4th FIDE Council Meeting: List of decisions
4th FIDE Council Meeting Jerusalem, Israel November 25, 2022 LIST OF DECISIONS CM4-2022/01 To note President’s report. CM4-2022/02 To note Treasurer’s report. CM4-2022/03 To approve the FIDE budget for the year 2023 and provisional FIDE budget for the year 2024 and to send them to member-Federations for their information. CM4-2022/04 To approve basic guidelines for playing venues of FIDE top-level tournaments. CM4-2022/05 To approve the changes in General Provisions and Responsibilities for Non-Elected Commissions. CM4-2022/06 To note FIDE Organisational Chart. CM4-2022/07 To note the information from the Council’s Working Groups on their respective assignments/responsibilities. CM4-2022/08 To note the GSC report. CM4-2022/09 To approve adding of dates and venue as well as starting times to the World Rapid & Blitz Championships Regulations 2022. CM4-2022/10 To approve the World Rapid & Blitz Championships play-off system as follows: In case of tie for first place, the play-off should be played between all players in tie according to the tie-break system, to determine the World Rapid/Blitz Champion. In case of tie for the first place, the play-off should be played between top two players in tie according to the tie-break system to determine the Women’s World Rapid / Women’s World Blitz Champion. CM4-2022/11 To note the Arbiters’ Commission’s report. CM4-2022/12 To approve the recommendations of the Arbiters’ Commission on Seminars, Classification upgrades, Amendments to the FIDE lecturer list, FA norms and titles. CM4-2022/13 To note the Qualification Commission’s report. CM4-2022/14 To approve the QC proposal in respect of the changes in Article 1.5.6 of the International Title Regulations. CM4-2022/15 To approve the QC proposal in respect of the changes related to the use of gender pronoun word as well as minor wording changes. CM4-2022/16 To approve the recommendations of the Qualification Commission on titles. CM4-2022/17 To approve the GM title for IM E. Paehtz (GER). CM4-2022/18 To note the PDC report. CM4-2022/19 To note the Trainers’ Commission’s report. CM4-2022/20 To approve the recommendations of the Trainers’ Commission on titles and Academies. CM4-2022/21 To approve the Events Commission’s proposal regarding FIDE World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad further to its finalisation. CM4-2022/22 To send the proposal of the Events Commission about new Organiser titles to all National Federations for their comments following the final review by the FIDE Council. CM4-2022/23 To request the Events Commission to update the proposal regarding parallel activities during FIDE World Cadet, Youth and Junior individual championships based on the FIDE Council input. CM4-2022/24 To approve the recommendations of the Events Commission on titles. CM4-2022/25 To note Continental reports. CM4-2022/26 To note the information regarding 100th anniversary of FIDE celebrations. CM4-2022/27 To approve the resolution on the Vanuatu Chess Federation. CM4-2022/28 To hold the 2023 1st meeting in Mexico City in April 2023.
Tan Zhongyi defeats Lagno in tiebreak and will face Goryachkina in semifinal
Rapid and blitz tiebreaks are the real test for modern chess players. Calculation skills become slightly less important and are substituted at a certain level by intuition as the time on the clock starts running low. Good nerves, decent physical condition, stamina, and a well-thought-out opening repertoire are some of the key skills that have to be honed at home before the competition to be a good tie-breaker. This afternoon, the magnificent Khiva Farovon Hotel venue witnessed one of the most dramatic tiebreaks I have seen in a long time, and I saw quite a few hair-raising encounters first-hand last year in the Sochi World Cup! Representing China, GM Tan Zhongyi defeated world Rapid and Blitz champion GM Kateryna Lagno by a very close 2,5 – 1,5 score in the 15’ + 10’’ rapid section. Although enjoying some very good – even winning – positions in games three and four, Lagno was unable to recover from her critical first-game loss. This massive result for Tan Zhongyi catapults her into next week’s semi-finals, where she will face GM Aleksandra Goryachkina for the right to play in the Women’s Candidates final against GM Lei Tingjie, winner of the Monaco Pool A. Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) vs Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514) 1.5 – 2,5 The first of the four rapid games kicked off at 3 pm sharp with the ceremonial move performed by Mr Rajai N. Alsusi, International Arbiter and International Organizer. He is also the Executive Manager of the Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club and Assistant General Secretary of Arab Chess Federation. In a complicated side-line of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Tan Zhongyi, playing with White, was doing her best to create pressure on the kingside by means of a nagging pin on the f6-knight. The key moment occurred on move twenty-one when she exchanged on f6 with 21.Bxf6. With less than five minutes left on her clock, Lagno blundered, recapturing with the pawn and leaving her castled king wide open. From then onwards, Tan Zhongyi played energetically and didn’t look back, notching up the point with great attacking skills. The computer suggests that Lagno could have kept the balance with 21…Qxf6! The point is that 22.e5 is met with 22…Qf5! 23.exd6 Re8! and Black gets the piece back with equality. Definitely not a simple line to spot in time trouble. The second game, a Sicilian Rossolimo Attack played by Lagno with White, ended in a solid draw, with neither player achieving an advantage during the game. A very good result for the Chinese player, who by now was leading 1,5 – 0,5. However, the climax of the match would happen in the dramatic third game. Playing with Black, Lagno took over the initiative very early on and by move sixteen (after 16…Qh4), already had a decisive advantage. Nonetheless, Tan Zhongyi has proved once and again to be a very tenacious defensive player, holding on to inferior positions while she waits for her chance to strike back. The second key moment of the match came about on move twenty-three when Lagno inexplicably went for 23…Ng4, instead of winning the exchange with the simple 23…Nxh1, with a completely won position. Tan Zhongyi got back into the game and even had some winning chances, coming from a completely lost opening. The nerve-wracking game finally ended in a draw. Lagno’s last chance to tie the match was game four. After another Sicilian Rossolimo Attack, the position remained balanced for the better part of the game. Going into the ending, Tan Zhongyi sacrificed a pawn for positional compensation but then misplayed, falling into a very dangerous situation. However, as in the third game, Lagno was unable to convert the advantage, having to accept a draw on the move 61. A very relieved Tan Zhongyi sipped some tea and took a deep breath while the arbiter confirmed the result. “Aleksandra is one of the best female chess players in the world. I would say that I will try my best to play every game well, it will be a really very, very big test for me. But for now – yes, I am very satisfied and happy after today’s match,” said Tan Zhongyi in a short post-match interview. Tournament format and prizes Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or “pools” will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women’s Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000. Khiva Established around 1500 years ago and currently housing a population of more than 90,000 people, Khiva is the former capital of Khwarezmia, and one of the three Uzbekistan historical cities on the Silk Road. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Mosques, madrassahs, and minarets are the present-day must-see highlights of the city. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/ There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution. Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Timur Sattarov
Goryachkina qualifies for semifinals, Lagno and Tan Zhongyi go to tiebreak
Elite chess tournaments require strict arbitration and anti-cheating measures to ensure fair play, and Khiva is not an exception. Chief arbiter Husan Turdialiev (from Uzbekistan) and Fair Play officer Bojana Bejatovic (Macedonia) have years of experience to draw from. Before the round, all players are scanned at the entrance – mobile phones, watches, pens, and any unnecessary items are prohibited in the venue. Additional scans can be performed after the game if required. Access for spectators is only allowed during the first fifteen minutes, and after the game, professor Ken Regan provides the team with statistical testing of the games. FIDE ensures that no stones are left unturned in its effort to provide a fair and safe environment for elite chess events. Top young Uzbekistan grandmasters Nodirbek Yakubboev (2647) and Shamsiddin Vokhidov (2579) enjoyed the privilege of performing this afternoon’s ceremonial moves in the Lagno-Tan Zhongyi game. Both were members of the national Uzbekistan team that took gold in the 2022 Chennai Olympiad. Aleksandra Goryachkina (GM 2584) vs Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM 2521) 0,5 – 0,5 Winning on-demand with Black against a top player such as Aleksandra Goryachkina is a huge challenge, but once again, Alexandra Kosteniuk gave it all this afternoon, showcasing her fighting spirit. Her daring opening choice, a side-line in the dangerous King’s Indian defence, undoubtedly left her with a slightly worse position going into the middle game, but as all KID players know, it’s the best choice to fight for a win. On move