FIDE May 2023 rating list is out
All eyes were on the World Championship match between Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi last month, so there were no significant changes in the top 10 Open. However, the Women’s top 10 saw some shifts, thanks to the third leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament Final that ended at the beginning of April. The winner of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix New Dehli, Aleksandra Goryachkina, picked up 6 rating points while the home players Humpy Koneru and Harika Dronavalli and Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia suffered substantial rating losses in this competition. Photo: Liu Yi Usually we see a mirror situation regarding rating changes in matches and the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament Final was no exception. Lei Tingjie (pictured above) beat her compatriot Tan Zhongyi and earned 9 rating points, while her opponent dropped this exact amount. Biggest gains in top 100 Open and Women Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM 2464 (+24) Vantika Agrawal WGM 2428 (+21) Zhu, Jiner WGM 2507 (+18) Danielian, Elina GM 2416 (+12) Injac, Teodora IM 2402 (+11) Xiao, Yiyi WGM 2394 (+11) Yakubbaeva, Nilufar WGM 2373 (+11) Gara, Ticia WGM 2359 (+10) Van Foreest, Jorden GM 2689 (+9) Volokitin, Andrei GM 2674 (+9) Although Bibisara Assaubayeva (pictured below) and Zhu Jiner narrowly missed first place in the third leg of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2022-2023 due to inferior tiebreaks, they became the primary rating beneficiaries of this competition, earning 24 and 18 points, respectively. Photo: Ismael Nieto Elina Danielian tuned in a very solid performance at the 2nd International Tournament Mikis Theodorakis 2023 and tied for first place, which translates into +12 rating points. Two other strong open events took place across Europe in April: Fagernes Open and Menorca Open. Those who did well in one or both of these events – Vantika Agrawal (+21), Teodora Injac (+11; pictured below) and Jorden Van Feeest (+9) – improved their rating and made their way into this list. Photo: Madelene Belinki Interestingly enough, the winner of the Menorca Open Gukesh D earned just two rating points for his achievement but it helped him to leapfrog Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the top juniors list and climb to second position. Xiao Yiyi emerged as the winner of the Zonal 3.5 Women Championship 2023 in Shenzhen, China and not only picked up 11 points but also reached her career high of 2394. Andrei Volokitin defeated Michael Adams in very exciting UK vs Ukraine Challenge match by a minimal margin and netted 9 rating points.
Serbia wins 2023 IBCA European Team Championship
The 2023 IBCA European Team Championship for the Blind and Visually Impaired took place from April 19-30 in Genova, Italy. Organized by the IBCA and the Italian Amateur Blind Chess Association (A.S.C.I.d.), with the chief organizer Bersan Vrioni, the event brought together 14 national teams from all parts of Europe. The participants used specialized Braille chess boards, talking clocks, and voice recording equipment. The playing venue was located at the Tower Genova Airport Hotel, which allowed the participants to enjoy excellent playing conditions indoors and to take advantage of recreation breaks in sunny weather outside. On a rest day, the organizers kindly offered a free excursion to the Cimitero monumentale di Staglieno, which has been widely praised by Mark Twain and Friedrich Nietzsche and was called “one of the wonders of the world” by Ernest Hemingway. The Pantheon, galleries and colonnades with hundreds of monuments epitomize the extraordinary art of the 19th and 20th centuries in Liguria, especially the tradition of realistic funereal sculpture. Among the tombs in the classical gardens are those of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand and other heroes of the Risorgimento. Team titles, medals, and board prizes were contested. The final results: Champion – Team Serbia (FM Pavle Dimic, CM Damjan Jandric, Stefan Janjic, Mile Bjelanovic, FM Avram Sretko, Stefan Mitrovic; captain Nikola Ivanovic) – 15 match points, 25.5 game points; Silver medal – Team Poland (GM Marcin Tazbir, IM Jacek Stachanczyk, IM Piotr Dukaczewski. Ryszard Suder, Michal Wolanski, Andrzej Migala; captain Janocz Zyla) ) – 14 match points, 23.5 game points; Bronze medal – Team Ukraine (Vladyslav Kolpakov, Igor Shepelev, WIM Lubov Zsiltzova-Lisenko, Ivan Yatsishin; captain Oleksandr Frantsuzov) – 13 match points, 23 game points. Individual board prizes were won by players from eight countries, with gold medals awarded to: 1st board GM Marcin Tazbir (POL) 2nd board CM Damjan Jandric (SRB) 3rd board Stefan Janjic (SRB) 4th board Mile Belanovic (SRB) Reserve board Roberto Clemente Llamero (ESP) The closing ceremony held on April 29th became a huge celebration for Braille players and their supporters. Non-seeing players, their accompanying persons, captains, coaches, officials, and spectators gathered in the sumptuous hall at the Tower Genova Airport Hotel that was exclusively adorned with beautiful posters and the flags of all participating nations. Several dignitaries attended, including Alessandra Bianchi, representative of the City of Genoa; Antonio Micillo, Representative of the Italian Olympic Committee for Liguria; Diana Tsypina (Canada), IBCA 2nd Vice-President; Rafaele Di Paolo, FSI Regional President; Cristina Minerva, the UICI National Councilor; GM / IO / FST Roberto Mogranzini, member of the FIDE Events Commission; Bersan Vrioni, President of A.S.C.I.d.; Luciano Romanelli, Chairman of the Blind Union of Liguria; Franco Pugliese, Comite Genova Senze Barriere; authorized representatives of municipal agencies in charge of tourism and the affairs of the disabled. The ceremony started with a live rendition of the Italian anthem. The A.S.C.I.d. President Bersan Vrioni highlighted the excellent collaboration between the IBCA, the organizers, and local authorities that made it possible for the participants to meet in Genoa in person and to enjoy chess. He thanked the international team of arbiters and assistants for disabled players for their hard work that made it possible to provide necessary accommodation conditions for persons with disabilities and to hold the competition in accordance with the highest FIDE and IBCA standards. Alessandra Bianchi conveyed the best wishes from the Government of Liguria and thanked all participants and officials for coming to Genoa, She reminded them of the rich history of the place that was the capital of one of the most powerful maritime republics for over seven centuries and became one of the largest naval powers of the continent. For twelve days, Genoa, the capital of the Liguria Region, opened its heart to the disabled players. Antonio Micillo, Representative of the Italian Olympic Committee for Liguria, remarked on the existing synergies between the IBCA, the Italian Paralympic Committee, and the national organizations for the disabled. Events like the Genoa championship play an important role in the social integration of people with disabilities. The IBCA 2nd Vice-President Diana Tsypina thanked the authorities of Genoa and the Liguria Region, the local organizers, the FSI, the UICI, and the A.S.C.I.d. members for all the hard work they put into this important competition. Non-seeing players demonstrated bravery, focus, discipline, and a high level of maturity. Every participant showed fair play and good sportsmanship. The strongest players won their matches and games in an exemplary manner. Diana Tsypina reminded the audience that during the championship, the IBCA held an important meeting. Participants offered valuable suggestions aimed at improving the governance and helping the Association to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing world. The IBCA and its national members – the organizations specifically established for the promotion of Braille chess for the blind and visually impaired – work in harmony with respective countries’ governments, NGOs, national Paralympic Committees, the International Blind Sports Federation, FIDE, and other international associations as partners respecting each other’s core areas of expertise and advancing the goals set in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and similar documents. Cristina Minerva, the UICI National Councilor reflected on the importance of government and societal support for players with disabilities and described how advanced Italy has become in this direction. Chief Arbiter Vadim Tsypin (Canada) announced the official results. The dignitaries presented players and teams with medals and trophies. The winners were met with huge applause. The national anthem of Serbia was played. The closing ceremony was followed by a sumptuous reception generously offered by the Italian hosts. Players, officials, and accompanying persons in all delegations received memorable gifts, souvenirs, and bottles of excellent Ligurian wine. (Information and photos provided by the IBCA and the Genova Senza Barriere Organizing Committee) About IBCA The International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) is the supreme body responsible for chess for the blind and visually impaired. The IBCA is part of the International Blind Sports Federation and an Affiliated Member of FIDE. Founded in 1958, the IBCA has grown to more than sixty countries on four continents. Its major competitions include the Blind Chess Olympiad and the Blind World Chess Championships.
Ding Liren crowned World Champion
The last act of the greatest chess event on earth was held in Astana. A new era in chess history as Ding Liren emerges as the first player from China to hold the world title in the open section Following a stunning tie-break finale, the chess world championship match came to a ceremonial close in Astana. All the usual elements were there – the musical performances, the speeches, the fireworks, and – the crowning of the new word champion! The ceremony was held at the St Regis hotel – the very venue where for the past three weeks Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi had been making history in their fight for the world title. The evening started with a performance featuring the traditional music and dance from the Great Stepe, celebrating the culture and heritage of the host country, Kazakhstan. Following the intonation of the FIDE anthem, a short video was shown, highlighting the key moments of the epic three-week chess battle that took place in Astana. Then Altai Kölgınov, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, took to the stage. He congratulated Ding Liren on his victory and thanked the event’s supporters. “Such kind of championship is a great motivation for our young generation”, Kölgınov said. Timur Turlov, head of Freedom House, the key sponsor of the match, noted that the event “was much beyond our expectations [as local organisers]. There was a lot of attention from the public all over the world, and was one of the most viewed chess events globally, as millions of people tuned in”. “It was a real thriller in Astana… We’re proud that we found out the name of the 17th world champion here, in Astana. We hope Astana will become one of the world centres of this game”, Turlov said. The ceremony entered its final and key stage as Arkady Dvorkovich, the President of the International Chess Federation, was invited to take the floor. He congratulated Ding Liren “on his remarkable victory”. Describing the match, Dvorkovich said that “we were witnessing a fight that everybody thought was endless, but it had to end… The players showed their commitment to fight until the end and find ways to recover after huge blows. They showed they are great players and the whole chess world is grateful to them”. “We are happy that the match was held here in Kazakhstan, the country located between two chess nations represented in this match, and it proved to be a great place”, said Dvorkovich as he thanked the sponsors, local organisers, volunteers and partners. The match witnessed a historic moment as Ding Liren emerged victorious, clinching the title and paving the way for a new chapter in chess history. “It is the first time in history that the world champion in the open category is from China. After the tradition of quite a few women’s world champions, Chinas is now a holder of both world crowns. This will be a huge motivation for young players in China to develop, grow and compete internationally”, the FIDE President added. “As we celebrate this historic moment, let us also recognize that the game of chess transcends borders, cultures, and languages, and it is through our shared love for this game that we can continue to foster understanding, respect, and friendship among all nations”, Dvorkovich concluded. Finally, it was time for the World Champion to come on the stage and be crowned with his new title. He was joined by Ian Nepomniachtchi, who also mustered the strength to smile and appear calm. This part of the ceremony was fused with Kazakh traditions of putting the chapan – a traditional Kazakh robe honouring a high guest – on the shoulders of the new champion. Then, following the time-honoured tradition in chess, the new champion was crowned with a green wreath. He was then presented with a gold medal and awarded the cup. After the anthem of the People’s Republic of China, performed on the violin by a virtuoso of Kazakhstan’s national chamber orchestra, the new world champion then briefly addressed the audience, thanking the organisers, his team and his opponent for a great event. “I’m very happy to win the match. It was very tough and difficult. I’d like to thank the sponsors and organisers, and I also want to thank my opponent, Ian, for being a great fighter and fighting until the very end”, Ding said. The final stage of the ceremony was officiated by Arkady Dvrokovich, who had the “sad duty” to declare the World championship match officially closed. The next match for the title of World Champion will be held in two years. Text: Milan Dinic Photo: Stev Bonhage Official website: worldchampionship.fide.com/ About the match The 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship match between Grandmasters Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi took place from 7th April to 1st May 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The match consists of 14 games, followed by a rapid/blitz tiebreak in case of a tie. The time control for the standard games is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 61. The first player to reach 7,5 points in the 14 games will win the match. If it’s a tie, the two go to tiebreaks. The prize fund for the match is two million euros, with the reward being split 60:40 between the winner and the runner-up.