WSCC 2020: Schedule and Results
Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix final standings: Alexandra Kosteniuk wins the final leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Grand Prix and qualifies for the Super Final match against Anna Ushenina. Kosteniuk dictated the proceedings in the final match against Humpy Koneru. She took the lead in the 5+1 minute games, however, Koneru bounced back in 3+1. The former world champion won the final game of this portion to enter the bullet stage with a minimal lead 4.5-3.5. Alexandra won two bullet games, sealed the victory (7-5) and claimed 12 GP points. In the match for third place, Hou Yifan defeated Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 7,5-3,5. WSCC Grand Prix Leg 4 – Round of 16 The current leader Anna Ushenina (22 GP points) and the runner-up Kateryna Lagno (20) sit out the fourth event, meaning that two spots in the Super Final are still up for grabs – at least four other participants have chances to qualify. Even Ushenina is not guaranteed a slot in the Super Final yet. Since the winner of the tournament gets 12 GP points and the runner-up – 8, Kosteniuk, Hou Yifan, and Khademalsharieh seek to win the final leg. For Gunina, winning her first match and claiming 2 GP points may be enough, while advancing to the semis will secure her a place in the Super Final. WSCC Grand Prix – Standings after Leg 3 Kateryna Lagno became the winner of the third leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix. In the final match against Hou Yifan, she took an early lead crushing her opponent 3-0 in 5+1 blitz. In 3+1, players exchanged blows and entered the bullet portion with 5-2 in favor of Lagno. The match seemed done and dusted but apparently, it was too early to jump to conclusions as Hou Yifan staged an incredible comeback winning three 1+1 games in a row and leveling the score! The tiebreak of two bullet games followed, with the first ending in a draw. The dramatic culmination of the match came in the second game when Hou Yifan, an exchange up, made a fatal mouse slip that cost her a rook, a game, and a match! Hou Yifan reacted with dignity, smiling at her mistake and resigning right away. In the match for third place, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh 7-4. Kateryna Lagno got 12 GP points for her first place, finishing the GP campaign with 20 points on a shared (with Valentina Gunina) second place right behind the leader Ushenina (22 points). WSCC Grand Prix Leg 3 – Round of 16 Standings after WSCC Grand Prix Leg 2 Valentina Gunina emerged as the winner of the second leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix and picked up 12 GP points. In the final match, she took revenge on Anna Ushenina, to whom she had lost the previous Leg 1 final match. Ushenina earned 8 points for her runner-up finish and tied for the overall lead in the series with Gunina. Going into the bullet portion of the final match against Ushenina, Gunina who was playing at a higher tempo, had the lead 4.5-3.5. Most likely the Russian GM was quite optimistic about her chances as she is known for her prowess in the fastest time controls. The Ukrainian GM was close to bouncing back in the first bullet game as was up an exchange but missed a perpetual check. In the next game, Anna went from bad to worse as she blundered a queen. Valentina extended the lead to 6-4 with just 4 minutes to go. A smashing attack by Gunina in the next game pretty much decided the match in her favor as there was no comeback from 4-7. However, Ushenina scored a consolation goal in the last game to finish it on 5-7. In the match for third place, Kateryna Lagno did not give any chance to Sarasadat Khademalsharieh and collected 6 GP points. For her efforts, Sarasadat received 5 GP points. WSCC Grand Prix Leg 2 Pairings (Round of 16) Standings after WSCC Grand Prix Leg 1 Grand Prix, First Leg GM Anna Ushenina wins the first Grand Prix of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship. In the final, she defeated Valentina Gunina 7-4. For her efforts, Ushenina gets 12 GP points & 3,000 USD. “It’s a really interesting tournament and a very hard one because everyone is very strong. I enjoyed being part of it,” said Anna Ushenina in a post-match interview. The runner up Gunina gets 8 GP points and 2,000 USD. Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Vaishali R 7-4 in the match for third place and claims the bronze medal, 6 GP points, and 1,000 USD. Three more legs are to be played in the Speed Chess GP, the next one starts on July 1. Leaderboard after the first of Grand Prix tournaments: GM Anna Ushenina UKR 12 GP points GM Valentina Gunina RUS 8 GP points GM Alexandra Kosteniuk RUS 6 GP points WIM Vaishali Rameshbabu IND 5 GP points GM Katerina Lagno RUS 2 GP points GM Ju Wenjun CHN 2 GP points WIM Munkhzul Turmunkh MGL 2 GP points WGM Le Thao Nguyen Pham VIE 2 GP points Anna Ushenina (Ukraine) and Valentina Gunina (Russia) became the finalists of the first Grand Prix leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship by FIDE and Chess.com Ushenina beat young Indian WGM Vaishali Rameshbabu 5.5-4.5 in a very close match coming from behind and taking an upper hand in the bullet portion. In the second all-Rusian semifinal, Gunina eliminated her compatriot GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 9-3. Valentina was on fire today despite being very tired from playing every day during the last week, as she confessed in a post-match interview. Unlike Kosteniuk, who was a seeded player, Valentina had to qualify for the Grand Prix and she did it only at the fifth attempt. The Russian GM will have a chance to recharge her batteries as there is a free day tomorrow before the final on Sunday. You can watch it live on our youtube.com/fidechannel and support your favorite player. Valentina Gunina and Alexandra
Eduardo Iturrizaga clinches Iberoamericano Online title
Iberoamericano Online, a blitz tournament (3 min + 2 seconds increment) on a popular platform chess24.com brought together 64 strongest GMs from Central and South American countries and Spain battling in knockout format. The first round matches consisted of 6 games, the second round – 8 games, third round – 10 games, whereas quarterfinals, semifinals and final were played as best of 12 games. Francisco Vallejo (2710), David Anton (2703), Jorge Cori (2652), Alexei Shirov (2647) and Lazaro Bruzon (2644) topped the list of rating favorites but classical rating and success in blitz are not necessarily strongly correlated – only Jorge Cori (Peru) managed to reach quarterfinals. However, at this stage, the Peruvian succumbed to the future winner of the event Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela) in a very close match in which two extra games were played (6.5 – 7.5). It was the toughest test on Iturrizaga’s path to glory – after winning this critical quarterfinal battle, the fist Venezuelan GM confidently beat Ivan Salgado (Spain) in the semifinal and then in the final prevailed over Luis Paulo Supi (Brazil). Iturrizaga took a very good start in the final, winning three games in a row after a draw in the first encounter. His Brazilian opponent did not pack it in and closed the gap to only one point, but it was his last success in the final. Iturrizaga kicked into high gear and sealed the title with one game to spare. Semifinals Final Photo: David Llada Official site
Katerina Lagno wins Leg 3 of WSCC Grand Prix
Kateryna Lagno became the winner of the third leg of the Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix. In the final match against Hou Yifan, she took an early lead crushing her opponent 3-0 in 5+1 blitz. In 3+1, players exchanged blows and entered the bullet portion with 5-2 in favor of Lagno. The match seemed done and dusted but apparently, it was too early to jump to conclusions as Hou Yifan staged an incredible comeback winning three 1+1 games in a row and leveling the score! “I did not play well in the last games, everything went wrong. I don’t feel this 1+1 time control and I had a bad Internet connection, so everything was not in my favor,” commented Kateryna Lagno after the match. The tiebreak of two bullet games followed, with the first ending in a draw. The dramatic culmination of the match came in the second game when Hou Yifan, an exchange up, made a fatal mouse slip that cost her a rook, a game, and a match! Hou Yifan reacted with dignity, smiling at her mistake and resigning right away. Kateryna Lagno admitted that luck was on her side: “I am happy because I already thought that I’d lose the match… It all ended with a mouse slip and it’s big luck of course.” Now she gets 12 GP points under her belt, finishing the GP campaign with 20 points on a shared (with Gunina) second place right behind the leader Ushenina (22 points). In the match for third place, Alexandra Kosteniuk defeated Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh 7-4.
