World Cup: Champion to be determined on tiebreak
The fourth games of the Final and the 3rd place match of the FIDE World Cup were played on October 3 in Khanty-Mansiysk. The playing venue was visited by Yury Yuzhakov and Alexander Tirtoka, Deputy Governors of Ugra, and FIDE Vice-President Mahir Mammedov. Ding Liren and Teimour Radjabov played a variation of the English Opening, in which Black sacrifices a pawn, but obtains certain compensation in the form of insecure position of the white king. The game quickly transposed to an endgame, where White’s ruined pawn structure left him little chance of converting his extra material. According to Ding Liren, he was not prepared for 11… Bg2. Black regained a pawn in a rook ending and fully equalized the position. A draw was agreed on the 31st move. “Although he was slightly worse, I think we played a correct game, and none of us made mistakes so a draw is a very normal result,” commented Ding Liren after the game. “I really don’t know what games are suitable for us. Maybe we will play one hundred bullets or Fischer Random – ten games would be fine and fun as well. Generally, we will try to rest and play the match tomorrow,” Teimour quipped when asked about his expectations of the tiebreak. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yu Yangyi once again played the Petrov’s Defense. According to the Frenchman, his position was better, however, he was unable to increase this advantage, and after multiple exchanges, the position equalized. The opponents agreed to a draw in a queen ending. Since the classical parts of both matches ended in a 2-2 tie, the winners will be determined on tiebreaks on Friday, October 4. In the first rapid game, Teimour Radjabov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will have White against Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi respectively. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC.Official airline – Utair.Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft.FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”.General media partner – News Agency TASS.Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Dvorkovich and Chiburdanidze open FIDE School in Minsk
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich made an official visit to Minsk where he had a brief but intense agenda. First, Mr. Dvorkovich had a working meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus and the chairman of the organizing committee for the 45th World Chess Olympiad Igor Petrishenko.Together with the 6th women’s world champion Maia Chiburdanidze, Arkady Dvorkovich also participated in the opening ceremony for the renovated FIDE Chess School in Minsk on October 2. A true legend of women’s chess, nine-time winner of Chess Olympiads, Maia Chiburdanidze became the Goodwill Ambassador of the 45th World Chess Olympiad 2022 in Minsk. FIDE Chess School is the only chess school accredited by FIDE in Belarus. In his speech on the occasion, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich stressed that FIDE would continue supporting chess schools and academies around the world. The ribbon was cut by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and FIDE Vice President, President of Belarus Chess Federation Anastasia Sorokina.
First year in office
Time flies fast – just mere 365 working days, and the first year of my tenure as a FIDE President becomes a history. A history full of major decisions, vitally important new projects and steady improvement of the situation in the chess world. I and my team are as enthusiastic about making the chess world a better place as we were last year. But we kept not only our enthusiasm – we kept our promises – and we will keep delivering. First year laid a very good foundation, and soon we expect a real breakthrough – working for you and together with you, my fellow chess friends. Thanks for your support, and have my word – we are going to bring a major change. Because we can. Because we care. Because it is our and my personal responsibility. Yours,Arkady Dvorkovich
World Cup final: Radjabov strikes back
The third games of the FIDE World Cup Final and the 3rd place match were played in the Ugra Chess Academy on October 2. Following their first game of the match, Teimour Radjabov and Ding Liren continued the discussion in the Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez. However, this time Teimour opted for a different line, that he actually had prepared for the first game. The grandmaster from Azerbaijan demonstrated a better knowledge in the arising position and put a grip on his opponent right in the opening. After the queens were swapped, Radjabov came up with an interesting tactical trick, won a pawn and transposed into an ending with rooks and bishops of the same color. White was gradually increasing pressure, making Black’s task more and more difficult. Eventually, Radjabov achieved a winning position, and Black resigned on the 45th move. Teimour Radjabov equalized the score, which is now 1.5:1.5. “I have a lot of lines in general, that I can play. Sometimes during the preparation on a professional level, there is some kind of hesitation before the game: “Should I try this line or that one?”