sixteen, Kosteniuk decided to make a very interesting pawn sacrifice that got her opponent thinking for more than ten minutes. “In general, I was sure that everything would be fine. However, later on, I started feeling slightly nervous because after her move 16…f5, sacrificing the pawn, the position became more complicated,” said Goryachkina after the game. However, Kosteniuk could not follow it up while Goryachkina sensing the danger, went into control mode playing 26.Rd1 (better is 26.Nc3 with a big advantage for White) and started a sequence of massive exchanges, ultimately securing the draw for her. With this result, Aleksandra Goryachkina won her quarter-finals match by 2,5 – 1,5 and qualified for the semifinals. She will enjoy two free days to prepare for her opponent: Lagno or Tan Zhongyi. Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) vs Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514) 0,5 – 0,5 After three consecutive draws, both players came to the game very focused: a mistake in the fourth game would be costly. Tan Zhongyi surprised Lagno with the Sicilian Dragon variation, which, according to the database, she had only played once back in 2012. Maybe fearing home preparation, Lagno went for her own fianchetto, the so-called 6.g3 line, a very solid choice. The opponents followed a 2019 blitz game between GM Wei Yi and GM Praggnanandhaa, and Lagno achieved little, just a very small space advantage. At the key moment, Tan Zhongyi struck at the centre with the timely 18…d5, and after a few moves and some mass exchanges, the position was clearly heading towards a draw, which was agreed on move 41. After the game, Lagno joined press officer Anna Kantane for a brief interview. Asked about today’s game, Lagno was quite frank: “Today’s game was very complicated. She surprised me in the opening, playing the Dragon, and I couldn’t figure out who was better and why. The position is probably equal when she plays 21…d4”. With regard to her impressions on the first half of the tournament, Lagno said: “Tomorrow is the tiebreak, so I am trying to stay focussed. I have to play four games, and I don’t think that the draw of colours matters so much: I just need to prepare the games”. The tiebreak between Tan Zhongyi and Kateryna Lagno is scheduled for Sunday, December 4th, at 3 pm. According to the rules and regulations for the event, four 15 minute + 10 second increment games will be played. If the tie persists, another drawing of colours will take place, and two more games will be played with a 5’+ 3” time control. If the score is still even, then there will be another drawing of colours and subsequent games 3’+ 2” games until the first win. As usual, the exciting match can be followed live with expert grandmaster commentary on FIDE YouTube channel. Tournament format and prizes Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or “pools” will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women’s Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000. Khiva Established around 1500 years ago and currently housing a population of more than 90,000 people, Khiva is the former capital of Khwarezmia, and one of the three Uzbekistan historical cities on the Silk Road. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Mosques, madrassahs, and minarets are the present-day must-see highlights of the city. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/ There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution. Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Timur Sattarov
Mustafa Yilmaz wins 2022 Turkish Championship
Mustafa Yilmaz emerged as the winner of the 2022 Turkish Championship. The native of Mamak claimed his third national title, repeating his triumphs of 2009 and 2017. The 2022 Turkish Championship, a 10-player round-robin tournament with classical time control, took place in Kemer, a seaside resort in the province of Antalya, from 25 November to 3 December. Yilmaz entered the event as a rating favourite and did not disappoint, although it was not smooth sailing for him. After suffering a defeat at the hands of Alparslan Isik, he came into the penultimate round, sharing first place with Huseyin Can Agdelen. Yilmaz finished strong, scoring 1.5points in the final two rounds and came out on top on 6.5/9, a full point ahead of Mert Yilmazyerili, Huseyin Can Agdelen, Alparslan Isik and Efe Metehan Yavuz who tied for the second position. Mert Yilmazyerili (the only unbeaten player in the event, pictured above) and Huseyin Can Agdelen (pictured below) made it to the podium as the winners of direct encounters, with the former taking silver thanks to slightly better Sonneborn-Berger. Final standings: 1 GM YILMAZ Mustafa 6½ 2 GM YILMAZYERLİ Mert 5½ 3 FM AĞDELEN Hüseyin Can 5½ 4 FM IŞIK Alparslan 5½ 5 CM YAVUZ Efe Metehan 5½ 6 FM KILIÇ Eray 5 7 IM KÖKSAL Ege 4 8 FM ÖZSAKALLIOĞLU Okan 3½ 9 CM YARAN Şiar 3½ 10 WFM GÖKBULUT Yulia ½ Photo: official website Official website: tr2022.tsf.org.tr/
