2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss: the lists of players
FIDE is pleased to confirm the list of players who will take part in the 2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament and the inaugural Women’s Grand Swiss. Altogether 164 players will be participating. The Grand Swiss tournament will see 114 players from 39 federations take part. The world’s second highest-rated player and former contender for the title of World Champion, American Fabiano Caruana, leads the lineup. He is joined by other leading world heavyweights such as Levon Aronian, Alexander Grischuk, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, as well as the top-10 newcomers, Richard Rapport and Alireza Firouzja. FIDE has awarded special wild cards to more than 20 players, ensuring that the strongest world juniors and players from all continents take part. The average rating of the players in the Grand Swiss is 2647, making this the strongest Swiss-system chess tournament in the world. This year the inaugural Women’s Grand Swiss will be played as well, bringing together the top 50 women players from 26 federations. The field is led by the former European Women’s Champion and currently ranked fifth women’s player in the world, Kateryna Lagno. She is joined by Mariya Muzychuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Nana Dzagnidze, from the women’s top-10 list. The average rating of players in the Women’s tournament is 2417. “FIDE is very pleased that the Grand Swiss – organised together with Chess.com and with the generous support of the Scheinberg family – is returning this year. By bringing together most of the highest-rated players in the world, including the strongest juniors, FIDE and its partners are demonstrating their support for talented, promising players from across the globe. This year we will also have the first-ever Women’s Grand Swiss, which is another step in FIDE’s effort to promote female chess,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “I hope that Riga, the birthplace of the great Mikhail Tal and Aron Nimzowitsch, will warmly welcome the world’s best players and that this will be a great event”, Dvorkovich said. Alan Ormsby, the original organiser of the Grand Swiss before it was moved from the Isle of Man to Riga, welcomed the announcement of the list of players for the forthcoming event. “Unfortunately, covid-related restrictions made it impossible for the Isle of Man to commit to hosting the FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss, although we left the decision as late as possible. Emil Sutovsky and Dana Reizniece-Ozola are to be commended for finding an alternative host at such short notice that could welcome all 164 players”. “On behalf of IOM International Chess Limited, plus the event’s sponsor, the Scheinberg family, I wish the Riga organisers well in hosting the tournaments”, said Ormsby. Photo: https://www.fold.lv/ The 2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament and Women’s Grand Swiss will be held from the 25th of October to the 8th of November at the Hanzas Perons Cultural Centre in Riga, Latvia. Both tournaments are part of the qualifications for the 2021-23 World Championship cycle, with the top two players in the open event qualifying for the 2022 Candidates Tournament and the following six securing spots in the Grand Prix. The winner of the Women’s Grand Swiss will qualify directly for the Women Candidates and four best players will qualify for the next year’s Women’s Grand Prix. Please find the list of players for the 2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament and the Women’s Grand Swiss. Regulations for FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss 2021 (pdf) Regulations for FIDE Chess.com Women Grand Prix Swiss 2021 (pdf) Official website: grandswiss.fide.com For further information and press accreditations to the event, please contact the FIDE Press Office at press@fide.com
Magnus smacks down Hikaru to stretch Tour Finals lead
Magnus Carlsen brutally smacked down one of his biggest rivals today to extend his lead in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals. The World Champion, who suffered a serious hiccup yesterday, got back on track with a dominating performance against the American streamer Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura has vied with the Norwegian for many years, both on and off the board. He memorably pushed Carlsen right to the limit in last year’s epic Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour final. But in Round 5, he was totally outclassed as Carlsen ambushed him with two masterful wins to end the match with a game spare. In doing so, the champ picked up the maximum three tournament points. Meanwhile, Carlsen’s nearest rival Wesley So could only earn two as his match went to tiebreaks. It means So, who failed to take advantage of Carlsen’s loss yesterday, now has only four rounds left to close the gap. Carlsen controlled all three games and only let Nakamura off the hook briefly in game 2. Magnus, being typically understated, said afterwards: “I thought I played relatively well.” Then in an interview with Norwegian channel TV 2, Carlsen went further, saying Nakamura offered “very, very little resistance”. He