Top-16 playoff: Day 2 recap
The Round of 16 and Quarterfinals were played on the second day of the European Online Blitz Chess Championship. The pairing was determined by the final standings in the qualifying stage. The participants battled it out in four-game matches with the time control 3’+2” followed by an Armageddon if needed. The Round of 16 saw many tightly contested matches. Georg Meier (GER) (pictured below) advanced to the next stage after winning a very tense Armageddon game against Radoslaw Wojtaszek (POL) (3:2). Alexei Shirov (ESP) eliminated Mikhail Demidov (RUS) (3:2), whereas Levan Pantsulaia (GEO) beat Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR) (3:2). In the Armenian derby between Manuel Petrosyan and Robert Hovhannisyan, the former also prevailed in the Armageddon game (3:2). Photo: John Saunders Aleksandar Indjic (SRB) secured his slot at the Quarterfinals after winning 3 games in a row against Deniz Ozen (TUR), the only IM at this stage. Matthias Bluebaum (GER) took down Vladimir Onischuk (UKR) (2½:1½). David Navara (CZE) (pictured below), a member of the Wasko HETMAN GKS Katowice, bested Eltaj Safarli (AZB) (3:1), while Gawain Jones (ENG) knocked out Deac Bogdan Daniel (ROU) (2½:1½). Photo: Niki Riga In the Quarterfinals, David Navara, Gawain Jones, Alexei Shirov, and Matthias Bluebaum prevailed over Levan Pantsulaia, Manuel Petrosyan, Georg Meier, and Aleksandar Indjic respectively, and progressed to the semis. The semi-finals and final are played today (20th Dec); Alexei Shirov takes on Matthias Bluebaum while David Navara squares off with Gawain Jones. The spectators can follow the games live with English commentary provided by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Marcin Tazbir, and WFM Maria Leks and Polish commentary provided by Infoszach. For more information please contact office@katowice2020.eu Official website: https://www.katowice2020.eu/Social media : Facebook / Twitch #katowice2020
Royal Belgian Chess Federation – 100th anniversary
Chess tradition in Belgium started long before the creation of the national chess association. Like all the major cities, Brussels already had a chess café in the 19th century, the Café de l’Europe, which housed a chess club in 1815, and the chess enthusiast will have analyzed the games played during the several tournaments of Ostend at the beginning of the 20th century. Roughly a hundred years ago, on 17 December 1920, representatives of the leading clubs in the country, namely from Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, and Brussels gathered in the ‘Cercle des Échecs Bruxelles’ for a special occasion. They signed the statute establishing the Belgian Chess Federation! The first secretary of the newly born chess federation, Edmond Lancel, would later publish the famous Belgian chess magazine ‘L’Échiquier’ with regular contributions from Alekhine, Réti, and Tartakower (1925–1939). The foundation of the Belgian Chess Federation in 1920 also proved beneficial for the inception of FIDE four years later. The Belgian representative Léon Weltjens became a co-signatory of the FIDE Statute in Paris in 1924, and the Belgian chess champion, Edgard Colle, impressed with a third place in the first amateur world championship. Colle (right) against Alekhine in 1925 Photo: Agence de presse Meurisse – Bibliothèque nationale de France Colle would also become a regular fixture in international professional tournaments, but his premature death in 1932 prevented him from putting Belgium among the leading chess nations in Europe. Belgian chess history has been characterized by three main aspects: First, our enormous flexibility and adaptability. In our small country, the political situation has never been simple and when the country was split into three language communities in 1970, this naturally also had an impact on chess. Three regional federations were founded under the national federation, each of which must abide by regional rules and decisions. Chess is for example only recognized as a sport in the German-speaking community, not in the other ones and, for some years now, the Ministry of Education in the French-speaking community has allocated a considerable amount of money to the development of chess in schools, but again, not the Ministries of Education in the other communities. Difficult, of course, to plan a national policy under those circumstances. Secondly, our entrepreneurial spirit. It is no surprise that Belgians are keen to make an international contribution, such as Willy Iclicki (Chief Operating Officer at FIDE), Patrick Van Hoolandt (president of the A.I.D.E.F., the international French-speaking chess association) and other Belgians who promote chess in the various commissions of FIDE