Khiva Women’s Candidates: Goryachkina draws first blood
Well rested and prepared after the free day, the four candidates returned this afternoon to the playing venue to dispute the third of the four match games. Two of Uzbekistan’s top female players, elegantly dressed in the traditional national-style Uzbekistan attire, performed the ceremonial first moves. WGM Nilufar Yakubbaeva, Uzbekistan’s number one female player, three-time national champion, zonal champion and recent prize winner at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Masters, was joined by young talent WFM Umida Omonova, U-12 silver cadet medallist and U-16 World rapid gold. Both of them qualified joint 1st-2nd in last year’s Uzbekistani Women’s Chess Championship, with Yakubbaeva taking the title on a tiebreak. Their choice was the opening moves 1.d4 Nf6 – even though Kosteniuk generally opens with 1.e4 – and the arbiter rapidly relocated the pieces on the starting squares, initiating the round. Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM 2521) vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (GM 2584) 0-1 A tough defeat for Kosteniuk. Her opening choice, the Italian Game “Giuoco Pianissimo”, left her with a small space advantage on the queenside and much more time on the clock: having had some issues in the first two games, it must have felt nice to enjoy an extra thirty minutes by the move sixteen. However, around move twenty-six, Goryachkina invaded f4 with her knights, keeping the position dynamically balanced. Kosteniuk might have missed a chance to close the center with 28.e5 (suggested by the computer) and played 28.Kh2 instead. Goryachkina immediately swapped pawns on e4 and installed a very strong knight on d5. After the exchange of the queens, the knight vs bishop ending was already slightly better for Black. Although a draw should be achieved with precise play, White’s position is typically more difficult to play. The key mistake was 42.Bd2-e1, which allowed Goryachkina to wrap up the game by penetrating with her king on the queenside. The computer barely holds the position with 42.Kg3, entertaining the idea of Kh4-h5 in certain variations. Visibly happy with the outcome of the game, Goryachkina attended the press. “Despite the fact that I came out of the opening slightly unsure, my opponent didn’t seem to figure it out very well. So I managed to win somehow, even though I underperformed a little bit in the previous two games,” she said in a brief post-game interview. Asked about the critical moment of the game, she went on: “It’s hard to say, because the position was not obvious, and the one who makes more confident moves and understands the position wins, and I was more confident. I had my chances in the first two games, and I just needed to calm down and keep playing at the same level, and it would be obvious that there would be chances, and so it happened”. Aleksandra Goryachkina will have White in the fourth and final game: a draw will qualify her for the next stage, while Kosteniuk is now in a must-win situation. Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514 vs Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) 0.5-0.5 Playing with Black, Lagno repeated the Queen’s Gambit Declined that she used in game one, but Tan Zhongyi decided not to go for the exchange variation. The trendy Vienna defence with 4…dxc4 was Lagno’s surprise choice: according to my database, she had never played it before. Tan Zhongyi opted for the main line, and Lagno spent twenty minutes on the novelty 10…Qd8 (there are many elite games with 10…Qe7). Surprised, Tan Zhongi went into the tank for twenty-five minutes, coming up with 11.Qa4, a line that gave her a small edge. Nonetheless, with precise defensive play, Lagno exchanged queens and went into the ending. Black was perfectly fine in a symmetrical position with an equal number of pieces and pawns. Just when a draw seemed to be the most likely outcome, Tan Zhongyi miscalculated. She played 24.Rc7, probably missing that after 24…Nc5, the bishop on e7 can’t be captured because of the back-rank mate. Fortunately for her, she managed to bail out into a rook ending, a clear pawn down. There is a popular saying that “All rook endings are drawn”. Indeed quite frequently, an extra pawn is not enough to win a game in this type of endgame. The game bore out this observation, although the computer does suggest that 37…f5! weakening White’s e4-pawn (instead of 37…Rb1 played in the game) would still have left Lagno with very decent winning chances. After the game, Tan Zhongyi shared her thoughts with Anna Kantane, FIDE Press officer for the event, while, understandably unhappy after this missed opportunity, Lagno left to regroup for tomorrow’s decisive encounter. The fourth and final games scheduled for Saturday, December 3rdnd at 3 pm can be followed live with expert grandmaster commentary on the FIDE YouTube channel. In the case of a tie, players will return on Sunday for the rapid tiebreaks. Tournament format and prizes Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or “pools” will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women’s Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000. Khiva Established around 1500 years ago and currently housing a population of more than 90,000 people, Khiva is the former capital of Khwarezmia, and one of the three Uzbekistan historical cities on the Silk Road. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Mosques, madrassahs, and minarets are the present-day must-see highlights of the city. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/ There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution. Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Timur Sattarov
FIDE Events Commission: Call for Bids
FIDE announces the Call for Bids for the Junior, Senior, and Amateur World Championships, as well as the World Youth Olympiad. Bidders are given a deadline of January 10, 2023. CALL FOR BIDS FIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 Deadline 10th of January 2023 World Junior Chess Championships 2023 World Senior Team Chess Championships 2023 World Amateur Chess Championships 2023 World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad 2023 *** (please, check below) A bid for any FIDE Competition must include the name of a FIDE-licensed International Organizer. All bids should be submitted by the due date in a sealed envelope or scanned document to the FIDE Secretariat, postal address: Avenue de Rhodanie 54, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland / Tel: + (41) 21 6010039 / Email: office@fide.com by 10th of January 2023, 16:00 CET. Bid fees and Deposit fees can be found in the FIDE Handbook. Bid Fees are not refundable. Bid fees should be paid the latest by 10th of January 2023 to the FIDE bank account (free of charges) or to be enclosed in the bid envelope. FIDE Bank Details: ACCOUNT NAME: FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS BANK NAME: CAIXABANK S.A BANK ADDRESS: AV. DIAGONAL, 621-629, 0828 BARCELONA BIC/CODE SWIFT: CAIXESBBXXX IBAN: ES32 2100 0555 3107 0028 5124 All bidders must fill in full the bid form and the bid form annexe. BID FORM BID FORM ANNEX The price of hotels, details about the accommodation and tournament hall must be specified in the bid. The FIDE Events Commission will make inspections. There will be a second inspection of the awarded organisation two to four months before the event. Accommodation and local transfer costs of the inspections must be paid by the organisers. FIDE Officials (Appeals Committee, Chief Arbiter and Deputy Arbiter/s) will be decided and appointed by FIDE, considering the organisers’ opinion. The FIDE Technical Delegate will be appointed by the FIDE Events Commission with the approval of the FIDE President. All bidders must follow: – FIDE Fair Play regulations, – FIDE Medical Commission regulations, – Guidelines for marketing and communications to be applied at FIDE events. *** The regulations of the World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad 2023 were amended by FIDE Council in November 2022 as follows: – The World Youth U-16 Chess Olympiad 2023 will be held in odd years starting from 2023. – The competition shall last 7 days, 9 rounds with a time control of 45 minutes + 10 seconds for each participant. – The Organizing Committee shall provide free board and lodging (in three rooms) for each invited team (4 players and team captains). DOWNLOAD DOCUMENT
FIDE December 2022 rating list published
The December FIDE rating list is out. Only the women’s top 10 saw some minor shifts, mainly because of the Women’s Candidates Pool A in Monaco, while the overall top 10 was unaffected by last month’s tournament action. The only visible position change is Tan Zhongyi’s return to the top 10 Women after winning the Chinese championship. Biggest gains in Top 100 Open and Women Lu, Miaoyi CHN 2399 (+37) Batsiashvili, Nino GEO 2493 (+26) Yu, Yangyi CHN 2728 (+12) Salimova, Nurgyul BUL 2390 (+11) Lei, Tingjie CHN 2545 (+10) Osmak, Yuliia UKR 2451 (+9) Moussard, Jules FRA 2684 (+8) Anton Guijarro, David ESP 2675 (+7) Photo: laitimes.com/ 12-year-old Chinese player Lu Miaoyi (pictured above) got the highest rating gain in the top-100 lists (overall & women); she earned 36.8 points following her excellent performance in the Prva Liga Srbije 2022 and climbed to 2399 and #52 in the Women’s rankings – and #6 in the Girls list. Over the last two months, Lu Miaoyi increased her rating by 126 points. Nino Batsiashvili also did a great job in this competition, and after netting 26 rating points, he repeated her career-high (15th position) in the