added: “With this kind of resistance I got today, it’s not difficult to play well.” In comparison, So had suffered a horrible start as the ever-dangerous Dutchman Anish Giri played a near-perfect game to beat him with the black pieces. After a draw in the second, So managed to hit back and with another draw, the match ended 2-2 and went into overtime. With his tournament hanging by a thread, So finally found a way to beat Giri in a nervy second blitz play-off. It meant a relieved So picked up two points to stay in touching distance of the top. After his shock win against Carlsen yesterday, the Russian Vladislav Artemiev followed it up with a brilliant victory over Azerbaijan’s Shakrhiyar Mamedyarov. Artemiev, the breakout star of the Tour who reached two event finals in just three appearances, struggled at the start of the tournament but is on fire now. France’s number 1 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was also in fine form as he battered the Polish World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda 2.5-0.5. In the last match, a refreshed Teimour Radjabov won the re-run of the Airthings Masters final as he dispatched Levon Aronian 3-1 to make it two match wins in a row. Radjabov is out of the running for the Tour Finals title, but the Azeri number 2 still has Carlsen to play and could be a potential banana skin for the champ as he chases the title. The Finals of the 2021 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour sees the world’s best chess players face off across nine rounds of rapid chess from September 25 to October 4. Tune in on www.chess24.com, YouTube or Twitch starting at 17:00 CET each day. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
CFR Team and Georgia win the group stage
The inability to play under their flag has not affected the morale of the Russian chess players: if anything, it seems to have given them extra motivation. The team headed by Aleksandra Goryachkina, who turned 23 yesterday, bulldozed through the pools stage, scoring five lopsided victories. Moreover, they haven’t lost a single individual game either: from 20 games played so far in the competition, they have won 14 and drew 6. The dominant performance by CFR Team is the main sensation of the event. The Russians will advance to the next stage alongside India, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, while France and Spain were sent packing. In fact, the Azerbaijani had a bit of luck on their side against the host country: they had inferior positions in two of the games, but the Spanish players ruined them and suffered a severe loss that put an end to their aspirations in the tournament. India, second in the group, lost – like everybody else – against CFR Team, but they also conceded a draw against Azerbaijan. Without Humpy in the team, they would need to take up a notch if they are serious about winning the event or even aiming for the silver. Georgia came out on top in pool B, with a much more modest performance compared to the Russians. Three victories and two draws were good enough to take the top spot in the group, one point ahead of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Nino Batsiashvili, with 4/5, and Lela Javakhishvili, with 3/4, are the top scorers in the Georgian team, while Nataliya Buksa (4/4) (pictured below) and Dinara Saduakassova (4/5)are the best performers among those in the chasing teams. The FIDE Americas team, which englobes players from all over the continent, managed to qualify in the last moment, despite having won only one match. The 1-3 loss they suffered in the last round against Georgia was good enough to leapfrog Germany by half a point in “board points”, which is the main tie-break. The Germans will have to say goodbye to Sitges, just like Poland, much to their keen disappointment. Text: David Llada Photo: Niki Riga and Lourdes Porta Official website: worldwomensteams.fide.com
Rakeem Jeter: “Chess gives an opportunity to improve”
The first Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners is scheduled for October 13-14, 2021, on the International Day of Education in Prison. With 31 countries registered, the event is going to be the biggest Chess in Prison tournament ever. Sometimes chess is not something that can change the lives of prisoners; it is something that prevents people from going to prison. In West Philadelphia, Rakeem Jeter, who goes by ‘Rock,’ is using the game of chess to reach at-risk teens offering them free chess coaching. He is sure that chess has real-life benefits that can change the lives of youngsters from communities riddled with crime and a climbing murder rate. FIDE Managing Director Dana Reizniece-Ozola talked to Rakeem to find out how learning the game teaches people to think about the consequences or repercussions of every move made in real life. – Rakeem, tell us your story. You are familiar with the city’s youth facilities and even served prison time yourself. How did you get incarcerated? – My first introduction to the prison system was when I was 15. I was like a typical Philadelphian kid, getting into trouble. I committed some robberies, and I was arrested. In my neighbourhood, that’s what people are doing; a lot of people are introduced to the prison system at an early age. – You