International Chess Day to be celebrated on July 20
“Dear chess friend, Very soon, on July 20th, we will celebrate International Chess Day. As you probably know, this also marks FIDE’s 96th anniversary. This is a day to celebrate chess, and from the International Chess Federation, we would like to reinforce this tradition. Last year many of you joined us in this celebration, and thanks to that we achieved resounding success: many people and institutions from “outside” the chess world echoed our campaign, and we managed to attract more people to our sport. This year we will also count on the invaluable support of the United Nations and UNESCO. We would like to invite you to take part in this celebration again. Our plan for the International Chess Day 2020 is simple but ambitious: we want to make an appeal to the members of our chess community and ask you to teach someone how to play chess to mark this day. You will find detailed instructions below. I would kindly ask you to distribute this information among your friends, members of your chess club or federation, associates and sponsors, and representatives of the media in your respective countries. Arkady DvorkovichFIDE President” WHO? Preferably a kid (it would be easier, and more rewarding for you both!), but it can also be a grown-up. Learning chess has beneficial effects, at any age! Choose someone close to you. You can change somebody’s life by teaching him/her a beautiful game, but you will also be spending some quality time and creating or reinforcing a special bond with that person. If your children already play, maybe you can invite your nephew or your son’s best friend. Maybe you can finally teach your boyfriend how to play, or your high-school best mate. Or you could propose this as an after-work activity with your colleagues at the office. WHEN? July 20th falls on a Monday, so the plan is that we devote to this action the weekend, from Friday to Sunday (July 17-19). Then, on Monday, we share our experience on social media. Can we start the week with one million new chess players? We believe so. HOW? Some of you might be seasoned chess teachers, but many others have never taught the basics chess to absolute beginners. During the days leading to the weekend, try to gather some materials, watch some tutorials, and do some reading. From FIDE, we will stimulate the exchange of information and will share the most interesting ones, in different languages. Let’s help each other with the preparations. SOCIAL MEDIA Last year, on the International Chess Day, 3,842 tweets from 2,342 different contributors used the hashtag #Internationalchessday. That means we reached an audience of more than 18 million people and 47 million potential impacts – and that’s on Twitter alone! The campaign was also massively followed across other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and International Chess Day became a trending topic in several countries. The trend was so strong that many global brands, institutions, and celebrities, joined the initiative. Let’s try to reach even higher numbers this year! You can start using the hashtag #Internationalchessday in your social media posts during the weekend leading to July 20th. But the very important day is Monday: please make sure to make at least one or two posts with the official hashtag, if possible early in the morning. That will ensure that other users will follow. If you have any doubts or suggestions, or you think you can contribute to this campaign in some other way, please don’t hesitate to contact us: David Lladadavid.llada@fide.com+ 34 623 021 120
WSCC GP Leg 3 final: Katerina Lagno to clash with Hou Yifan
Women’s Speed Chess Leg 3 final is set: Hou Yifan takes on Kateryna Lagno. The semi between Hou Yifan and Iranian star Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh was a one-sided battle. The world’s #1 female player who was inactive for a couple of years for her Oxford studies is getting back in shape with every game played has left no chance for her opponent, winning 9-2. The match between two good friends and the Russian national team colleagues, Kateryna Lagno and Alexandra Kosteniuk, was much more intense. It was tied at 4.5-4.5 with just 3 minutes to play. In the next bullet game, the opponents were seemingly steering towards a draw when Lagno suddenly found winning chances in the opposite-colored bishops endgame. Kosteniuk resigned right in time with two seconds left on the countdown meaning that she had another comeback attempt. Nevertheless, Lagno was the one to dictate the proceedings as she won it without much of a fight clinching the match 6.5-4.5. In the broadcast interview, Lagno paid respects to her opponent in the final Hou Yifan: “I missed her, I missed her so much! I think she is really one of the strongest players so it was a pity she stopped playing, she is very talented. I understand it will be a hard match but I am very happy to see her playing chess again.” The final will take place on Sunday, July 12 after a free day. Tune in at 13:30 CEST (an hour earlier than usual).
FIDE on PB decision of June 2013 relating to direct titles achieved before 1st July 2005
At the June 2020 meeting of FIDE Council, consideration was given to the PB decision of June 2013 relating to direct titles achieved before 1st July 2005 but not claimed. It was decided that sufficient historical information is available for titles (FM/WFM/CM/WCM) achieved through a published rating or from an Olympiad result prior to 1st July 2005 to be considered. If a player believes that he or she is entitled to a direct title based on the results of these competitions, he can submit an application to the Qualification Commission without attaching documents to confirm his application, limiting himself to a reference to the results of the relevant Olympiad. This change does not affect unregistered title norms earned before 1st July 2005, which remain ineligible for title applications. The decision was made on the advice of the Qualification Commission.
WSCC Leg 3: Khademalsharieh knocks out Ju Wenjun
The Women’s Speed Chess Championship Grand Prix continues on chess.com – Leg 03 quarterfinals were played today. The matches of the first playing session were lopsided affairs: European Blitz Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk somewhat surprisingly clobbered Humpy Koneru 9-2, whereas #1 in women rating Hou Yifan convincingly outplayed Harika Dronavalli 7-3. On the contrary, both matches of the second session came down to the wire. The match between Kateryna Lagno and Anna Ushenina had it all – a disconnection, missed chances, and even a dramatic threefold repetition in a queen vs. rook ending in the ultimate bullet game. The outcome of this duel was decided in Armageddon won by Lagno who goes further to the semis. The match Ju Wenjun – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh brought the major upset of the quarterfinals. The Chinese pulled ahead after the slowest portion of the match but Sarasadat showed her prowess in faster time controls, stormed back, and eliminated the Women’s World Champion. The semifinal matches will start on July 10 one hour earlier than usual, at 13:30 CEST.
WSCC Leg 3: Favorites advance to quarterfinals
FIDE Chess.com Women’s Speed Chess Championship continues as Leg 3 that started today with the Round of 16. Seven matches ended in a confident win by one of the sides. The only exception was the match between Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh (Iran) and Irina Krush (USA) which went all the way to Armageddon. Sarasadat had a three-point lead in blitz 5-2, but in bullet, Irina made a huge comeback and it seemed that the momentum shifted her way as the match was tied at 6-6. The Iranian player chose Black in the ultimate game, pulled herself together, and won it to claim a spot in the quarterfinals. “In the previous leg, Irina was also my opponent and I won the match in the bullet games, so I think I kind of underestimated her. I stopped paying attention and was blundering everything. She played much better in bullet,” said Khadamalsharieh in a post-match interview. Photo: Lennart Ootes “In my previous Armageddon against Ushenina I was White and felt a lot of pressure pressing to win, so I thought it is easier to play with Black,” she added. Full Round of 16 results: Kateryna Lagno 7.5-3.5 Bibisara Assaubayeva Humpy Koneru 7-3 Vaishali R Hou Yifan 11-3 Munkzhul Turmunkh Ju Wenjun 7.5-2.5 Gunay Mammadzada Anna Ushenina 9-4 Deysi Cori Alexandra Kosteniuk 7.5-3.5 Olga Girya Harika Dronavalli 11.5-2,5 Tatev Abrahamyan Sarasadat Khadamalsharieh 7-6 Irina Krush
“Game Changer” wins the Averbakh-Boleslavsky Award 2019
The acclaimed book “Game Changer”, by Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan, is the winner of the Averbakh-Boleslavsky Award to the best book of 2019. We give the word to Artur Jussupow, who sent us these comments on behalf of the jury: “First of all, we would like to say that it was a great pleasure to read all the three books of the finalists. Each one was different, and we are sure that all these books will find their happy readers. After a final vote, we had a clear winner: “Game Changer” by Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan (New in Chess), which received two first and one second places in the votation. Some words about the other shortlisted titles: An excellent quality work by Sam Shankland “Small steps 2 Success” (Quality Chess) gives many tips for the readers who want to deal with the topics of passed pawns A lot of new material and an exciting author. The surprising book by Davorin Kuljasevic “Beyond Material” (New in Chess) unites classical chess literature with fresh ideas and analysis. “Game Changer” is a unique project that combines human achievements with remarkable development in AI and opens a new approach to our beloved game. We could not choose a more deserving winner for the best book award of 2019.” It took AlphaZero only a few hours of self-learning to become the chess player that shocked the world. The artificial intelligence system, created by DeepMind, had been fed nothing but the rules of the Royal Game when it beat the world’s strongest chess engine in a prolonged match. The selection of ten games published in December 2017 created a worldwide sensation: how was it possible to play in such a brilliant and risky style and not lose a single game against an opponent of superhuman strength? For Game Changer, Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan investigated more than two thousand previously unpublished games by AlphaZero. They also had unparalleled access to its team of developers and were offered a unique look ‘under the bonnet’ to grasp the depth and breadth of AlphaZero’s search. Sadler and Regan reveal its thinking process and tell the story of human motivation and the techniques that created AlphaZero. Game Changer also presents a collection of lucidly explained chess games of astonishing quality. Both professionals and club players will improve their game by studying AlphaZero’s stunning discoveries in every field that matters: opening preparation, piece mobility, initiative, attacking techniques, long-term sacrifices and much more. The story of AlphaZero has a wider impact. Game Changer offers intriguing insights into the opportunities and horizons of Artificial Intelligence. Not just in solving games, but in providing solutions for a wide variety of challenges in society. With a foreword by former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov and an introduction by DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis.
Medical security policy and protocol for upcoming over-the-board events
FIDE continues to closely monitor the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which was first reported in Hubei, China on December 31, 2019. In view of the danger posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE, through its Medical Commission, has developed a medical security policy and protocol which is aimed at minimizing chances of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus in the future over-the-board chess events during 2020 and beyond. Going forward, FIDE will continue to monitor the Covid-19 pandemic and respond accordingly. The following measures shall be put in place at upcoming over-the-board chess events, to prevent the possible spread of the Novel Coronavirus and protect the participants against infection: OBLIGATION Organizers, players, arbiters, and other officials should comply with their respective national legislation on COVID-19 crisis management of the country in which the chess event takes place. RECOMMENDATIONS In view of the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in several parts of the world, it is recommended to restart chess activities at Regional Level with small scale events with limited participants. This shall make it easier to manage the risk of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus and allow for larger events to be held in the future as the risk of transmission continues to go down with the diminishing pandemic. Playing halls shall not be overcrowded and there shall be sufficient physical separation (social distancing) between people (at least 1 meter). Tables shall also be at least 1 meter apart. This shall minimize the chances of possible transmission of the COVID-19 virus between participants. There shall be No (preferably) or very few spectators allowed in the playing halls. Players shall leave the playing hall by the end of their game. This is meant to minimize the risk of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus by minimizing the number of people in close proximity with each other in the playing venue. All Chess sets (boards, pieces, and clocks), tables, and chairs shall be cleaned (with clean water and soap or sanitizer or disinfectant) beforehand and after each round. Studies have shown that the Novel Coronavirus can survive on surfaces for many hours. Cleaning the chess sets, tables and chairs shall minimize the possible transmission of the Novel Coronavirus There shall be easy access to facilities for participants to wash hands with clean running water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Upon entering and exiting the playing hall and during the breaks, participants must wash or disinfect their hands. Participants shall frequently wash their hands with clean running water and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers in order to reduce the chances of infection with the Novel Coronavirus. All players, arbiters and officials shall wear masks. Participants must use masks to avoid the possible spread of the Novel Coronavirus. It should be noted that masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly. Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask. Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask). The playing halls shall have a proper and well-functioning ventilation and air circulation with fresh air intake. It is not recommended any tournaments in rooms without proper ventilation. Outdoor chess activities are recommended. This measure will ensure that the air in the playing halls is fresh and that the playing halls have rapidly circulating air at all times to minimize the risk of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus. During coffee/lunch breaks and communal meals, special measures shall be put in place to minimize overcrowding and to avoid too much close personal contact between participants. This shall also minimize the likelihood of the spread of the Novel Coronavirus. In the toilet facilities, adequate cleaning and disinfection of the premises and constant ventilation must be ensured. Participants should move in such a way that a distance of at least 1 meter is observed at all times. It is recommended that players sign a declaration about the absence of respiratory signs. In the declaration, the player should also declare that he/she is aware of the possible risk of transmission of the novel coronavirus during the chess event but they are willing to participate nonetheless. In addition to the above measures, events participants (players/officials/press/spectators) are encouraged to practice the following personal protection behaviors in order to protect themselves and others from infection with the Novel Coronavirus. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Wash your hands frequently Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub eliminates the virus if it is on your hands. Practice respiratory hygiene When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. Why? Covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevent the spread of germs and viruses. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, you may contaminate objects or people that you touch. Maintain social (physical) distancing Maintain at least 1metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing, and have a fever. Why? When someone who is infected with a respiratory disease like 2019-nCoV, coughs, or sneezes they project small droplets containing the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the virus. Avoid handshakes, hugs, kisses on the cheek and other close personal contacts with fellow players/officials and other persons present Why? Covid-19 is spread via coming into contact with infected droplets and the above actions can