top 100 Women. Lei Tingjie not only punched her ticked to the Women’s Candidates final but also picked up 10 rating poitns along the way. Photo: Mark Livshitz Yu Yangyi and Jules Moussard (pictured above) won prestigious tournaments Fall Chess Classic in the USA and Turnir Mira in Croatia and earned 12 and 8 rating points, respectively. Let’s say a few words about the rapid rating changes, given several big competitions in this format in November, including Grand Prix Romania and World Team Championship. Wesley So emerged as the winner of the 2022 Chess.com Global Championship (a hybrid event rated by FIDE) and picked up 16 rating points. David Navara finished a full point ahead of his main rivals in Grand Prix Romania and earned 11 rating points. Lastly, the World Team Championship 2022, held in Israel, brought together many strong players from 12 leading chess countries. Looking at the Top 100 Rapid, we can see that only Lu Shanglei (+17), Tamir Nabaty (+8) and David Anton Guijarro (+7) substantially increased their rating, but it is only part of the picture. Photo: Mark Livshitz The biggest beneficiaries of the World Team Championship are boards 3 and 4 of the Chinese squad Bai Jinshi and Li Di (pictured above), who gained 35 and 32 rating points, respectively, and made a major contribution to China’s success in Jerusalem.
Women’s Candidates Pool B: Missed opportunities in Khiva
Uzbekistan is booming with chess. The chess federation is building on the resonant successes of their national team – gold medal in the 2022 Chennai Olympiad and silver medal in the recent 2022 World Team Championship in Israel – and putting Uzbekistan on the chess map. Bringing the Women’s Candidates to Khiva is a huge step in this direction, but other initiatives must go side by side. In the same venue as the main event, they have organized the 1st International Al-Beruniy Chess Tournament, a three-group Swiss with several grandmasters, including Nodirbek Yakubboev, one of the five Chennai heroes. Also participating in group B is twelve-year-old Oksana Goriachkina, Aleksandra Goryachkina’s younger sister. Nonetheless, the main focus of the chess world is in the small room that hosts the 4-player B-pool of the Women’s Candidates, which, after two of the four scheduled rounds, has all to be played for. Going into the rest day, both matches are tied 1-1. Aleksandra Goryachkina (GM 2584) vs Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM 2521) Playing with White, Goryachkina opened with 1.e4. Although she thrives in all three moves, in the past, she has always played 1.d4 or 1.c4 against Kosteniuk. The game was a mainstream Ruy Lopez, and, following the latest trend, Goryachkina decided to prevent the Marshall Attack with 8.a4. It’s always hard to speculate on the possible opening preparation, but Kosteniuk uncorked an interesting move (12…Ba8), which was played many years ago by Geller but has recently been shelved for 12…Bc8. She did spend nearly 10 minutes on her eleventh move, so it might also have been a spur-of-the-moment decision. According to the computer, the position was a bit worse for Black – Kosteniuk’s bishops seemed slightly more passive due to her pawn structure – but on the other hand, there was no obvious plan for improving White’s position in sight. After 19…Bg5! followed by 20…Qd7 and 21…Qf5, Kosteniuk arranged her pieces on good squares, and the position became equal. A draw was agreed on move 36 after a threefold repetition. Goryachkina was quite frank in her post-game interview with Press Officer Anna Kantane. “I’m still warming up in this tournament, not everything is smooth, but I’m doing my best. I haven’t used all of my opportunities yet. My opponent lets me get promising positions, but then she defends pretty well”. Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) vs Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514) In a popular 3.Bb5+ Moscow variation of the Sicilian Defence, Lagno tried an interesting move 11.Re3, played by GM Daniil Dubov in a recent 2022 online event. The idea is to swing the rook over to the kingside in some lines or even to work on the c-file in other variations. The main move with more than 1500 games in the database is 11.Nbd2. After a few minutes to collect her thoughts, Tan Zhongyi correctly decided to finish her development and castle short. After 14…f6, it seemed she was well on her way to equalize. Meanwhile, Lagno was playing very fast, clearly in her home preparation. Already under time pressure, thirty minutes behind her opponent on the clock, Tan Zhongyi went for the premature 16…b5? After Lagno’s precise reaction 17.Bg5! followed by 19.Nd3, the weakness of the c5 square became quite unpleasant for Black. However, the Chinese player kept her calm and struck back with 20…b4! followed by a very precise knight manoeuvre, maintaining the balance on the board. After 34 moves, both players agreed to a draw by perpetual check. After the game, Tan Zhongyi was kind enough to attend the press conference. “I feel a little nervous. I feel like my game is a little tense, and I didn’t completely release myself. I hope it will be better after tomorrow’s break,” were her first impressions. She went on to discuss the opening in the second game. “Lagno’s first 18 moves were played so fast; it was probably all home preparation. Maybe I should have played …b6. I don’t know what she missed, but after b4, I managed to simplify the situation, and I am very satisfied with today’s draw”. Tomorrow is a rest day. A sightseeing trip has been organized, but with so much at stake, players might prefer to concentrate on the final two games of their matches. The third game is scheduled for Friday, December 2nd, at 3pm, and can be followed live with expert grandmaster commentary on FIDE YouTube Channel. Tournament format and prizes Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or “pools” will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women’s Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000. Khiva Established around 1500 years ago and currently housing a population of more than 90,000 people, Khiva is the former capital of Khwarezmia, and one of the three Uzbekistan historical cities on the Silk Road. The inner town, Itchan Kala, is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century. Mosques, madrassahs, and minarets are the present-day must-see highlights of the city. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/ There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution. Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Photo: Timur Sattarov and Xushnud Baltaev
From Monaco to Khiva: Women’s Candidates continue on the Silk Road
The first game of the 2022 Women’s Candidates Pool B kicked off this afternoon in the walled city of Khiva – a remote desert oasis on the Silk Road in Uzbekistan. In light of the country’s current chess boom, due to the many recent outstanding results by their national team, the federation bid for this event. Surrounded by glittering madrassahs, mosques and minarets and under the watchful eyes of chief arbiter Husan Turdialiev (International arbiter from Uzbekistan) and Berik Balgabaev (Advisor to the FIDE President), the games began punctually at 3 pm local time in the magnificent Farovon Hotel venue. Amongst other authorities, the Governor of the Xorazm Region, Farkhod Ermanov, and the President of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation, Alisher Sadullaev, made the ceremonial first moves. The winner will face off with Lei Tingjie in 2023 for the right to challenge for the Women’s World Chess title. Tan Zhongyi (GM 2514) vs Kateryna Lagno (GM 2563) Barring rapid and blitz, Tan Zhongyi has so far trailed Lagno by 5,5 – 3,5 since their first classical game in 2016. Most recently, they faced each other in the Astana Women’s Gran Prix in September, a critical game for Lagno, who went on to win the event. Also, given that Lagno out-rates Tan Zhongyi by the slightest of margins, she might be considered the favourite in this match-up. However, a four-game match is over very quickly: whoever draws first blood might easily cruise on to the win. Therefore, caution will usually prevail. Playing with White, Zhongyi went for the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit, a line that she has had experience with both colours. Well prepared, Lagno chose a relatively new idea – 9…Ne8 – which the World Champion Magnus Carlsen has used very recently. According to the expert commentators of the event – GM Arturs Neiksans and WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili – the move 18.axb4, allowing the exchange of White’s d3-bishop might have been slightly inaccurate. However, Tan Zhongyi played solidly for the rest of the game, preventing Lagno from increasing her small advantage. A draw was finally agreed in a completely equal position on move 40. In conversation with event Press Officer Anna Kantane, Lagno understood that she might have missed a chance. “I think I had a slight edge after she gave me the light-squared bishop, but then I was unable to find the right way to proceed,” were Lagno’s feelings right after the game. “After that, the game is equal, so the draw is OK, but I have the feeling that I was better after the opening”. Aleksandra Goryachkina (GM 2584), Alexandra Kosteniuk (GM 2521) A very close match-up, despite Goyrachkina’s higher FIDE rating. In seventeen classical games, Kosteniuk is overall in the lead 6-3 with 8 draws. More importantly, Kosteniuk prevailed in the 2021 World Cup final, in which she defeated Goryachkina by 1.5-0.5, in one of her most important successes. However, Goryachkina did win the previous 2019 Candidates Tournament and fought for the World Championship against the current champion Ju Wenjun. In today’s game, Kosteniuk opened with 1.e4, and Goryachkina defended with the Berlin variation in the Ruy Lopez. Instead of going for the famous ending, Kosteniuk played a fashionable line, introducing a novel idea in the opening – 9.Kh1 and 10.Ng1, relocating the knight to g3. Unfazed, Goryachkina also manoeuvred with her minor pieces, achieving equality going into the middlegame. Notwithstanding, after a couple of inaccurate moves, Kosteniuk fell into a passive position, and her opponent began to pile up the pressure. With only ten minutes each for the 40-move time control, Goryachkina missed a key move: 34…Qh5 (instead of 34…f5 played in the game) threatening 35…Qe2, followed by 35…b4, would have led to a sizable advantage, according to the engines. Kosteniuk was definitely not satisfied with her performance today. “At some point, I did something very wrong, and I was very worried about my position, but I was lucky in time trouble, being able to exchange everything”, a relieved Kosteniuk explained after the game. The second game is scheduled for Wednesday, November 30th, at 3 pm local time. The games can be followed live with expert grandmaster commentary on FIDE YouTube Channel. Sidebar Under the new knock-out format, players in each of the two brackets or “pools” will play a four-game match (plus tie-breaks, if needed) in order to advance to the next stage, with the final match being played over the distance of six games. The prize fund for this pool is €70,000, while another €110,000 will be at stake in the Women’s Candidates Final, raising the total to a record-breaking amount of €250,000. OFFICIAL WEBSITE: womenscandidates.fide.com/ There is also a Flickr official page from where you can download the photos in high resolution:https://www.flickr.com/photos/fide/albums/72177720304027695 Text: IM Michael Rahal Photo: Photo: Timur Sattarov and Xushnud Baltaev
FIDE Aid Package to Open Tournaments 2023
Following the success of the FIDE Open Tournaments support program during the last two years, FIDE will be extending its Aid Package Program in 2023, increasing the total funding to a record amount of €200,000. When FIDE first launched this global program in 2021, its goal was to achieve a multiplier effect: by supporting open tournaments amidst the pandemic, we intended to indirectly support many other segments of the chess community, including young players, professionals, women players, arbiters, seniors, and even beginners. The positive impact and feedback received have even surpassed expectations, which justifies the continuation of the program – and its expansion. “Open tournaments represent a very important integral part of the entire chess community eco-system. It helps young players to grow, it provides bread – and sometimes butter – for hundreds of 2500-2700 players, and it represents a very important part of professional life for women players 2300-2500”, explained Emil Sutovsky on behalf of the GSC. “It also helps local chess clubs and communities, and it is oftentimes an important link between chess and city hall or region. We must do our utmost to preserve it.” Each open tournament organiser applying for the Aid Package shall accept the conditions and meet the requirements listed here: CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS An application for the Aid Package shall be sent to gsc@fide.com by 31 December 2022 The Aid Package can be at most 20% of the prize fund and 10% of the total budget. In any case, the support per event shall not exceed 12 thousand Euros. At least 10% of the total prize fund shall be allocated for women’s prizes, and at least 5% of the total prize fund shall be allocated for Veteran’s prizes. FIDE may require the tournament to establish lower fees (or absence of fees) for the agreed categories of participants (veterans, youth, women, and representatives of developing countries) Mention “Financially supported by FIDE” shall be visible on the tournament’s media resources (e. g., website, social media pages) FIDE may require FIDE and its sponsors to be reasonably represented at the tournament The beneficiaries of the Aid Package must send FIDE an administrative report at the conclusion of the event, sharing data like an increase in the prize fund, increase in participation, media and social media coverage, number of women, juniors and seniors who took part, et cetera. We also expect the beneficiaries to assist the FIDE media team with the event’s coverage. The Organiser is requested to fill out the following form (all the provided data will remain confidential): APPLICATION FORM. SELECTION CRITERIA Events with the classical time control shall be prioritised Event’s history Event’s strength Geographical location Amount of the prize fund and its distribution Fair Play measures The list of the selected Opens shall be announced by 15 January 2023.