played chess before you got into prison. Normally, people consider that the chess players know the relationship between the cause and the consequences, so all this didn’t work? – Actually, I started playing chess when I was getting in trouble. I think I was 14, I was getting in trouble, and they told me to see the counsellors. And the counsellor had a chessboard set in his office. I didn’t want to talk to him, so I was just looking at the chessboard, and one day he said: “You wanna learn to play chess?” I said yes. So he showed me the pieces and how they moved, and I learned really fast. And then I started playing, and it soon became one of my favourite games. I was playing in the neighbourhood, playing wherever I went. – You’re a perfect character of the second season of Netflix series like “The Queen’s Gambit”. Apart from playing in parks, since 2017, you’ve been part of the free Chess Chat Program under a non-profit Organization called Childhood lost. Do you think that your example motivates youngsters you’re playing with? – Yes, I think they are motivated by understanding my personal story and knowing that I came from a place just like theirs. Chess is just a vehicle that I use. I really don’t care whether or not they like the game itself; I just want them to understand that they can be sharper by learning the game of chess. First, they don’t want to play chess; they think that chess is for nerds and uncool. But little by little, I get them engaged using tools that they are familiar with – entertaining them to bring them to the board. – When in prison yourself, you were the one who taught your inmates how to play chess. – Absolutely! That’s where I first got the love for teaching chess. We were locked there, and I wanted to play chess, so naturally, I started teaching others how to play chess so that we could play. And as I was teaching, they were getting better and more competitive, so we had fun playing games. – You also played correspondence games and had at least five games going at any time. – Yes, correspondence chess was like my life language in prison. Regardless of anything happening in the world, I was always in the thick of chess games. I had a little correspondence book, and every game was on its own little board in my book. Correspondence chess always gave me something to look forward to. – How do you teach people to play chess? – I naturally teach them by letting them watch the moves that I make. I say, “I’m not gonna say a word, I’ll just show you the way how they move”. We are doing it with each piece and at the end, I am asking them how this or that piece move. Normally, it takes them 15-20 minutes. But then, when we start to play the game, I realize that they forget how the pieces move, so then I just correct them as they go along. A 45-minute session takes them to learn how the pieces move, and then we start learning different strategies, openings and stuff like that. – It takes 45 minutes for you to teach somebody to play chess, but how much time does it take for chess to teach the essential things to a person playing it? – It takes a lifetime to learn all those things that chess can give you, and I still have to learn them too. That’s why I love the game; it offers infinite possibilities. – What is your chess life about? – I do play tournaments. When I started teaching chess actively, I noticed that my chess game went down. I started to lose more and more. I realized that I am not that competitive as tournament players are. I am rated about 1800 or somewhere around. So I do play tournaments, but I also play on the street. I love bullet chess, as I want to play fast, I don’t want to play long games. I prefer to play with 1-minute time control on a computer or my phone and 2-3 minutes on the streets. – What are the things you want your students to learn from you and from chess? – One thing they notice is how I do myself with the other people. It’s about patience. They see me not losing patience and not losing my cool. I am able to demonstrate that outside of chess, and that gives me credibility and an opportunity to have their hear. I talk about the streets
Team CFR and Georgia hold the lead in Sitges
The second day of play brought almost no changes to the standings: the Russian stars, playing under the denomination “CFR Team” due to the WADA sanctions, remain the unchallenged leaders in pool A, followed by Armenia and India. In group B, Georgia tops the standings, being the only team still undefeated in its pool. The leader of the Russian team, Aleksandra Goryachkina, celebrated her 23rd birthday by scoring an important victory over Gunay Mammadzada. The World Championship finalist made chess look easy: on the black side of a Berlin Defense, she opened the a-file, activated her rook, won a pawn, and converted her advantage flawlessly. It was not the best of days for the Azerbaijani players: Mammadova blundered a pawn against Kosteniuk that cost her the game, while Turkan, the youngest of the Mamedjarov clan, allowed a rook lift that ended in an elegant mate attack by Kashlisnkaya. Shuvalova wrapped up the team victory (3½-½) with a draw against Fataliyeva. In the second round of the day, CFR Team defeated a direct rival, India, with victories by Kosteniuk and Lagno. Goryachkina, with