2022 Sinquefield Cup: Niemann beat Carlsen to grab the lead
In a sensational upset GM Hans Niemann defeated World Champion Magnus Carlsen with the Black pieces in their first ever classical encounter, overtaking the sole lead in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup and crossing 2700 for the first time in his career. In the meantime, Alireza Firouzja won a brilliant game against Levon Aronian, while Wesley So jumped into clear second place thanks to an excellent win over Fabiano Caruana. CARLSEN – NIEMANN | 0-1, 57 moves In the clash between the two leaders, Carlsen tried the rare 4.g3 Nimzo, against which Niemann was unusually well-prepared for, having checked the line that morning. An early mistake by Carlsen landed him in an unpleasant endgame where it was only Niemann who could play for two results. Things quickly turned worse for Magnus as he tried to salvage a difficult rook and bishop vs. rook and knight ending but a further slip in time pressure left Niemann with a technical win. Niemann’s 13…Be6! was a powerful counter, forcing White into a slightly worse endgame, as 14.Qa4 is met with 14…Qa5! After the game, Niemann gave an honest interview where he discussed his ambitions to become World Champion, the difficulty of proving yourself as a player, and the importance of invites to elite events. Niemann: “I believe that these [first] three games have encapsulated my strength and potential as a player, but I’m still improving, I’m still learning…you don’t become World Champion in a day, it’s a gradual process. […] If I didn’t have this opportunity, who knows how long it would take me to show that I can beat top players. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes FIROUZJA – ARONIAN | 1-0, 38 moves An early contender for the event’s brilliancy prize, the game started in a quiet Italian with Aronian winning the pair of bishops early on. But an extremely risky decision by Levon (11…g5) allowed Firouzja a powerful piece sacrifice, completely exposing Black’s king. From there Firouzja just needed to bring all of his pieces into the attack, after which Aronian’s position became simply indefensible. 12.Nxg5! gave Firouzja two pawns and an irresistible attack for the piece. A fantastic comeback win for Firouzja, who got back to 50% with today’s victory. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes SO – CARUANA | 1-0, 67 moves So’s rare 5.Bd3 Petroff worked out rather well, as he gained an early lead on the clock as well as the more pleasant position in a symmetrical structure. Caruana did not seem comfortable with the situation, as he started to burn lots of time and soon sacrificed a pawn in exchange for some activity rather than having to defend a passive position. But Black’s counterplay wasn’t enough, as So expertly traded down to leave himself with queen and knight against queen and bishop, retaining the extra pawn. Caruana’s king was also quite weak as So slowly marched his kingside up the board, eventually weaving a deadly mating net around Black’s king. 57.Nh6! was a kill shot, leaving Black without a good defense to White’s mating attack. The current GCT leader took one step closer to winning the 2022 tour. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes DOMINGUEZ – NEPOMNIACHTCHI | ½-½, 42 moves Instead of his usual Petroff, Nepomniachtchi returned to his previous weapon, the Najdorf, for today’s battle. In response, Dominguez deviated from his main approach in the English Attack (6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3) with the more positional 7.Nf3, and quickly earned a clear strategic edge after Nepo misplayed the early middlegame. A further mistake allowed Dominguez a winning tactical sequence, but he couldn’t calculate the line until the end and chose a safer continuation, after which his winning chances were more or less gone. After 22…Bxd2, Dominguez underestimated the winning intermezzo 23.Bxd6!, with idea 23…Qxc4 24.Qxb7+, followed by Bxf8. Instead he played 23.Rxd2 and the game was later drawn. Dominguez let his opponent off the hook, missing a big chance to defeat Nepomniachtchi. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes MAMEDYAROV – VACHIER-LAGRAVE | ½-½, 36 moves Coming off of yesterday’s loss, Mamedyarov chose an ultra-safe variation against MVL’s Queen’s Gambit Accepted, exchanging queens right out of the opening. There was not much action in the game, as the players quickly traded down into a completely drawn rook endgame. A relatively quiet day at the office for Vachier-Lagrave. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The 2022 Sinquefield Cup continues Monday, September 5, with live coverage from grandmasters Peter Svidler, Yasser Seirawan, and Alejandro Ramirez starting at 12:50 PM CT on grandchesstour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Sponsors Further Information:Web: GrandChessTour.org | Twitter: @GrandChessTourInstagram: @GrandChessTour | Facebook: @GrandChessTour Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club September 02-12, 2022 Press Contact:press@grandchesstour.org Livestream:GrandChessTour.org Photos:Courtesy of Grand Chess Tour and Spectrum StudiosCredits available on Flickr.
Andrey Esipenko racks up huge score to win first Challengers Chess Tour event
Andrey Esipenko won this season’s first Challengers Chess Tour battle of the chess prodigies today with a dominant performance to take the Julius Baer Challenge. The 20-year-old top seed was undefeated as he racked up 41/45 points to blow away a field of super-strong youngsters in the $10,000 two-day round-robin event. Esipenko was congratulated afterward on chess24’s stream by chess legend Judit Polgar, who tutored all the players in the event. Full of compliments, she said he was “really very, very convincing”. “It was great fun,” Polgar said of the event. “It was great to see the players, the young talents, girls and boys, out there who are representing their countries, they are fighting so hard! She added: “They are really the best talents in the world right now aged under 20.” By winning the Julius Baer Challenge, Esipenko qualifies for the Challenger’s Chess Tour Final Four shootout on October 29-30 and takes home $2,000 in prize money. Esipenko finished 10 pts ahead of his nearest rival, 16-year-old Raunak Sadhwani who also gets a spot in the Final Four. Esipenko said: “It’s always nice to win a tournament like this, just to win the tournament!” Esipenko laughed when asked if his ultimate aim is to become World Champion. “For this year I’m just trying to be in good shape because in this year I have just played really badly,” he said, refusing to be drawn. “I lost, maybe, 50 points and it’s hard to accept, but I have to work harder and everything will be better.” The next event in the Challengers Chess Tour hosted by chess24 is the Magnus Academy Challenge which runs from October 8 to 9 and carries a similar $10,000 prize pot. For further comments contact: Leon Watson, Head of PR, Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+447786078770
2022 Sinquefield Cup – Day 2 Recap
Round 2 of the 2022 Sinquefield Cup saw tournament underdog Hans Niemann score his first win of the event, defeating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov to join the early lead alongside Magnus Carlsen, who drew with Levon Aronian. Meanwhile the 2022 FIDE Candidates winner, Ian Nepomniachtchi bounced back from yesterday’s loss to defeat Alireza Firouzja in fine technical style. ARONIAN – CARLSEN | ½-½, 37 moves Surprised by the Bogo-Indian Defense, Aronian opted for the solid 4.Bd2 variation over the more ambitious 4.Nbd2. Carlsen exchanged dark-squared bishops and quickly played d7-d5, obtaining a slightly worse but very holdable position. Aronian did not manage to pose any significant problems in the middlegame and the players soon simplified into a drawn bishop endgame. Carlsen: “I think nobody really loves these games, but at this level they happen”. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes NEPOMNIACHTCHI – FIROUZJA | 1-0, 50 moves After sacrificing a pawn early in the Catalan, Nepomniachtchi put Firouzja under serious positional pressure, as it was not obvious how Black should untangle. Firouzja decided to give back the pawn in order to trade down into a rook ending, but the endgame proved more difficult for Black than anticipated. A further error gave Nepomniachtchi an extremely comfortable position, where he could calmly advance his kingside majority until his advantage was completely decisive. After 31.f4, Black’s position was practically lost, with no counterplay against White’s simple plan of pushing the e- and f-pawns. 1-0, 50 moves A nice comeback win for Ian, who is back on 50%. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes NIEMANN – MAMEDYAROV | 1-0, 49 moves A sharp line of the English left Mamedyarov in some danger out of the opening, as he deviated from known theory with the questionable 13…b6. However Niemann did not find the right way to capitalize, as Black managed to create serious counterplay against White’s king, soon winning an exchange. It was then Mamedyarov’s turn to go wrong, as he missed the strongest continuation and was forced to give back the exchange, leaving Niemann with an extra pawn. A further mistake left Mamedyarov in a lost queen and pawn endgame, which Niemann converted with good technique. After 30.Rb1!, the unnatural 30…Bxd5 might have held, but instead Black faltered with 30…Ba8, allowing 31.Rxb8 Qxb8 32.Bxa8 Qxa8 33.Qxd7!+- with a won queen endgame for White. 1-0, 49 moves The 19-year-old Niemann scored his first ever win over a 2750+ rated player. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes CARUANA – DOMINGUEZ | ½-½, 46 moves In a battle of Petroff specialists, the players entered an incredibly sharp middlegame where Caruana had sacrificed a pawn in order to establish a strong central grip. Dominguez started to spend lots of time, and went for complications where Caruana could sacrifice an exchange and force Black to walk a tightrope to survive. Caruana then missed two opportunities for a decisive advantage, eventually allowing Dominguez to escape with a draw. After Dominguez’s 26…Rf8, 27.Qd7! would have been very strong, where both 27…Rxf4 28.Nf7++- and 27…Qb6 28.Nf7+ Kg8 29.Re7!+- would be winning for White. Instead Caruana played 27.Qe4, keeping a large advantage for the time being. ½-½, 46 moves Caruana missed some serious chances against Dominguez today. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes VACHIER-LAGRAVE – SO | ½-½, 43 moves A theoretical Berlin endgame that featured lots of early trades left the players with a rook and bishop each after twenty moves, with MVL having a small edge due to his slightly better structure. Facing a difficult defense, So chose to sacrifice a pawn in order to activate his rook – a decision that proved fruitful as the position soon simplified into a drawn rook ending. MVL was a bit better, but could not crack So’s Berlin. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The 2022 Sinquefield Cup continues Sunday, September 4, starting at 12:50 PM CT. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Peter Svidler, Yasser Seirawan, and Alejandro Ramirez on grandchesstour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Sponsors Further Information:Web: GrandChessTour.org | Twitter: @GrandChessTourInstagram: @GrandChessTour | Facebook: @GrandChessTour Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club September 02-12, 2022 Press Contact:press@grandchesstour.org Livestream:GrandChessTour.org Photos:Courtesy of Grand Chess Tour and Spectrum StudiosCredits available on Flickr.
2022 Sinquefield Cup – Day 1 Recap
The 2022 Sinquefield Cup kicked off with a bang today as World Champion Magnus Carlsen defeated World No.3 Ian Nepomniachtchi in a clean first round game. Meanwhile, all four other games in the round were drawn, netting Carlsen the early lead in the final stop of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour. CARLSEN – NEPOMNIACHTCHI | 1-0, 43 moves In a rematch of the 2021 World Championship, Carlsen chose a quiet line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined and did not achieve much out of the opening as the queens came off early. However the endgame seemed to suit Carlsen’s style, as he slowly put Nepo under pressure and started to improve his position. Nepomniachtchi tried to hold the draw by sacrificing a pawn, but it wasn’t enough as Magnus kept his initiative and a further mistake by Nepo left Black losing a second pawn and ending up in a hopeless position. After Carlsen’s 36.Bb1!, Black was losing a second pawn on d5 by force. | 1-0, 43 moves Carlsen: “I think I did well in creating a situation that was not pleasant for him but certainly he could have done better.” | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes FIROUZJA – CARUANA | ½-½, 34 moves In a Symmetrical English that featured the rare move 5.Qb3, things quickly got heated as at first it was Firouzja, then Caruana who fell into some difficulties. It seems as though Firouzja missed his chance to pose more serious problems later on, letting Caruana escape into a drawn rook endgame. Caruana: “After 16…f5, I started to get worried that I would get a very bad position, but then he surprised me with 17.Bh3 (instead of 17.Ke2)–after that I thought I should be OK.” World No. 4 Firouzja had Caruana sweating today, but could not maximize his chances. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes NIEMANN – ARONIAN | ½-½, 50 moves Tournament newcomer GM Hans Niemann, who replaced GM Richard Rapport at the last second before the event, started off well in his first game, catching Aronian in a rare line (6.a4) of the 5.Re1 Berlin. While Niemann gained a large strategic advantage on the board, thanks to his extra space and more active minor pieces, he fell behind on the clock and eventually lost his advantage, allowing Aronian off the hook with a three-fold repetition. After 26.Qe1, Hans’ position looked fantastic, but Aronian managed to wriggle out. | ½-½, 50 moves Despite being the lowest rated player in the field, GM Hans Niemann is off to a solid start. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes MAMEDYAROV – SO | ½-½, 65 moves An interesting strategic battle in the trendy 5…cxd4 line of the Semi-Tarrasch saw Mamedyarov with a small positional advantage, as he tried to make the most of his slightly superior structure. But So defended well, and Shakhriyar could only end up with an extra pawn in a drawish rook and knight vs. rook and bishop endgame, which soon ended peacefully. A long fight which nearly came down to bare kings in Mamedyarov – So. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes DOMINGUEZ – VACHIER-LAGRAVE | ½-½, 72 moves The last game of the round to finish featured the English Attack of the Najdorf, the same variation which earned Dominguez the brilliancy prize in last year’s Sinquefield Cup. Once again Dominguez was much better prepared, gaining nearly an hour edge on the clock, but he wasn’t able to fully capitalize on his advantage. An exchange sacrifice by Dominguez left him with enough compensation for equality, but not more, and the game eventually petered out into a draw. The 2021 Sinquefield Cup champion managed to defend a difficult position. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes Today’s special guests included American rapper Logic, who stopped by to watch the games. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes Professional hockey player Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues also showed up during Round 1. | Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The 2022 Sinquefield Cup continues Saturday, September 3, starting at 12:50 PM CT. Catch all the action live with grandmaster commentators Peter Svidler, Yasser Seirawan, and Alejandro Ramirez on grandchesstour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Sponsors Further Information:Web: GrandChessTour.org | Twitter: @GrandChessTourInstagram: @GrandChessTour | Facebook: @GrandChessTour Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club September 02-12, 2022 Press Contact:press@grandchesstour.org Livestream:GrandChessTour.org Photos:Courtesy of Grand Chess Tour and Spectrum StudiosCredits available on Flickr.
Women’s Grand Prix Nur-Sultan 2022: Pairings announced
Рhoto: astanatimes.com The full pairings for every round of the upcoming Women’s Grand Prix Nur-Sultan 2022 has been announced. The first leg of Women’s Grand Prix 2022-23 will take place in the capital of Kazakhstan from September 17-30, 2022. Twelve players will compete in a round-robin tournament. IM Vaishali R will replace GM Humpy Koneru in the first leg of WGP 2022-2023. Koneru withdrew from the event for medical reasons. In accordance with art. 5. 7. 3. of the WGP Regulations (If any replacement is needed for a nominated player due to a withdrawal, the Organiser who nominated this player shall nominate another one upon consultation with FIDE President.) All Indian CF nominated IM Vaishali R as replacement for the first GP tournament in Nur-Sultan. Vaishali R Photo: Steve Bonhage According to art. 5. 10. 3. of the WGP Regulations (In case of any replacement player as a result of the provisions of Article 5.7 being applied, the pairings shall remain the same except that the replacement player shall take the place of the withdrawn player) the pairings shall remain as they are except that IM Vaishali R takes place of GM Koneru. The participants received the following starting numbers: 1. Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE), 2. Kateryna Lagno (FIDE), 3. Alina Kashlinskaya (Poland), 4. Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan), 5. Tan Zhongyi (China), 6. Dinara Wagner (Germany), 7. Elisabeth Paehtz (Germany), 8. Zhu Jiner (China), 9. Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kazakhstan), 10. Alexandra Kosteniuk (FIDE), 11. Vaishali R (India; replaced Humpy Koneru), 12. Polina Shuvalova (FIDE). Full pairings: Round 1 on 2022/09/18 at 15:00 Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND)Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID)Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ)Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN)Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER) Round 2 on 2022/09/19 at 15:00 Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER)Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) – Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER)Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) – Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN)Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID) – Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ)Vaishali R 2449 (IND) – Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL)Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) Round 3 on 2022/09/20 at 15:00 Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Kashlinskaya Alina 249 (POL) – Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID)Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND)Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID)Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ)Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) Round 4 on 2022/09/21 at 15:00 Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN)Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477(GER)Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID) – Wagner Dinara – 2358 (GER)Vaishali R 2449 (IND) – Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN)Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ)Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Kashlinskaya Alina 2491(POL) Round 5 on 2022/09/22 at 15:00 Kashlinskaya Alina 2491(POL) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID)Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID)Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND)Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID)Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) Round 6 on 2022/09/23 at 15:00 Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ)Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521(FID) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN)Vaishali R 2449 (IND) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER)Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER)Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN)Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL) – Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) Round 7 on 2022/09/25 at 15:00 Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL)Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID)Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER) – Goryachkina Aleksandra 257 (FID)Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND)Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID) Round 8 on 2022/09/26 at 15:00 Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID)Vaishali R 2449 (IND) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ)Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN)Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER)Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL) – Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER)Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) Round 9 on 2022/09/27 at 15:00 Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ)Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER – Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL)Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) – Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID)Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) – Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID)Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND) Round 10 on 2022/09/28 at 15:00 Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID) – Vaishali R 2449 (IND)Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID) – Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID)Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID) – Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ)Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL) – Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN)Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ) – Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER)Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN) – Wagner Dinara 235 (GER) Round 11 on 2022/09/29 at 13:00 Wagner Dinara 2358 (GER) – Shuvalova Polina 2510 (FID)Paehtz Elisabeth 2477 (GER) – Tan Zhongyi 2525 (CHN)Zhu Jiner 2464 (CHN) – Assaubayeva Bibisara 2443 (KAZ)Abdumalik Zhansaya 2503 (KAZ) – Kashlinskaya Alina 2491 (POL)Kosteniuk Alexandra 2521 (FID) – Lagno Kateryna 2547 (FID)Vaishali R 2449 (IND) – Goryachkina Aleksandra 2579 (FID)
Winners crowned at Independence Cup 2022
The 31st edition of the Independence Cup, a traditional chess forum, took place from 26-28 August 2022 in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv and brought together 176 players from 4 countries (Ukraine, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, including 12 GMs, 12 IMs, 5 FMs, 2 WFM and 2 NM. The program of the festival, organized by BF “Ridna Obolon”, Kyiv Chess Federation, Lviv Chess Federation, included two 9-round Swiss tournaments with blitz (3+2) and rapid time (15+10) control. GM Vadim Malakhatko, a well-known organizer of the most prestigious chess events in Ukraine in recent years, served as the tournament director. Both tournaments were very close affairs that came down to the wire. To the delight of local fans, IM Valeriy Grinev from Kyiv, Ukraine, emerged as the winner in both events. The blitz tournament ended with a 5-way tie for first place, with Grinev coming out on top thanks to a slightly better Buchholz. This scenario repeated itself in the rapid tournament with one slight difference. As many as seven players scored 7/9 each and shared the first place, and again Buchholz favoured Grinev. Check out full results on the Сhess Results page: Blitz – https://cutt.ly/2XNF6SX Rapid – https://cutt.ly/AX6h52D Check out all the games: Blitz Chess.comhttps://www.chess.com/events/2022-memorial-sergiy-shystariov-blitzChessBasehttps://live.chessbase.com/watch/Cup-Independence-Blitz-2022/ Rapid Chess.comchess.com/uk/events/2022-memorial-sergiy-shystariov-rapid/games ChessBaselive.chessbase.com/en/Watch?id=Cup-Independence-Rapid-2022 Lichess.orglichess.org/broadcast/independence-cup-2022–3th-sergiy-shystari ov-memorial-rapid/round-9/e8yrUOTh Watch the closing ceremony on YouTube: https://cutt.ly/ZX6j7WX Text and photos: IA IO Olexandr Prohorov, Ukraine
Chessable seeks applicants for Chessable Research Awards
Chessable, a leading platform in chess improvement and part of the Play Magnus Group, is seeking undergraduate and graduate students to apply for the Chessable Research Awards. The Chessable Research Awards are an initiative to develop our understanding of how chess can benefit our lives, how we can improve our knowledge of the game, and how we can understand other phenomena, both within and outside of the chess world. University students from all fields of study, such as cognitive psychology, education, literature, history, computer science, etc., are invited to apply. Examples of relevant topics include, but are not limited to, how playing chess impacts society or personal development, methods for improving the memorization of chess theory, the gender gap in chess participation, using ideas from chess to solve real-world problems, etc. Chessable’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Alexey Root, says: “With the Chessable Research Awards, Chessable hopes to encourage existing chess researchers and to help launch new chess research projects worldwide.” Winning students and their faculty research sponsors will receive monetary awards and publicity in Chessable blog posts and newsletters. Three cycles of awards per year are planned. Applications for this first cycle are due Saturday, October 1, 2022, for research to be conducted during the spring semester of 2023. To successfully apply, each student must have a faculty research sponsor who fills out a separate application. For more information about the Chessable Research Awards and the link to apply, visit: chessable.com/blog/chessable-research-awards/ Applicant questions and media requests for interview/comment should go to Chessable’s Chief Science Officer or to the Science Project Manager at the addresses below: Dr. Alexey Root, Chief Science Officer: alexey.root@chessable.com Karel van Delft, Science Project Manager: karel@chessable.com For more information about the Chessable science team and its initiatives, visit chessable.com/science/
Three youngsters cross 2700 mark in September rating list
The ups and downs in the standard list are tightly connected to the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad results, where the elite often faced players outside of the top 100. Magnus Carlsen lost 3 points despite his excellent 7.5/9 result in Chennai. However, the most significant drops in the top 10 belong to Fabiano Caruana (-18) and Levon Aronian (-16). The loss to Greek GM Nikolas Theodorou alone cost Aronian 7.6 points. The main news on the women’s list is the return of Humpy Koneru, who played her first tournament since February 2020. Despite losing 12 rating points in Chennai, she reappeared in the third position, pushing the rest of the top 10 down, except for Mariya Muzychuk, who kept her #7 spot. Photo: Lennart Ootes Biggest gains in Top 100 Open and Women Savitha Shri B WIM IND 2435 (+61) Erigaisi Arjun GM IND 2725 (+36) Abdusattorov, Nodirbek GM UZB 2713 (+36) Vega Gutierrez, Sabrina IM ESP 2395 (+29) Sukandar, Irine Kharisma IM INA 2401 (+28) Gukesh D GM IND 2726 (+27) Kiolbasa, Oliwia WIM POL 2410 (+27) Nihal Sarin GM IND 2677 (+26) Vantika Agrawal WGM IND 2396 (+25) Keymer, Vincent GM GER 2693 (+21) Savitha Shri B (pictured below) is a clear winner in this category following her excellent performance in the Czech Open 2022, where she picked up 61 points. Although this result pales compared to her +96 points earned by Savitha in the previous month, it is still very impressive. Photo: Savitha Shri’s Instagram The biggest news outside of the top 10 is the meteoric rise of three outstandingly talented teenagers – Arjun Erigaisi (pictured below), Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Gukesh D – who crossed a 2700 mark and broke into the top 30 Open. All three performed exceptionally well in Chennai but did not stop there. Abdusattorov and Gukesh D netted some extra points in the Turkish Chess League, while Erigaisi came out on top in very strong Abu Dhabi Masters, where he earned 22 points. Photo: Lennart Ootes Adding to this equation Nihal Sarin and the winner of German Masters Vincent Keymer, who are rapidly approaching the 2700 mark, we can expect a new sweeping wave of youngsters on the very elite level in the nearest future. Speaking of the top performers at the 44th Chess Olympiad, we should also give full credit to female players: Oliwia Kiolbasa (pictured below), Sabrina Vega Gutierrez, and Vantika Agrawal did an excellent job in Chennai, singnificantly increased their rating and deservedly made it to the list of winners in this category. Photo: Lennart Ootes The rapid part of the 2022 GCT Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz finished just in time to bring exciting changes in the rapid ratings of the elite. Hikaru Nakamura lost 48 rapid points and dropped from #1 to #4 in the world’s rankings, letting Magnus Carlsen reclaim the top spot. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana dropped as many as -16 and -19 rating points, respectively but remained in the top 10. The tournament winner, Firouzja, picked up 48 rapid points, climbing to #15. For the official effects of the blitz, we’ll have to wait for the following rating list as the tournament ended too late to be included in this one.
European Women’s Championship 2022: Monika Socko clinches title
GM Monika Socko (Poland) emerged as the winner of the European Women’s Championship 2022. It is probably the most significant achievement in the professional career of 8-time Polish Women’s Champion. The European Women’s Championship, an 11-round Swiss tournament with classical time control, took place from August 20-31, 2022, in Prague, Czech Republic. The event, with a prize pool of €60,000 (€10,000 reserved for the champion), brought together 123 players from 28 countries. Monika Socko grabbed the sole lead in Round 5 and never looked back. Coming into the final round on 8/10, a half-point ahead of Gunay Mammadzada (Azerbaijan), Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (Poland) and Lilit Mkrtchain (Armenia), Monika took a practical decision. Socko made a quick draw with Mkrtchain to secure the title as she had better tiebreaks over her main competitors. Mammadzada and Maltsevskaya played a topsy-turvy game which eventually ended in a draw. As a result, Gunay took silver, but Alexandra and Lilit missed the podium as Ulviyya Fataliyeva (Azerbaijan) scored a crucial last-round victory over her compatriot Gulnar Mammadova and claimed bronze by dint of better Buchholz. Final standings: 1 GM Socko, Monika POL 2423 8½ 2 IM Mammadzada, Gunay AZE 2466 8 3 WGM Fataliyeva, Ulviyya AZE 2413 8 4 IM Mkrtchian, Lilit ARM 2362 8 5 IM Maltsevskaya, Aleksandra POL 2360 8 6 IM Bulmaga, Irina ROU 2403 8 7 GM Ushenina, Anna UKR 2423 7½ 8 IM Sargsyan, Anna ARM 2378 7½ 9 IM Brunello, Marina ITA 2341 7½ 10 IM Salimova, Nurgyul BUL 2404 7½ The 2022 European Individual Women Chess Championship served as a qualification event for the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2023. According to the FIDE regulations and the ECU Board decision, 9 best players qualified for FIDE Women’s World Cup 2023. Photo: Official website Official website: ewcc2022.net/
Asian Chess Federation and VADR Media create Checkmate Live
United Arab Emirates – (August 31, 2022) – Asian Chess Federation and Australasian-based VADR Media are pleased to announce that they have entered into an exclusive long-term partnership with the creation of Checkmate Live. The strategic partnership sees Checkmate live becoming the Asian Chess Federations’ official online tournament platform, data and broadcast partner. Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher (left) and John McRae, Founder and Managing Director of VADR Media The Asian Chess Federation (ACF) is the international governing body of chess across the Asian Continent, uniting 52 national member federations across Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Its headquarters are in Al-Ain, the United Arab Emirates, and its President is His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. VADR is an executive production firm established in 2008 that produces and promotes new media, sports and entertainment. They ventured into e-sports in 2015 when they launched Let’s Play Live and subsequently grew it into Australia and New Zealand’s largest independent e-sports provider. Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher (center) signing the contract with John McRae (right), Founder and Managing Director of VADR Media, witnessed by David Jenns, Principal of White Wolf Strategies. Checkmate live is a new web3 initiative by the VADR team focused on producing and broadcasting OTB and online tournaments for a new generation of players. At its heart is a skills-based platform that provides the opportunity to compete and also win cash prizes, credits, and in-game assets in an XR-led, e-sports international chess series. His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Shakboot Al Nahayan, President Asian Chess Federation (ACF), commented: “Technology has played an important part in the journey and development of sports over the years, often overlooking chess. In recent years, the onset of online gaming and internet improvements has enabled greater access globally. The lack of effective integrity measures for online chess has also been a concern for the community hindering greater involvement. The partnership with Checkmate will allow the Asian Chess Federation to deliver competitive online tournaments and increase opportunities for our players. A key determining factor in the decision to partner with Checkmate was their commitment to improving the integrity of online chess and their ability to successfully create a solution that satisfies ACF’s vision for the future. Once launched, ACF will be able to host official online events that are inclusive and equitable and will provide even greater access for our members.” “We are delighted to have partnered Checkmate with the Asian Chess Federation and are extremely grateful for the support of His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Shakboot Al Nahayan. It was fortuitous that both His Highness and ACF Secretary General Hisham Al Taher also share our passion for chess and esports. We all jointly recognize the ability for competitive online chess to connect mates (friends), generations and nations”, said VADR Founder and Managing Director John McRae. It is estimated up to 700 million people play the 1500-year-old skill-based game. COVID-19 had a marked impact on its increasing popularity along with the release of Netflix hit mini-series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ in 2020. This growth has seen a significant increase in chess being streamed online by influencers, major esports teams signing professional players and record online viewership numbers. A key focus for the Checkmate team since they started their planning was to improve the integrity of online chess games. “We identified the problem of online cheating and its impact on fair play early on and believe we have resolved this issue, although we are realistic that it will be an ongoing battle as players continue to try and game the system. We have achieved this through a mix of proprietary AI exclusive to Checkmate and existing technology, partnerships and the development of a strong integrity programme. As part of its roadmap, Checkmate will be releasing a third-party module for associations, federations and tournament organizers who wish to benefit from these efforts”, said McRae. Checkmate’s take on chess, the world’s oldest game, will launch in Q1 2023 on Web and Mobile. Media Contacts: Asian Chess Federation Hisham Al Taher Secretary-General Asian Chess Federation asianchessfederation@yahoo.com Checkmate John McRae Managing Director VADR Media john@vadr.media +61421001766