Italy). As many as thirty games will be broadcast daily on the internet. Photo: Federação Portuguesa de Xadrez The top-seed players are the well-known grandmasters Zurab Sturua (GEO, 2529) in the Open 50+ and John Nunn (ENG, 2580) in the Open 65+. Julio Santos from Portugal (pictured above), who celebrated his 92nd birthday on October 15, 2022, is the oldest participant in the 30th World Senior Championship. Official Website: scaccomattissimo.com/assisi-2022-en Complete results: chess-results.com/tnr691291.aspx?lan=1&art=0&flag=30
European Youth Champions 2022 crowned in Antalya, Turkey
The 2022 European Youth Chess Championship concluded yesterday in Antalya, Turkey, with an impressive closing ceremony. ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, ECU Deputy President Dana Reizniece-Ozola, President of Turkish Chess Federation Gulkiz Tukay and the ECU Board members attended the closing ceremony and joined the awarding. The ceremony started with impressive dance performances and was broadcasted live through the Turkish Chess Federation Youtube Channel. The competition brought together over 1000 players from 46 European federations, but only 12 participants claimed the titles of European Champion in their respective categories. Roman Shogdzhiev (FIDE, 1747) clinched the U8 championship thanks to better Buchholz over Marc Llari (FRA, 1769) – silver, and Ali Poyraz Uzdemir (TUR, 1566) – bronze, who had the same score of 7.5 points. The President of the French Chess Federation, Mr Eloi Relange, awarded the winners. Sofya Kokareva (FIDE, 1288) dominated the Girls U8 tournament and won gold with a perfect score of 9/9. She became the only player in the event to win all nine games. Sofya finished two points ahead of Zoe Veselow (ENG, 1435), who took silver and Lila Rzadkowska (POL, 1243), who clinched the bronze with 6.5 points and better tiebreaks over Darya Shynkar (UKR, 1020) and Beren Cetin (TUR). ECU Chief Executive Officer Erald Dervishi awarded the top finishers. Baver Yilmaz (TUR, 1722) came out on top in the Open U10 category after netting 7.5/9, a half a point ahead of a group of three players who tied for the second place. The tiebreak criteria determined the silver and bronze medalists. Gabriel Gabadadze (GEO, 1569) came second, Erik Golubovic (CRO, 1868) was third, and Murat Kutay Yardak (TUR, 1574) finished fourth. ECU Vice President Alojzije Jankovic and President of Turkish Chess Federation Ms Gulkiz Tulay awarded the winners. Marianta Lampou (GRE, 1415) triumphed in the Girls U10 section scoring an impressive 8.5 points. Kristina Zavivaeva (FIDE, 1313) won silver with 7.5 points, and Mirzaliyeva Leyla (AZE, 1226) came third with 7 points. ECU Secretary General Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou awarded trophies and medals to the winners. Patryk Cieslak (POL, 2088) clinched victory in the Open U12 category scoring 7.5 points, with four players tying for the second place with 7 points each. The tiebreaks (Buchholz) favoured Khagan Ahmad (AZE, 2135), who got silver, and Marat Gilfanov (FIDE, 1786), taking bronze. ECU Honorary Vice-President Mr Vanja Draskovic joined the ceremony and awarded the winners. Diana Preobrazhenskaya (FIDE, 1930) won the Girls U12 championship with 7.5 points. Veronika Iudina (FIDE, 1686) and Oksana Goriachkina (FIDE, 1694) shared second place, with the former claiming silver thanks to better Buchholz. Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (UKR, 2153) clinched gold in the Open U14 section netting 8/9. IM Ediz Gurel (TUR, 2449) finished a half-point behind and took silver, while Benik Agasarov (ARM, 2219) won the bronze medal with 7 points. ECU Vice-President Mr Gunnar Bjornsson awarded the medalists. Valeria Kleymenova (FIDE, 2141) scored 7.5 points and emerged as the sole winner in the Girls U14 section, while three players tied for second place on 7 points each. Yana Zhapova (FIDE, 2220) had the best tiebreaks and won silver, Sofiia Moskalets (UKR, 1430) came third. ECU Vice President Ms Eva Repkova awarded the Winners. IM Timothe Razafindratsima (FRA, 2453) won the Open U16 tournament after chalking up 7.5 points. He finished half a point ahead of three players who tied for second place, scoring 7 points each. The tiebreaks favoured Erdem Khubukshanov (FIDE, 2371), who got silver, over IM Emin Ohanyan (ARM, 2377) – bronze, and IM Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE, 2477), who came fourth. ECU Vice President Mr Malcolm Pein awarded the medalists. Three players tied for the top position in the Girls U16 section scoring 7 points each. Mariya Manko (UKR, 2085) had the best tiebreaks and claimed gold, Kata Karacsonyi (HUN, 2109) won silver, and Weronika Zabrzanska (POL, 1992) earned bronze. ECU Deputy President Dana Reizniece-Ozola joined the awarding ceremony and awarded the winners. IM Rudik Makarian (FIDE, 2505) scored 7.5 points to win the title in the Open U18 category in a close race with IM Murzin Volodar (FIDE, 2556) taking silver with 7 points. As many as six players tied for third place scoring 6.5 points. IM Mamikon Gharibyan (ARM, 2470) made the podium by dint of better tiebreaks. ECU President Mr Zurab Azmaiparashvili, FIDE President Mr Arkady Dvorkovich and President of Turkish Chess Federation Gulkiz Tulay awarded the winners. Fresh from her Girls 18 World Youth Chess Championship triumph, where she had scored the astonishing 11/11 WIM Mariam Mkrtchyan (ARM, 2334) dominated the Girls U18 section, netting impressive 8.5 points. Mariam finished 1.5 points ahead of Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova (UKR, 2296), who won silver with 7 points. Four players tied for the bronze medal scoring 6.5 points each, but WIM Sofiia Hryzlova (UKR, 2092) had best Buchholz and came third. ECU President Zurab Azmaiparashvili and President of Turkish Chess Federation Gulkiz Tulay awarded the top finishers. At the end of the awarding ceremony, the ECU President officially declared the event closed. Final rankings and all results can be found here. Text: europechess.org Photo: official website Official website: eycc2022.tsf.org.tr
64th World Congress of Chess Composition gets underway in Fujairah, UAE