and ECU. And what about other Belgian ‘products’: Houdini, the chess program, and Thinkers Publishing, one of the best chess editors in the world. Is it therefore a surprise that – even without having real top players – we also manage to organize big tournaments: Spa 1926, Liège 1930, Antwerp 1932 and Ostend, again, in 1936–1937? In the less distant past, the top elite in chess came to play in the Lost Boys (Antwerp), the Swift tournaments (Brussels), and the Grand Chess Tour (Leuven). And even the youth can play in ideal conditions: the organizers of the Belgian Youth Chess Champions make use of about 120 electronic chess boards. Our Burgundian lifestyle is certainly a third element that reflects in our world of chess. The habit of offering something to drink before a game (and more than one drink after it) is something that surprises players coming from abroad. And our tournaments are not only for chess lovers but also for life lovers. Why not play the tournament of Ghent during the festivities in the city, or Bruges with its beautiful decor, or Charleroi with its relaxed atmosphere? Brasschaat offers its conviviality and Liège its warm hospitality. Is it our lifestyle that made a lot of players settle in Belgium? Victor Soultanbeieff and Georges Lalevitch, the unfortunate Akiba Rubinstein, and later, top trainer Vladimir Chuchelov and Michail Gurevich came to Belgium and even Magnus Carlsen went to an international school in Belgium when he was 7. Did he develop some necessary skills to become World Champion here? Our contribution at the chessboard may not be underestimated either: we mentioned Colle already, who gave his name to a rock-solid opening, and Jadoul gave his name to a variation in the Scandinavian, but Belgians are also known for their problemists. And did you know we even have a world champion? Indeed, in 2017 Daniel Dardha (pictured below)has become the U14 world champion blitz, and two years later, he even became the youngest national champion at the age of 13 years… Photo: Gazet van Antwerpen (gva.be) In short, the Belgian chess federation is 100 years old, but still alive and kicking. Text: Philippe Vukojevic, RBCF Board Member
Qualifying stage – Day 1 recap
The European Online Blitz Chess Championship 2020 started with the welcoming words from the President of the European Chess Union Zurab Azmaiparashvili. 353 players from 40 European federations, including 134 Grandmasters and 100 International Masters, took part in the first qualifying stage. The 11-round Swiss tournament with time control 3+2 kicked off at 6 pm CET. The best 16 players (after the anti-cheating check is completed) qualify for the play-off which will take place today (19th Dec), starting at 8 pm CET. Five players scored 9 out of 11 points: Radoslaw Wojtaszek (POL) (pictured below), Robert Hovhannisyan (ARM), Levan Pantsulaia (GEO), Vladimir Onischuk (UKR), and Aleksandar Indjic (SRB). Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel David Navara (CZE), GM Gawain Jones (ENG), Mikhail Demidov (RUS), Alexei Shirov (ESP), Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU), Eltaj Safarli (AZE) netted 8½ points each, followed by Deniz Ozen (TUR), Matthias Bluebaum (GER), Mustafa Yilmaz (TUR), Manuel Petrosyan (ARM) and Georg Meier (GER) with 8 points out of 11. Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) (pictured below) scored 7 points and showed the best result among female players. She is followed by Anna Sargsyan (ARM) – 6 ½ points and Monika Socko (POL) with 6 points. Photo: David Llada Apart from the women prizes (200 EUR each), special prizes are established for the three best senior players and boys and girls U18 and U20. Among the seniors, the best player is Avigdor Bykhovsky (RUS) with 5 ½ points, followed by Igor Efimov (MNC) and Leon Mazi (SLO) – with 5 points. All three received an invitation for the OTB European Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2021. In the junior category, Bogdan-Daniel Deac (ROU), Kanan Garayev (AZE), IM Nikolozi Kacharava (GEO), and Anna Sargsyan (ARM) secured their invitations to 2021. Chess enthusiasts and the chess community have an opportunity to follow the games live with English commentary provided by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Marcin Tazo, and WFM Maria Leks and Polish commentary provided by Infoszach. The organization of the championship is supported by the city of Katowice, the Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Poland, and Mokate. For more information please contact office@katowice2020.eu Official website: https://www.katowice2020.eu/Social media : Facebook / Twitch #katowice2020 Text: Bojana Bejatovic FIDE Fair Play Commission ACP Board Member & Social media manager
John Fawole Chess Awards 2020: Full list of winners
John Fawole Chess Awards, the most prestigious and anticipated chess awards in Nigeria, was held virtually on the 12th of December 2020 and streamed Live on YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. The program began with the director of John Fawole Chess Awards, FM Fawole John Oyeyemi giving a welcoming speech. He started by giving a brief introduction to the awards. According to him “John Fawole Chess Awards started rewarding the excellence of chess players in the year 2016. The John Fawole Chess Awards believes in rewarding excellence of chess players, chess administrators, chess coaches, organizers, or anyone doing anything related to chess…” He went further to congratulate everyone who will be winning an award, after which he appreciated the organizers of The John Fawole Chess Awards by stating his sincere gratitude. “My sincere gratitude goes to the team of organizers, the panel of judges, and everyone that has shown us support and encouragement for us to have a successful chess award.” He also thanked subscribers virtually present at the awards, thereafter officially opening the virtual edition of the John Fawole Chess Awards 2020. The winners of the John Fawole Chess Awards are determined by an online vote and this year’s awards were no different. The panel of judges was however impressed with the high turnout of entries within a short time frame.” According to a statement released by the panel of judges, “A big thank you to everyone who has shown support by taking out their time to vote online for this Chess Awards. We have been totally amazed by the turnout of entries in this edition within a short time frame (less than 3 weeks and we had over a thousand entries)…” The panel of judges who presided over this year’s awards are: Oluwalasinu Lanre Seye as the chairman of the panel; Abolade Odugbesan; Damaryam Yakkon Kenneth; Sunny Eyenghe; Adegbayi Oluwadara. The panel did a review of the nominees in each of the 16 categories to determine the winners. Below you can find a full list of the categories, nominees, and winners: 1. MAN CHESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: ADU OLADAPO BALOGUN OLUWAFEMI AJIBOLA OLANREWAJU ANWULI DANIEL WINNER: IM ANWULI DANIEL 2. WOMAN CHESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: PEACE SAMSON PERPETUAL OGBIYOYO TORITSEMUWA ONOKPITE EMMANUELLA TRUST WINNER: TORITSEMUWA ONOKPITE 3. JUNIOR CHESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MALE) NOMINEES: OYAKHILOME DAVID OYAKHILOME DANIEL EYETONGHAN CALLISTUS OKEMAKINDE TOLUWANIMI OKEKE ISAAC WINNER: OKEKE ISAAC 4. JUNIOR CHESS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (FEMALE) NOMINEES: NWAEZE ESTHER PELEMOH JESSICA IYEFU ONOJA IYANU OLOWE WINNER: PELEMOH JESSICA 5. ORGANIZER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: BODE DUROTOYE ALI BRUVS CHESS MEDIA OGUNWOBI TOLULOPE MALOGY JUNIOR CHESS CPAN CHESS LEAGUE OSFI CHESS DASAOLU ROTIMI EGUAVOEN EDWARD WINNER: DASAOLU ROTIMI 6. ONLINE CHESS ORGANIZER NOMINEES: BRUVSCHESS ONLINE NIGERIACHESS.COM MALOGY- SAMSON ZLATER OFUBU 64 SQUARES- TITOLUWANI RAPHAEL CHESS NIGERIA ONLINE- SAMSON ZLATER OFUBU WINNER: SAMSON ZLATER OFUBU AND TITOLUWANI RAPHAEL (CO-WINNER) 7. CHESS CLUB OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: CREEKSIDE CHESS CLUB, PH ORCHID-LEKKI CHESS CLUB WINNER: ORCHID-LEKKI CHESS CLUB 8. MOST OUTSTANDING CHESS TEAM OF THE YEAR (MALE) NOMINEES: EDO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) DELTA CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) BAYELSA CHESS TEAM (NSF 2018) LAGOS CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) OYO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) WINNER: OYO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) 9. MOST OUTSTANDING CHESS TEAM OF THE YEAR (FEMALE) NOMINEES: EDO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) DELTA CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) BAYELSA CHESS TEAM (NSF 2018) LAGOS CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) OYO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) WINNER: OYO CHESS TEAM TO (NSF 2018) 10. YOUTH TEAM OF THE YEAR (MALE) NOMINEES: FCT JUNIOR CHESS TEAM OGUN JUNIOR CHESS TEAM OYO JUNIOR CHESS TEAM BAYELSA JUNIOR TEAM WINNER: BAYELSA JUNIOR TEAM 11. YOUTH TEAM OF THE YEAR (FEMALE) NOMINEES: KWARA STATE JUNIOR CHESS TEAM DELTA STATE JUNIOR CHESS TEAM BAYELSA STATE JUNIOR CHESS TEAM LAGOS STATE JUNIOR CHESS TEAM WINNER: LAGOS STATE JUNIOR CHESS TEAM 12. ONLINE BLITZ PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES: MICFEL DAPSAY DANIEL_ANWULI ODIROVSKI OLAROVFAN WINNER: OLAROVFAN 13. ARBITER OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINEES: OGBONNAYA OBINNA OYELEYE P. OLAWALE BOYO PAUL KEHINDE WINNER: OGBONNAY OBINNA 14. SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS NOMINEES: ADESEWA OYEWOLE OSAYUWAMEN PEACE SALEH IM ODION AIKHOJE DR. PIUS OKIGBO DR. SYLVANUS EBIGWEI OLISANYE ARC. THEOPHILUS CAIAFAS MR. OMOTAYO ROBERTS TOP RADIO 90.9 KENNIS FM 104.1 OGUNSIKU BABATUNDE 15. SPECIAL SERVICE AWARDS NOMINEES: FEMI SOLAJA OGBONNAYA OBINNA BOYO PAUL KEHINDE 16. CHESS REPORTER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES: SOLOMON EDIVRI TROY WINNER: SOLOMON EDIVRI TROY Watch The John Fawole Chess Awards on Facebook The purpose of The John Fawole Chess Awards is to celebrate excellence and encourage every chess enthusiast. We are very positive you all feel encouraged and we look forward to seeing more Chess Champions next year! Text: Adesewa Oyewole, BruvsChess Media
Knockout stage kicks off on December 19
The final knockout stage of the FIDE World Cadets & Youth Rapid Championships starts on Saturday, December 19. The event comprises five different age groups: U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18. The participants are competing in two sections: girls, and open. 1,380 young chess players from 114 different countries, divided into three groups (Africa, America, and Asia) took part in the preliminary stage to qualify for the knockout stage. Each age group at the knockout stage will have a separate 16-player tournament. Each match consists of two “15+10” games and the Armageddon, if necessary. The 160 participants represent 50 countries and there are as many as 89 titled players taking part, including 8 GMs, 2 WGMs, and 16 IMs USA (23 players), India (16), and Russia (15) have the highest number of representatives. The highest-rated participant Andrey Esipenko (Russia) Photo: Eteri Kublashvili FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich greeted the participants of the FIDE Online World Cadets & Youth Rapid Championships: “Dear friends, it is my pleasure on behalf of FIDE to welcome you at the final stage of the World Online Cadets and Youth Championships…. It is my honor to greet you today and wish you good luck at the final stage of the tournament and wish you good luck.” Don’t miss a chance to cheer for your favorites, tune in at 3 pm CET to follow all the action live on our YouTube channel together with GM Evgeny Miroshnichenko: https://www.youtube.com/fidechannel Official website: http://www.world2020.ge/ General Partner: PJSC Gazprom About Gazprom: Gazprom is a global energy company focused on geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and sales of gas, gas condensate and oil, sales of gas as a vehicle fuel, as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power. Gazprom is the global leader measured by the amount of reserves and volumes of gas production. Gazprom sells gas to Russian consumers and exports gas to over 30 countries within and beyond the former Soviet Union. Gazprom is the biggest gas supplier to Europe. Gazprom is among the top three oil and gas condensate producers in the Russian Federation, ranking number one in Russia in terms of electricity generation among thermal generation companies and in terms of thermal energy generation. More information: www.gazprom.comContact: pr@gazprom.ru
European Online Blitz Championship gets underway
Katowice, Poland (December 17, 2020) – European Online Blitz Chess Championship 2020 with a prize fund of €12,000, organized European Chess Union and Silesian Chess Federation, will be held on Tornelo.com, from 18-20 of December. The event’s host city is Katowice. In the era of pandemic lockdowns, the popularity of chess has exploded. The year 2020 showed that chess events can be easily transferred to the Internet. “Thanks to the new technologies, chess has this alternative that other sports cannot benefit from,” says Łukasz Turlej, Vice-President of the International Chess Federation. An amazing number of 134 Grandmasters and 100 International Masters will take part in the event. Most of them are from Poland (42), Russia (40), and Germany (30). “Although online chess is less respected in the world than traditional chess, its importance is growing,” says Jan-Krzysztof Duda, the top-ranked player of the tournament. The Mayor of Katowice, Mr. Marcin Krupa is proud that the city is hosting such an important chess event: “Chess is experiencing a renaissance. When it turned out that the traditional OTB tournament couldn’t be played, there was a feeling of regret, but we immediately rolled up our sleeves and thought about holding an online tournament.” Players will play under the arbiter’s observation in Zoom. “Fair play and honesty of this tournament are very important for us” – explains Mr. Turlej. The organization of the championship is supported by the city of Katowice, the Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Poland, and Mokate. About the Silesian Chess Federation: The Silesian Chess Federation was founded in 1924. The main mission is to develop and popularize the royal game and to coordinate the activities of chess clubs and sections, with particular emphasis on sports performance. For more information please contact office@katowice2020.eu Official website: https://www.katowice2020.eu/Social media : Facebook / Twitch #katowice2020
Women’s Grand Prix Gibraltar: Pairings announced
The full pairings for every round of the upcoming FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Gibraltar have been announced. The fourth and final leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix will take place in Caleta Hotel from January 17-29, 2021. January 24, 2021, is a rest day. As usual, twelve players will compete in a round-robin tournament. The drawing and round by round pairings have been made by FIDE’s Chief Operating Officer, Willy Iclicki and Ms. Sava Stoisavljevic, Assistant to the FIDE COO. The participants received the following starting numbers: 1. Gunay Mammadzada (AZE), 2. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (IRI), 3. Zhansaya Abdumalik (KAZ), 4. Mariya Muzychuk (UKR), 5. Nana Dzagnidze (GEO), 6. Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS), 7. Valentina Gunina (RUS), 8. Kateryna Lagno (RUS), 9. Anna Muzychuk (UKR), 10. Dinara Saduakassova (KAZ), 11. Elisabeth Paehtz (GER), 12. Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL). FULL PAIRINGS: Round 1 on 2021/01/18 IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466)IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467)IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500)GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535)GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546)IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) Round 2 on 2021/01/19 GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) Round 3 on 2021/01/20 IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) GM Valentina Gunina (2451) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) Round 4 on 2021/01/21 GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) Round 5 on 2021/01/22 IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) GM Valentina Gunina (2451) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) Round 6 on 2021/01/23 GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – GM Mariya Muzychuk (2544) Round 7 on 2021/01/25 GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) GM Valentina Gunina (2451) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) Round 8 on 2021/01/26 GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) Round 9 on 2021/01/27 GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 GM Valentina Gunina (2451) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) Round 10 on 2021/01/28 GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) – IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443) – IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) – GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 – GM Valentina Gunina (2451) GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) – IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) Round 11 on 2021/01/29 IM Alina Kashlinskaya (2494) – GM Antoaneta Stefanova (2466) GM Valentina Gunina (2451) – GM Nana Dzagnidze (2524) GM Kateryna Lagno (2546) – GM Mariya Muzychuk 2544 GM Anna Muzychuk (2535) – IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) IM Dinara Saduakassova (2500) – IM Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (2494) IM Elisabeth Paehtz (2467) – IM Gunay Mammadzada (2443)
Russian champions honored in Central Chess Club
Ian Nepomniachtchi and Aleksandra Goryachkina became the 2020 Russian Champions. The results of the year were recapped in the Central Chess Club. Moscow, 17 December 2020 – A festive event, which included the awarding ceremony to the new Russian champions and the winners of the FIDE Online Olympiad, and took place in the M. Botvinnik Central Chess Club on 16 December 2020. President of the International Chess Federation Arkady Dvorkovich and the Deputy Minister of Sport of Russia Andrey Selsky congratulated the members of the Russian national team, which had won the first-ever FIDE Online Olympiad held in the summer of 2020, and awarded them with gold medals from FIDE. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich: “My congratulations to everyone on the victory of the Russian national team at the first-ever FIDE Online Olympiad. We are very proud of you! I thank you on behalf of all your fans and wish you new successes! I hope that we will see new victories of the Russian chess players in the coming year!” Andrey Filatov, President of the Chess Federation of Russia and Head coach of the Russian national chess team: “2020 has been a difficult ordeal for everyone. Chess has shown itself to be a very flexible sport adaptable to the realities of today. According to the existing data, the popularity of chess has increased this year. Online tournaments, master classes, and even simultaneous exhibitions proliferated during the lockdown. In addition, the Chess Federation of Russia managed to organize and host the most important tournaments on our calendar: the Superfinals, the Russian Championships Higher League, and the Russian Team Championships. At the first-ever FIDE Online Olympiad, the Russian team won gold medals, setting a record of sorts: our team now concurrently holds the titles of the winner of the Olympiad and the World and European champions. I congratulate our players and fans on this outstanding achievement, I wish you all success, victories, and, most importantly, health in the coming year!” The Russian national team included Alexander Grischuk, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Daniil Dubov, Vladislav Artemiev, Andrey Esipenko, Alexey Sarana, Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina, Polina Shuvalova, and Margarita Potapova. The team captain is Alexander Motylev; the Head coach of the Russian national chess team is Andrey Filatov. At the Russian Championships Superfinals, the plot was thickening up to the final day. Ian Nepomniachtchi, the rating favorite of the open event, became the 2020 Russian champion, having repeated his success of the year 2010. Sergey Karjakin finished second, while Vladimir Fedoseev is third. Ian Nepomniachtchi: “It is a challenging competition, in no small part due to the long pause from live chess. In general, I am not concerned about my final standings as there are other priorities, such as not to catch a virus, to get some over-the-board practice, and not to drop the rating. However, my team — coaches Vladimir Potkin and Ildar Khairullin — have done a great job predicting the upcoming openings and winning some games as early as the opening, including the most crucial matchup with Sergey Karjakin, where we managed to uncork a novelty idea.” Final Standings: 1. Ian Nepomniachtchi – 7½/112. Sergey Karjakin – 73. Vladimir Fedoseev – 6½4. Daniil Dubov – 6½5. Vladislav Artemiev – 66. Maksim Chigaev – 67. Nitita Vitiugov – 5½8. Peter Svidler – 5½ 9. Andrey Esipenko – 510. Maxim Matlakov – 511. Aleksey Goganov – 3½12. Mikhail Antipov – 2 (withdrew after playing only 6 games) The women’s tournament traditionally ended on tiebreak, in which Aleksandra Goryachkina and Polina Shuvalova were fighting a life and death battle. Curiously, they both were born in the small town of Orsk. Both rapid games were drawn, but Goryachkina won the “Armageddon” with white pieces and became the three-time Russian women’s champion (she previously won this event in 2105 and 2017). Alexandra Kosteniuk won bronze. Final standings: 1. Aleksandra Goryachkina – 8/112. Polina Shuvalova – 83. Alexandra Kosteniuk – 6½4. Marina Guseva – 6½5. Alina Kashlinskaya – 6½ 6. Leya Garifullina – 6½7. Alisa Galliamova – 68. Natalija Pogonina – 69. Olga Girya – 410. Valentina Gunina – 3½11. Yulia Grigorieva – 2½12. Tatyana Getman – 2 Aleksandra Goryachkina: “I am happy about my tournament performance. Of course, if I had won game two of the tie-break, it would have been much better, but what happened was a nerve-racking victory instead. There is much for me to work on.” The total prize fund of the Superfinals is 10 million rubles (approximately $136,000). The medallists were given tickets to the legendary CHESS musical. The tournament was a part of the Chess in Museums programme, which has been carried out by the Chess Federation of Russia and the Elena and Gennady Foundation since 2012. The organizers are the Chess Federation of Russia and the Timchenko Foundation. The tournament was supported by the Russian Ministry of Sports. The general sponsor of the Russian national teams is the Federal Grid Company Unified Energy System (FGC UES). The CFR general partner is PhosAgro. Media contacts: Eteri KublashviliPress OfficerChess Federation of RussiaTel: +7 905 791 76 51E-mail: ekublashvili@gmail.com Chess Federation of Russia (CFR) (from 1992 till 2019 known as the Russian Chess Federation) is an All-Russian non-governmental organization uniting regional chess federations as well as being a member of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The Federation was founded in 1992 as a successor to the USSR Chess Federation. The CFR charter recognizes the Federation congress as the supreme governing body to be convened at least once every four years. Besides, the collegiate governing body is the Federation’s Supervisory Board, which consists of five vice presidents and 26 representatives of regional federations. Since 2014, the sole executive authority has been vested with the President of the Chess Federation of Russia. Andrey Filatov is the CFR’s current President. The CFR is a direct organizer of many national and international tournaments, including the Russian Championship Higher League, Russian Team Championship, and the international tournament Belaya Ladya. The CFR also hosts the Russian Rapid and Blitz Championships, the Russian Cup, the Grand Prix Rapid, and the Children’s Russian Cup. The official website of the Russian Chess Federation: https://ruchess.ru/en/ Photo: Vladimir Barsky and Eteri Kublashvili
Decisions of the FIDE Online General Assembly 2020
December 06, 2020 OGA-2020/1 To approve the President’s report OGA-2020/2 To approve the Treasurer’s report. OGA-2020/3 To note the Verification Commission’s report for the year 2019.OGA-2020/4 To discharge the Treasurer from her responsibilities for the financial year 2019. OGA-2020/5 To approve the 2021 Budget. OGA-2020/6 To appoint Ernst & Young as FIDE External Auditor for the financial year 2020. OGA-2020/7 To approve the new FIDE Financial regulations.OGA-2020/8 To admit the Isle of Man Chess Association as an Affiliated FIDE Organisation.OGA-2020/9 To adopt a motion regarding the Chess Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran proposed by the FIDE President.OGA-2020/10 To approve an amendment to the Laws of Chess regarding Online chess.OGA-2020/11 To approve the General Assembly Internal Rules. OGA-2020/12 To approve the Zonal Council Rules. OGA-2020/13 To award the right to organise the 2024 Chess Olympiad and 95th FIDE Congress to Budapest, Hungary.OGA-2020/14 To approve the Resolution regarding FIDE online activities. OGA-2020/15 To note the Continental reports. OGA-2020/16 To award the title of the FIDE Honorary Member to Mr. Boris Spassky, the tenth World Champion.OGA-2020/17 To award the title of the FIDE Life Member to Mr. Brian Callaghan, the Founder of the Gibraltar International Chess Festival. OGA-2020/18 To approve the proposal of the Jamaica Chess Federation to adopt the Olympic Creed and the Values of Olympism. The following were not approved as they failed to obtain the 2/3 majority required as per the FIDE Charter: 1. The addition to the GA Agenda regarding the Red Sea and Aden Gulf Chess Association. 2. The first resolution proposed by the English Chess Federation (FIDE Charter Amendment Article 9.4) 3. The second resolution proposed by the English Chess Federation (FIDE Charter Amendment Article 17.6).
Brazilian Post issues official chess stamp
The Brazilian Post (Correios Brasil) launched an official chess stamp with the Brazilian Chess Confederation (CBX) and its president GM Darcy Lima serving as a technical adviser of the project. The issue of postal chess stamps by Correios Brasil intends to promote the game through philately. Notably, before the advent of digitalization, correspondence chess (with opponents sending moves to one another by letters) was quite popular. It is believed that chess was brought to Brazil by Pero Vaz de Caminha, as described in several books. With the arrival of D. João VI and his court in Brazil in 1808, the game rapidly chess spread throughout the country. This Monarch brought to Brazil many chess books, including very rare copies (some as old as 1497) that are still available in the National Library Archive in Rio de Janeiro. Several Brazilian historical figures regularly played chess. The prime example is a famous Brazilian writer Machado de Assis, who became the Secretary of the Carioca Club of Chess, composed chess problems, and included passages on chess into some of his works. Machado de Assis was also present at the first chess tournament in Brazil back in 1880. The Brazilian Chess Confederation (CBX), the main chess entity in Brazil, was founded on November 11, 1924, and joined the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1935. CBX manages and organizes events, and promotes the game of chess in Brazil, uniting tens of thousands of official players and hundreds of thousands of supporters. CBX organized its first official Brazilian Championship in 1927 at Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama, won by Dr. João de Souza Mendes Júnior, from Rio de Janeiro. In 2012, Brazilian chess won the Spirit of Sports Award from Sportaccord as the best social sports project in the world. The winning project “Chess that liberates” created by Prof. Charles Moura Netto and Grandmaster Darcy Lima uses chess as a tool to re-socialize prisoners.