a better position, allowed a perpetual check. At the bottom of the table, the host team beat France, which gave Spain some hope to qualify. However, a harsh defeat against Armenia in the next round sent the Spaniards back to the last position in the standings. Only a victory by a wide score margin against Azerbaijan, and a bit of luck, could allow Spain to stay in the competition. In pool B, Georgia had a perfect start of the second day after crushing Germany by 3½-½. Despite the absence of Bela Khotenashvili, who had to withdraw from the team at the last minute, the Georgians seem to be in good shape. They are so far the only team that hasn’t suffered a defeat in group B, having scored two victories and two draws. They ended the day with a 2-2 against Poland, a team that, surprisingly, is the tailender after four rounds, a lacklustre performance for a squad that usually outperforms expectations at team events. The last round of the pools stage, the fifth, will take place on Wednesday, at 15:00. The competition will then move to the knockout playoff. Text: David Llada Photo: Niki Riga Official website: worldwomensteams.fide.com
Carlsen’s lead cut to 4 points but So blows chance to take full advantage
Wesley So blew a chance to get within two points of Magnus Carlsen as both the frontrunners lost in a dramatic day at the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals. The American started off 5 points behind Carlsen on the leaderboard and could have cut that to 2 with a much-needed win over fellow countryman Hikaru Nakamura. But after the pair played out four ultra-safe draws to leave their match hanging on tiebreaks, So then crashed out in the blitz section. Instead of taking the maximum 3, he had to settle for knocking a single point off Carlsen’s lead. It was an opportunity squandered for So who must have been left regretting his tactics in the rapid section of the game. So left the broadcast without being interviewed after the defeat and so wasn’t able to explain. So’s loss came after Norway’s World Champion was downed by Russia’s latest big chess hope Vladislav Artemiev, who beat him twice in a nervy Round 4 match. Artemiev showed nerves of steel as he calmly steered the fourth game in his favour as Carlsen launched increasingly desperate attacks. The Russian had missed a chance of his own to finish off Carlsen in three as he needlessly offered up a draw by repetition while in a strong position. Carlsen, at that point, breathed a sigh of relief. Artemiev, who was the runner-up in both the Goldmoney Asian Rapid and the Aimchess US Rapid, was always going to be a dangerous opponent for the title-chasing Carlsen. Artemiev showed exactly why in the second game as he crashed through to go ahead and set up a difficult evening for Norway’s world number 1. Carlsen, it seemed, played overly risky chess when he could have locked the game down. Artemiev said afterwards that he had tried to play more aggressively against the champion, and his plan worked well. He added: “It’s a little surprise for me that I play in the Finals tournament because before that, I only played in three tournaments.” It was a bad day at the office for the Dutch number 1 Anish Giri, who lost three games in a row to a resurgent Levon Aronian. Shahriyar Mamedyarov, meanwhile, scored his first match-win in the Finals with a 2-5-0.5 victory over the Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The last result was a 2.5-0.5 win for Teimour Radjabov who beat the Pole Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The Finals of the 2021 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour sees the world’s best chess players face off across nine rounds of rapid chess from September 25 to October 4. Tune in on www.chess24.com, YouTube or Twitch starting at 17:00 CET each day. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Training program for arbiters of online and hybrid events continues
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world over a year ago, people learned new ways of living. Online chess tournaments already existing before the pandemic became a new reality. With the number of online and hybrid tournaments increasing, it became obvious that the role of arbiters in such events is not the same as in OTB tournaments. Although playing chess online is no different from playing it in person, being an efficient online arbiter means not only ensuring that laws of chess are followed and acting in the “best interest of the competition”, but having proper knowledge of the online/hybrid chess regulations, supervising such games, knowing online platforms, general concepts, fair play and basic tools to operate. Earlier this year, the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission released a new program to support the development of arbiters in online and hybrid events. Two levels of seminars included an 8-hour basic course for online arbiters and local chief arbiters in hybrid events, and an 8-hour advanced course to cover the roles and duties of chief arbiters in such tournaments. “We wanted to design a course which would not be limited to teach technical aspects about one or two platforms but highlight to the arbiters the questions they would have to ask themselves about the tools and platforms when being involved in an online tournament. The only technical platform studied in detail was Zoom, as this is the most used one and is a must for online supervision”, – says the leader of the project Laurent Freyd, Chairman of the Arbiters’ Commission. – “This training program was a way to position the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission as a real development actor in the chess community! The collaboration with more than 145 federations was excellent, and I wish to continue in that direction with some other innovative programs for arbiters coming soon”. The initial training program was conducted from April to July 2021 and got positive feedback from many participants. “Thank you very much for organising the online/hybrid arbiters’ course. You have done a great job; the new online tool has positively inspired me. In the courses, I found the many suggestions for chief arbiters helpful. I don’t remember to have seen anything similar in the FA/IA education. The professionalism shown here has impressed me positively”, – wrote Walter Kastner, General Secretary of the Austrian Chess Federation. Following the success of the initial courses, the recurring training sessions for arbiters in online and hybrid events are announced. Basic course, opened to any arbiter with a valid FIDE license, is scheduled from October 4-7, 2021, 19:00 to 21:00 CEST, while advanced course, for arbiters who attended the basic course or have proven participation in at least 2 World or Continental online events, is scheduled from 11-14 October 2021, 19:00 to 21:00 CEST. The team of the project include Alex McFarlane, Education Team Leader, Nebojsa Baralic, Secretary of the Arbiters’ Commission and 4 official FIDE lecturers with strong experience of online events – IA Shohreh Bayat, IA Laurent Freyd, IA Aris Marghetis, IA Omar Salama. Entry fees are 30 € for a single course or 50 € if you register to both courses. The deadline for registration and payment to FIDE is September 30th, 2021. Contact and registration: Nebojsa Baralic, FIDE ARB Secretary (secretary.arbiters@fide.com)
FIDE Women’s World Team Championship: CFR Team and Georgia take the lead
The FIDE Women’s World Team Championship kicked off yesterday in the coastal touristic resort of Sitges, a mere 25 km ride from Barcelona airport. This town is not new to chess: in 1934, it already hosted an international tournament of the first level, with the participation of Tartakower, Spielmann, Lilienthal, and the legendary Spanish champion Ramon Rey Ardid. The local chess club, “Casino Prado”, was founded that very same year and has remained very active during all these decades. In recent times, this tradition found continuation in the Sunway Chess Festival: its 8th edition took place last December, being one of the very first open tournaments being held since the start of the pandemic. The Women’s World Team Championship is played this year under a new format: two pools of six teams each, followed by a knock-out playoff with the eight best teams. The time control has been reduced to 45 minutes + 10 seconds per move, with two games to be played each day. This format allows for the tournament to be played in just 7 days instead of 12, like previous editions, which makes it easier to stage, and more likely to count on the participation of all the top guns. More importantly, it is also expected to raise the interest of the fans, with the knock-out adding some intrigue and excitement. “It is an experimental format, and we are not planning to make it extensive to the Olympiad or other tournaments. After holding this event, and the World Teams one next year, we will carefully weigh the pros and cons. We are aware that breaking is easier than building, so no changes are introduced unless there is strong confidence that they are needed. That was the case with the World Teams, and we hope that the new format will breathe new life into this competition”, said FIDE’s Director General, Emil Sutovsky. One first consequence of these changes became evident during the first day of play for those lucky ones who were present in Sitges: the new format is great for team building. In the break between the two rounds, all the team members gathered together around their respective coaches in the lounge, discussing the strategy for the next match, or simply trying to boost team morale. This created a very nice atmosphere, barely seen on any other chess event before. Team Azerbaijan had a lot to discuss Talking about team morale, the Russian players seem to be highly motivated, and they won their first two matches by storm: 4-0 against Spain and 3½-½ against France. The squad, composed of Kosteniuk, Goryachkina, Lagno, Shuvalova and Kashlinskaya, competes under the denomination “CFR Team”, due to the WADA sanctions against Russia. Athletes from this country cannot wear their flag or use the name “Russia” at any event in the category of World Championship. Fortunately, these restrictions will not apply during the Chess Olympiad next year in Moscow. Different name, but the same formidable team: the Russian ladies only conceded a draw in the game between Aleksandra Goryachkina (who celebrates her birthday today) and Marie Sebag (FRA), and are the clear leaders in their group (A), with two victories and 7½ points. They are followed by India and Armenia, both with one draw and one victory and 4½ board points. Vaishali, for India, and Sargsyan, for Armenia, won both their games on day one. The host team, Spain, will struggle to qualify after having lost both matches. CFR, first, by 4-0, and then India, by 2½-1½. A disappointing start that relegates them to the last position. In group B, no team shows the same dominance as the Russian in the other pool. Georgia and Kazakhstan are on top of the standings with one victory and one draw each. The Georgians lead, with five board points out of eight games. The major surprise was the bad result by the Polish team, that lost both their matches. The winners of a silver medal at the Baku Chess Olympiad 2016 had a bumpy start: one of their top players, Karina Cyfka, had to be replaced at the last minute before travelling to Sitges. Then, they lost both their matches by 1½-2½, first against FIDE Americas and then against Germany. The third round will start today at 15:00 CET. Text: David Llada Photo: Niki Riga Official website: worldwomensteams.fide.com
Carlsen’s lead narrows as pressure rises in Tour Finals
The pressure ramped up in the $300,000 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Finals today as Magnus Carlsen had a point chipped off his lead. Norway’s World Champion needed a blitz playoff to beat the tricky Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who was dangerous right to the death. Carlsen got pegged back twice in the match and had to settle for two rather than three points. He is, however, one round closer to victory. “I feel very good,” said Carlsen after his win. “ All eyes were also on the leader’s nearest rival, Wesley So, who picked up the maximum in his match against Vladislav Artemiev to keep the pressure up. The American is now 5 points behind Carlsen with six rounds to play – but these two are yet to face each other. So said afterwards that Carlsen had a “huge lead”, but the tournament still had a long way to go. Carlsen had started perfectly with a quickfire win in game 1. Following a draw in game 2, the third was then a game to forget for the champ. Carlsen struggled out of the opening and never recovered. Finding himself in a hopeless position, the 30-year-old was eventually forced to resign. The Frenchman levelled the score. The fourth then ended in a draw as the match headed into tiebreaks. Carlsen crashed through in the first to break MVL’s resistance before a draw in the second handed him the win. America’s blitz king Hikaru Nakamura had a strong return to form as he posted a 3-1 win over Levon Aronian. The loss effectively ends Aronian’s faint hopes of catching Carlsen and So. Meanwhile, Shakrhiyar Mamedyarov and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, two of the tournament’s most exciting players, traded blows in an explosive match that went to tiebreaks. Duda took the first blitz game, and then a draw secured the two-point win. Anish Giri also launched a comeback to level his match 2-2 against the super-solid Teimour Radjabov before turning the screw to win in the tiebreaks. The Finals of the 2021 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour sees the world’s best chess players face off across nine rounds of rapid chess from September 25 to October 4. Tune in on www.chess24.com, YouTube or Twitch starting at 17:00 CET each day. For further information, please contact: Leon Watson, PR for Play Magnus Groupleon@chessable.com+44 7786 078 770
Vojtěch Plát and Karolina Pilsova win Czech Championships
Vojtěch Plát (pictured above) and Karolina Pilsova won the Czech chess championship that took place in Zlin, a city in southeastern Moravia. Both events were ten-player round-robins with classical time control running from September 11-19 (women) and September 17-26 (open). With two top-rated Czech players (David Navara and Viktor Laznicka) missing in the open competition, Vojtěch Plát had a great showing. The 27-year old GM from Prostejov scored 6½ points, earned the second national title in his career and became the only unbeaten participant in the tournament. GMs Štěpán Žilka and Jan Krejčí finished just a half point behind the champion. Žilka who had a slightly better Sonneborn-Berger took silver, whearas Krejčí had to settle for bronze. Final standings open: 1 GM Plat, Vojtech 2536 6½ 2 GM Zilka, Stepan 2570 6 3 GM Krejci, Jan 2539 6 4 GM Babula, Vlastimil 2561 5 5 GM Stocek, Jiri 2584 4½ 6 GM Nguyen Thai Dai Van 2594 4 7 IM Zwardon, Vojtech 2498 4 8 GM Petr, Martin 2508 3½ 9 GM Polak, Tomas 2545 3 10 FM Mladek, Richard 2361 2½ By an odd coincidence, in the women’s tournament, the champion Karolina Pilsova also netted 6½ out of 9 and suffered no defeats either. Karin Nemcova and Magdalena Miturova tied for the second place with the former taking silver thanks to better tiebreaks. Final standings women: 1 WGM Pilsová, Karolína 2280 6½ 2 Němcová, Karin 2137 5½ 3 WIM Miturová, Magdaléna 2219 5½ 4 WGM Petrová, Kristýna 2285 5 5 WIM Richterová, Nataša 2160 5 6 WIM Novosadová, Kristýna 2107 4½ 7 WIM Kaňáková, Natálie 2180 4 8 WGM Kulovaná, Eva 2164 3½ 9 WFM Laurincová, Kristýna 2070 3 10 WGM Sikorová, Olga 2205 2½ Photo: Vladimír Jagr Official website: chess.cz