The 64th World Congress of Chess Composition takes place in Fujairah, UAE, from the 12th to the 19th of November. There are many events scheduled, including the 45th World Chess Solving Championship. UAE is the first Arab country in the Middle East to organize the World Chess Solving Championship and to host a general assembly, as it has never been held in the region before. The 45th World Chess Solving Championship and 64th World Congress of Chess Composition will run under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah. At the opening ceremony on the 12th of November, the President of the Fujairah Chess Club, Dr Adbulla AAL Barket, welcomed all participants and expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Sheikh Hamad and Sheikh Saleh Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Fujairah Department of Industry and Economy, for their unwavering support, which enabled Fujairah chess to experience amazing growth on a global scale and helped Emirate host this prestigious tournament. The Opening session of the 64th World Congress of Chess Composition took place on the 13th of November, with many important issues being discussed. The Congress continues with the Commissions meetings and ends on the 17th of November with the WFCC Presidium election session. On the 14th of November, the OPEN composition tournament was held. GM Danila Pavlov (pictured below) convincingly won the event, Eddy Van Beers took second place, and Ofer Comay came third. Eighty-one participants representing 23 countries are competing in the World Chess Solving Championship, which started today on the 15th of November. The competition will stretch over two days with thee rounds held daily. The participants are to solve different compositions (3 two-movers, 2 three-movers, 3 endgames, 3 helpmates, 3 more-movers and 3 selfmates) during a limited period of time. The most exciting moment comes at the end of the round. After the solvers give their solutions, they can leave the venue and compare their answers with the correct solutions distributed by the organizers. The participants compete in both individual and team categories. The teams consist of three (four at ECSC) solvers and the team leader, who may be one of the solvers. Teams consisting of only two (two or three at ECSC) solvers are also permitted. The members of the teams simultaneously compete in the individual championship. Many participants have more than one chess set on their table or don’t have any of them and try to solve from the diagrams on the paper they receive at the start of the round. In the rules for those competitions, a solver may use the chess board(s) and men made available by the organizer or his own set(s). The international blitz tournament will take place on the 19th of November. More than 270 players have already registered. The total prize fund for all events is €40,000. Official tournament website: wccc2022.wfcc.ch/ Facebook page: facebook.com/fujairahchess
Meltwater Tour Finals 2022: Carlsen off to flying start
The final stage of the multi award-winning Meltwater Champions Chess Tour got off to a dramatic start in San Francisco as Magnus Carlsen edged US star Wesley So. Carlsen and So, the two big rivals from the 2021 Tour, went head-to-head on Day 1 of the 2022 Tour Finals in a clash seen by the experts as a potential tournament decider. Playing in his first Tour event of the year, So battled hard but it was the Norway’s World Champion who came out on top – despite a series of blunders. The opener started with the notoriously drawish Berlin opening but it did reach an interesting game with Carlsen with the white pieces having a slight edge before it ended in a draw by repetition. So, the newly-crowned Chess.com Global Speed Chess Championship winner, then had Carlsen on the ropes in game 2 having been allowed to push a pawn to the seventh rank. But Carlsen, as he so often does, dug deep to find defensive resources that stopped So queening. So’s winning chances evaporated and the game ended in a draw after 113 moves. After coming back from the brink, Carlsen hit back hard. With the champion threatening to break through, So played 30… Qa8 which let Carlsen into his position. 35. Qg5+ followed and then the killer 39. Rxb7. Carlsen had made the breakthrough to go 2-1 up and So was left needing a win in the final rapid game. It looked like plain sailing for the Norwegian but a sudden one-move blunder in the final game let So level the score. Carlsen miscalculated playing the careless 25… Qg6 that allowed his queen to get pinned after 26. Nf6+ gxf6 27. Rg3. Carlsen was furious with himself. However, So could have played 27.Qxc6 and instead left the door open for Carlsen to set up a fortress. The World Champion, who has previously said he “doesn’t believe in fortresses”, duly did so and secured the draw he needed to win the match and take his Tour earnings over $200,000 for the season. So realised his own mistake and said afterwards he “forgot” about Carlsen’s defensive possibilities. Carlsen said: “To be honest, the match today was pretty weak by our standards. We can do better.” In the other matches, Jan-Krzysztof Duda was the first player to win a match – and $7,500 – defeating the Indian teenager Arjun Erigaisi 2.5-0.5. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov came out on top against Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in the battle between the youngest and oldest players in the competition. Shakh, playing from Baku in the middle of the night, took a huge win against the teenage sensation who has set the 2022 season alight. It took a final game grind to beat the 17-year-old 2.5-1.5. The last match to finish was a tight encounter between Vietnam’s speed specialist Liem Quang Le and Dutch No.1 Anish Giri. After four straight draws, the match went to tiebreaks. Giri took the first and then secured the draw he needed in the second to win the match. Giri said after he thought the quality of the games were “very high”. Carlsen plays Erigaisi on Day 2, Liem faces So, Mamedyarov us up against Duda and Pragg takes on Giri. Day 2 of the Tour Finals 2022 kicks off at 15:00 ET / 21:00 CET on November 15. Watch the broadcast live on chess24.com or chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels.