90th FIDE Congress: Final list of those entitled to vote in Ethics Commission Elections
FIDE publishes the final list of those entitled to vote in ETHICS COMMISSION Elections. FINAL LIST OF THOSE ENTITLED TO VOTE IN ETHICS COMMISSION ELECTIONS (pdf)
Introducing Candidates: Anish Giri
(Photo: Alina l’Ami) Anish Giri (Netherlands)Born July 28, 1994Rating 2763Qualified for the second Candidates Tournament in his career as the player with the highest rating over 12 rating periods Anish Kumar Giri was born in Saint Petersburg to a Russian mother, Olga, and a father of Nepalese descent, Sanjay. The chess career of little Anish started in the local Children’s and Youth Sports School #2 (DYUSH-2) where he was trained by Assia Kovaleva and Andrei Praslov. Although he didn’t win many titles in children’s tournaments, his rating rose fast, bespeaking the great potential of the young player. In 2002, when Anish was still a kid, his family made a radical change and moved to Japan. Just six years later, they picked up again, this time to the Netherlands. Here, in the country of tulips and windmills, his chess career really took off – at the age of 14 years and 7 months, Giri became the youngest grandmaster at that time. In 2009, he won the Dutch Championship and a year later got a unique experience as a member of Vishy Anand’s team during the World Championship match. Shortly afterward, with the help of his coach Vladimir Chuchelov, Anish embarked on his own quest for the chess crown. His ascent to the chess elite started in 2010. Within one year he improved his rating by 100 points and came very close to the 2700 mark. At his debut appearance in Tata Steel 2011, Anish knocked out the leader of the rating-list, Magnus Carlsen, in just 22 moves with Black and proved that he can measure swords with the best of the best. In 2012, Giri won the Reggio Emila tournament; in 2014 he tied for second in Tata Steel. By the end of the year, he broke into the top-10 and has been maintaining his elite status ever since. Probably his most notable tournament result came in Tata Steel, 2018, in which he shared first place with Carlsen but lost to the World Champion on the tiebreak. Giri’s solid, ‘bullet-proof’ positional style (his 14 draws in 14 games in the 2016 Candidates Tournament became proverbial) makes him an invaluable team player. Indeed, throughout his career, Anish has played for numerous teams and has won the Euro Team twice with SOCAR and Siberia. Anish is fluent in Russian, Dutch, and English and can speak Japanese and Nepali. He enjoys a great deal of support from his wife, WGM Sopiko Guramishvili. Giri made his Candidates debut in Moscow, 2016, for which he qualified as the player with the highest rating over 12 rating periods. The Dutch GM scored 50% by drawing all his games. Now, four years later, Anish has a second chance, once again having punched his ticket to the prestigious event thanks to high rating. Giri – Bartel (EU-Cup 2013, Rhodes) 19. Bxf7!! Ne5 (19… Kxf7 20. Ng5+ Kf8 21. Qe6 +-) 20. Rxe5! Bxe5 21. Bb3 Re8 (21… Bxa1 22. Qc5+! Ke8 23. Qxc6+ Ke7 24. Qb7+! Nd7 25. Qe4+ Kd6 26. Bf4+ Kc5 27. Qd5+ and it’s mate in four) 22. Be3 b4 23. Bf4 1-0
Zhansaya Abdumalik will replace Zhao Xue at WGP in Lausanne
Due to the recent developments in the coronavirus crisis and the increasing travel restrictions affecting Chinese citizens, Zhao Xue won’t be able to play in the Women’s Grand Prix tournament in Lausanne. Zhao Xue, 8th seed in the tournament with a 2486 rating, will be replaced by another Asian representative: the Kazakhstani Zhansaya Abdumalik (2471). A former prodigy, Zhao dominated her generation: she won the Gold medal in the girls’ U12 World Championship in 1997, the Girls’ U14 World Championship, and then she went on to win the World Junior Girls Championship in Goa 2002, surpassing the local star, Humpy Koneru. She was the 24th Chinese person to achieve the GM title, in 2008. We are very sorry that a player of this caliber will be forced to miss this tournament due to such unfortunate circumstances. We believe Zhansaya is a worthy replacement, and we are hopeful that we will be able to have Zhao Xue playing in one of our top events very soon. The travel restrictions won’t affect the World Champion Ju Wenjun, who left China several weeks ago, before the crisis worsened.
Medical Security Policy and Protocol for the 90th FIDE Congress
FIDE continues to closely monitor the corona virus disease (COVID-19) outbreak which was first reported in Hubei, China on 31st December, 2019. As of 20th February, 2020, there have been 75 748 confirmed cases globally with 2129 deaths. Outside China, 1073 cases have been reported by 26 countries with only 8 deaths. The epicenter of the outbreak remains the Hubei province, China with a relatively lower but increasing transmission risk elsewhere around the world. In view of the danger posed by the COVID-19 virus epidemic, FIDE, through its Medical Commission, has developed a medical security policy and protocol which is aimed at minimizing chances of transmission of the COVID-19 virus at the upcoming 90th FIDE Congress and General Extraordinary Assembly in Abu Dhabi from 26th February to 1st of March, 2020. The protocol was reviewed and approved by the FIDE Management Board. This protocol shall be shared with all congress attendees as well as with all FIDE affiliated national federations and the congress hosts (UAE). The protocol shall also be published on the FIDE e-magazine. The following measures shall be put in place at the 90th FIDE congress, to prevent the possible spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect the participants against infection: 1. There shall be screening stations for all congress attendees, manned by nurses.• At these stations, attendees shall be screened for symptoms of Covid-19 disease, including having a body temperature check as well as a recent travel history to determine the risk of Covid-19 infection (attendees are therefore advised to carry their passports at all times) 2. Bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer shall be distributed to all congress attendees.• Attendees are encouraged to use these hand sanitizers frequently to clean their hands in order to reduce the chances of infection with the COVID-19 virus. 3. N95 masks shall be distributed to all conference attendees. All the participants are requested to bring their own masks since they are out of stock in UAE.• Conference attendees who are coughing or sneezing are especially encouraged to use these masks to avoid possible spread of the COVID-19 virus. • 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 the mask). 4. The congress meeting rooms shall have a proper and well-functioning ventilation and air circulation with fresh air intake.• This measure will ensure that the air in the meeting rooms is fresh and that the meeting rooms have rapidly circulating air at all times to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 virus. 5. Meeting rooms shall not be overcrowded and there shall be sufficient physical separation between people.• This shall minimize the chances of possible transmission of COVID-19 virus between meeting attendees. 6. During coffee breaks and communal meals, special measures will be put in place to minimize overcrowding and to avoid too much close personal contact between attendees.• This shall also minimize the likelihood of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In addition to the above measures, congress attendees are encouraged to practice the following personal protection behaviors in order to protect themselves and others from infection with the coronavirus (COVID-19) HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) 1. Wash your hands frequentlyWash 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. 2. Practice respiratory hygieneWhen 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. 3. Maintain social distancingMaintain at least 1 meter (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. 4. Avoid handshakes, hugs, kisses on the cheek and other close personal contacts with fellow conference attendees and other persons presentWhy? COVID-19 is spread via coming into contact with infected droplets and the above actions can expose you to infection with COVID-19 if your close contact is infected. 5. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouthWhy? Hands touch many surfaces that can be contaminated with the virus. If you touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself. 6. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care earlyTell your health care provider if you have traveled in an area in China where 2019-nCoV has been reported, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has traveled from China and has respiratory symptoms.Why? Whenever you have fever, cough, and difficulty breathing it’s important to seek medical attention promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition. Respiratory symptoms with fever can have a range of causes, and depending on your personal travel history and circumstances, 2019-nCoV could be one of them.
The Olympic Capital welcomes FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
The third leg of the Women’s Grand Prix starts on March 1 in Lausanne. This tournament ranks as one of the most prestigious chess events ever held in the Olympic Capital, alongside the final match of the FIDE KO World Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viswanathan Anand at the start of 1998, and the Young Masters Tournaments held between 1999 and 2006. Barely a year after moving its headquarters back to Lausanne, FIDE is staging a major event in this beautiful city on the shores of the Geneva Lake. The third and penultimate leg of the Women’s Grand Prix 2019-20 could already prove decisive in the fight for one of the two qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament. Since each of the sixteen WGP players participate in three of the four tournaments, Lausanne is the last stop for some leading names on the leaderboard. To add some spice in the race, Humpy Koneru, dominator of the Grand Prix so far, does not take part in the third leg. Thus, all eyes will be turned on Ju Wenjun and Aleksandra Goryachkina, who will meet again two months after their fascinating match for the World Championship title. It should be noted, however, that both are pre-qualified for the next stage of the cycle and therefore out of contention for the two qualifying spots. Photo: David Llada For Alexandra Kosteniuk, winner of the Monaco Grand Prix in December, there is a lot at stake. Having scored poorly in the first event, she is doomed to perform well in her last tournament if she intends to qualify. Kosteniuk will certainly be supported in her effort by the home crowd, as she is half-Swiss and regularly plays in the national league. Photo: Karol Bartnik Harika Dronavalli has to consider Lausanne as a sort of match point. Anything but the victory would leave the Indian with barely any chance to qualify. As she recently noted in an interview, she often performs well in top tournaments but has never won any. Will she make it happen on this crucial occasion? Photo: Karol Bartnik Pia Cramling also takes part in her third and last Grand Prix, but her chances to qualify for the Candidates Tournament are close to zero. Nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to watch such a champion over the board. One should not forget that the living legend was the number one in the world when most of her opponents were even born! Photo: David Llada The Muzychuk sisters are potential winners in any tournament. In view of their average performances in their first GP appearance in Monaco, the pressure on their shoulders certainly grows. The former World Champion Mariya is the third seed in Switzerland, just ahead of Anna. All remaining participants will also take part in both final Grand Prix legs and therefore have theoretical chances to make it to the top two if showing great results. With the former World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova and talents such as Nana Dzagnidze, Marie Sebag, Alina Kashlinskaya and Zhansaya Abdumalik, everything is possible. Photo: David Llada Lausanne does not just stage this top event during those two weeks, as some side activities are on the program as well. Local organizers join forces with FIDE to hold two rapid events on a weekend. The “1st FIDE rapid open of the Olympic Capital” takes place on Saturday, March 7, while a rapid tournament for girls under 18 years old is scheduled for March 8. Both events are held in the FIDE premises at the “Maison du Sport International”. Technical details: Venue: Hôtel Mövenpick, Avenue de Rhodanie 4, 1007 Lausanne. Official website: https://wgp2019.fide.com GP Lausanne Chief Arbiter’s Information (pdf) Schedule: 1 March, 17h: Opening ceremony at the Olympic Museum2 March, 15h: Start of the 1st round3 to 7 March, 15h: Rounds 2 to 68 March: Rest day9 to 12 March, 15h: Rounds 7 to 1013 March, 11.30 h: 11st and last round; 18h Closing ceremony 14 March: departure Full pairings and regulations Side events: Saturday 7 March, 10-18 h: “1er Open FIDE d’échecs rapides de la capitale olympique” at the “Maison du Sport International”; adress: 54 Avenue de Rhodanie, 1007 Lausanne.Sunday 8 March, 10-16h: Rapid chess tournament for girls (under 18 y.o.) at the “Maison du Sport International”; adress: 54 Avenue de Rhodanie, 1007 Lausanne. Participants: Ju Wenjun, China, 29 years old, (2583) Aleksandra Goryachkina, Russia, 21 years old, (2579) Mariya Muzychuk, Ukraine, 27 years old, (2552) Anna Muzychuk, Ukraine, 30 years old, (2539) Harika Dronavalli, India, 29 years old, (2518) Nana Dzagnidze, Georgia, 33 years old, (2515) Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russia, 36 years old, (2504) Alina Kashlinskaya, Russia, 26 years old, (2484) Zhansaya Abdumalik, Kazakhstan, 20 years old, (2471) (she replaced Zhao Xue) Pia Cramling, Sweden, 56 years old, (2470) Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgaria, 41 years old, (2469) Marie Sebag, France, 34 years old, (2443) Grand Prix standings after 2 tournaments: 1. Humpy Koneru, India (293 points; 2 events) 2. Aleksandra Goryachkina, Russia (253 points; 2 events) 3. Kateryna Lagno, Russia (180 points; 2 events) 4. Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russia (178 points; 2 events) 5-6. Ju Wenjun, China (120 points; 1 event) 5-6. Harika Dronavalli, India (120 points; 2 events) 7. Elisabeth Paehtz, Germany(95 points; 2 events) 8. Valentina Gunina, Russia (85 points; 2 events) 9. Anna Muzychuk, Ukraine (80 points; 1 event) 10. Pia Cramling, Sweden (70 points; 2 events) 11. Mariya Muzychuk, Ukraine (60 points; 1 event) 12. Alina Kashlinskaya, Russia (45 points; 1 event) 13-14. Nana Dzagnidze, Georgia (35 points; 1 event) 13-14. Zhao Xue, China (35 points; 1 event) 15-16. Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgaria (25 points; 1 event) 15-16. Marie Sebag, France (25 points; 1 event) Contact: The press officer of the event is Yannick Pelletier. +352691760922 pelletieryannick@gmail.com
Prague Chess Festival: Firouzja overtakes Vidit in a dramatic finale
The final round of the Prague International Chess Festival turned into a real thriller. With the games Duda vs. Vidit and Shankland vs. Vitiugov finishing with the decisive results, and Firouzja surviving against Anton, there was a 5-way tie for the 1st place. Despite losing to Duda, the tournament leader Vidit Gijrathi had the best tie-break and he was to play against Alireza Firouzja. The Indian lost the play-off with 2-0, which harldly come as a surprise since it was already very difficult to play after losing two final games. What could have been one of the best performances of his life, in the end, turned out to be a horror ending for Vidit, who could not keep up with the pressure. After starting with 5 draws, Jorden Van Foreest (Netherlands) scored 3.5 out of the last four rounds and became the clear winner of the Challengers tournament. In the final round, he defeated Hannes Stefansson and with 6.5 points won the event, and more importantly, qualified for the next edition of PICF Masters tournament. There was a tie for the second place between Nijat Abasov and Andrey Esipenko. Thanks to the tie-break, the top seed from Azerbaijan finished second and the 17-year-old Russia came third. This year besides the regular prizes, the organizers of the Prague ChessFestival included one special trophy. The Vugar Gashimov Prize for Fair Play was awarded in person by the brother of late Azerbaijani Grandmaster, Mr. Sarkan Gashimov. The prize in the Challengers went to Mateusz Bartel, while in Masters section the winner was Grandmaster David Navara. A local hero Vaclav Finek triumphed in the Futures tournament, the newest addition to the Prague Chess Festival. He defeated Roy Vagman from Israel, while the tournament leader, Ediz Gurel from Turkey lost to Mongolian Chinguun. They both ties for the 1st place with 6 points, but Finek had better tie-breaks. The third place went to another Czech player Jachym Nemec with 5 points. Text: Official site Official site: https://praguechessfestival.com/ Photo: Petr Vrabec and Vladimir Jagr Final standings Masters *Tiebreak Vidt Santosh Gujrathi – Alireza Firouza: 0-2 Final standings Challengers Final standings Futures
Introducing Candidates: Wang Hao
Wang Hao (China)Born: August 04, 1989Rating: 2758 (14th position)This will be his first Candidates Tournament Wang Hao picked up the game of chess at the age of six and did it almost by accident, when he was going to learn Chinese chess. A young star from Kharbin (a big city in northeast China) he rose very early and became one of the prizewinners at the World Junior Championship U-10, competing with such whizzkids as Segey Karjakin, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Neponiachtchi. Playing for team China, he won two U-16 Olympiads in 2002 and 2004. In the latter, he scored 8 out of 9 points on the first board, winning the individual gold medal. His first major tournament victory came early, in 2005, at the Dubai Open. Still untitled, Wang Hao netted 7 out of 9 points and finished the clear first with a rating performance of 2731. Later the same year, the 15-year old Chinese player qualified for the World Cup from a zonal Asia tournament and earned the grandmaster title. Interestingly enough, he became grandmaster straight away, skipping over the FM and IM titles. In 2007, he took silver at the Asian Individual Championship and bronze at the World Junior Chess Championship in Yerevan. As a member of the Chinese national team, he has won the Asia Team Championship several times. In 2010 he finally won the China championship. Wang Hao enhanced his reputation as a real keeper for any team when playing for «SHSM-64» – he made a significant contribution to the team’s two titles in the Russia Team Championships. In 2011 Wang Hao assisted Levon Aronian in preparing for the Candidates Tournament as a sparring partner. At the peak of his chess career, Wang Hao rose above the 2750 rating mark, scoring victories against all elite players, including the two last World Champions, Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen. In 2011 he took silver at the World Team Championship with team China. In recent years, many thought that the Chinese GM was past his prime. Indeed, Wang Hao has not qualified for the national team anymore, giving way to his younger compatriots. In one interview, Wang Hao even confessed that he was tired of chess. Most likely, he just needed some time to recharge his batteries and rekindle motivation. Last fall the Chinese GM triumphantly returned to the chess elite – battling with the best of the best, Wang Hao won the strongest Swiss tournament ever on the Isle of Man and qualified for the Candidates. Ponomariov – Wang Hao (World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007)25… Qxd1! 26. Qxd1 Nxb2 27. Qf1 Rd1 28. Re1 Rxe1 29. Qxe1 Rd8 30. Bd6 Bxc5 31. Bxc5 Rd1 32. Qxd1 Nxd1 33. Bd4 b5 34. axb5 cxb5 35. Kf1 b4 36. Ke2 Nc3+ 0-1
Ethics Commission Election
Dear chess community! According to the agenda of the Extraordinary General Assembly in Abu Dhabi, elections to the FIDE Ethics Commission will be held. FIDE invites candidates who feel prepared for such a responsible position to send appropriate notifications to the FIDE Secretariat. We would ask prospective candidates to provide basic information in such a notification that will help delegates make an informed choice, namely: Full nameGenderDate of birth & current agePlace of residenceFederation belonging toFormal qualificationsFluency in languages spoken & writtenLegal experience (if any) — number of years & nature thereofExperience in FIDE administration (if any) – number of years & nature thereofExperience in national federation administration (if any) – number of years & nature thereofOther relevant professional experience — number of years & nature thereofInformation about the holding of chess titles (as a player or arbiter) The notification should be signed by the prospective candidate, and the candidate is encouraged attach a recent photo and his / her CV. The prospective candidate should consent to his personal data, which he sent to Secretariat, being published as part of the electoral procedure. Please note that according to the current FIDE Statutes, a candidate is considered formally nominated only if he is supported by the FIDE President, the Continental President, or the FIDE Member Federation. Please attach the appropriate letter, if available. We would like to draw attention to the fact that, although nominees can be formally nominated no later than February 27 (subject to the support of those who are eligible to nominate), we encourage interested persons to submit their candidacies earlier, preferably no later than February 25, 2020.
Grand Chess Tour confirms event allocations for 2020
Saint Louis, MO, February 18, 2020 – The Grand Chess Tour (GCT) is pleased to announce that all ten qualified players have confirmed their participation in the 2020 Tour and the event allocations have been finalized. The ten full tour participants will play in both the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest in May and in the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis in September. In addition, they will each participate in two of the three rapid and blitz events as indicated below. The full tour players will be joined by three wildcard invitees at the events in Paris and Zagreb and by four wildcard invitees in Saint Louis. Details of the wildcards for each of the events will be released later. The sixth edition of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) will feature five tournaments with the participants competing for a total prize fund of $1.275 million over the course of the season. The prize money on offer for two classical tournaments will be $325,000 per event while the prize fund for the rapid and blitz events will be $150,000 each. In addition, bonus prize fund totalling $175,000 will be awarded to the top three overall tour finishers.
Statement regarding the Chinese delegation for the Candidates tournament
Yesterday, the Russian Federation announced that the entry of travelers from the People’s Republic of China into their territory will be temporarily suspended, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Effective tomorrow, February 20, the ban will affect Chinese citizens traveling for “private, educational, working and tourist purposes”. This ban does NOT affect official, business and humanitarian visas, which for now will continue to be issued. The Chinese delegation for the Candidates tournament has been issued a humanitarian visa, which englobes travels with sport, cultural or scientific purposes. As such, they should find no impediments entering the Russian Federation, but they have been advised to travel well in advance. The Chinese Chess Association had planned to send their delegation on March 1, but now they consider arriving even earlier. At the present time, it is not expected that the Chinese delegation should undergo a mandatory quarantine, but the situation changes by the hour, and each territory applies different measures. To be on the safe side, we are studying the possibility of offering the Chinese delegation to occupy a country house in the Moscow region upon arrival, with medical assistance at their disposal. This observation period will ensure that they will be able to continue their trip to Yekaterinburg without any issues, even if the security measures in the Sverdlovsk region are tightened in the forthcoming days. FIDE will do everything in our hands to minimize the inconveniences to the Chinese delegation under these exceptional circumstances. It must be noted that Wang Hao will be traveling to Russia directly from Japan, where he has been for the past few weeks.