. Something seems risky at the last moment. Especially with all these nerves, pressure and so on you are just not sure what line to play. To be honest I decided, that if he finds it, OK, bye-bye and that’s it. But if he doesn’t there is some play. Eventually, it went my way, and that’s nice,” Radjabov explained his opening choice in the post-game interview. In the match for third place Maxime Vachier-Lagrave once again took a stand in the Gruenfeld Defense. According to the Frenchman, he underestimated one of the replies from his opponent and ended up in an inferior position. Black seemed unable to protect all his weaknesses, however, Yu Yangyi made an inaccuracy on the 25th move, and the position became equal. Seven moves down the road the opponents shook hands. The score in this match is 1.5-1.5. The concluding games with the classical time control will be played on Thursday, October 3. If the score remains equal, the tie-breaks will follow on October 4. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC. Official airline – Utair. Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft. FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”. General media partner – News Agency TASS. Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Fischer Random Championship: So, Caruana, Nepomniachtchi advanced to the semis
Update Quarterfinals, Day 1 Results: Wesley So – Hikaru Nakamura 3:9Vladimir Fedoseev – Vidit Gujrathi 8:4Peter Svidler – Fabiano Caruana 5:7Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja 7:6 (Nepomniachtchi won Armageddon game with Black) Winners (in bold) qualify for Quarterfinals, Day 3 directly. Losers’ bracket (Day 2, Saturday): Vidit Gujrathi – Alireza Firouzja 4.5 : 7.5Wesley So – Peter Svidler 6.5:5.5Vidit Gujrathi & Peter Svidler are eliminated Quarterfinals, Day 3 Results: Vladimir Fedoseev – Wesley So 5:7Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana 1.5:6.5Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja 6.5:3.5 So, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi qualified for the live semifinals in Oslo The first official FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship is nearing its climax. The event, officialized by FIDE for the first time in history, is a joint effort of Dund (the organizer of the unofficial Fischer Random match between Classical chess champion Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura in 2009) and Chess.com. The semifinals and the finals of the event will be held at the end of October in Norway, at the Henie Onstad Art Center located just outside Oslo. After the massive qualifying open tournaments that run from April to August, the Championship reached the elimination phase during which 84 qualifiers + 12 invited players squared off in six knockout brackets (16 players each), in 2 games mini-matches with a time control of 15+2. Six winners of those brackets will join Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana in the 3-day quarterfinal stage, scheduled for 4-6 of October with a guaranteed prize fund of $10,000. Ian Nepomniachtchi became the first quarterfinalist after crushing his opponents in great fashion. Suffice it to say that the Russian GM scored 7 out of 8 and went through the tournament distance without playing a single tiebreak. The same night, 16-year old Iranian chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja progressed to the quarterfinals, beating along the way Nicolai Getz, Ivan Salgado, Maxim Matlakov and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The winner humbly admitted that in the semifinal and final matches luck was on his side, but it does not belittle the achievement of the young Iranian.Another young Grandmaster, Vidit Gujrathi, came on top in a very strong bracket, which included Le Quang Liem, Jeffery Xiong, and the former World Championship challenger Sergey Karjakin. Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk, who were considered the main favorites of the fourth bracket, lived up to their reputation reaching the final. A virtually unknown Siberian IM Oleg Badmatsyrenov made a big splash in this bracket, dispatching Alexey Dreev and Paco Vallejo and only succumbing to Grischuk in the Armageddon game. In the final Svidler got the better of his old friend and punched his ticket into the quarterfinals. Vladimir Fedoseev and Grigory Oparin, number three and four of the fifth bracket respectively, locked horns in the final match to fight for the slot in the quarterfinals. Both 15-min games were drawn, but in the 10-min encounters, it was Fedoseev who booked his spot in the October matches. The last ticket to the quarterfinals was at stake in the match between two worthy opponents: top-seeded Wesley So and Russian GM Evgeny Tomashevski. Once again the rating favorite celebrated the victory, proving that top players are extremely strong in all chess variants.Thus, on October 4 we will see four quarterfinal matches played, with the winners going directly into Day 3. The next day the losers will be given a second chance to make it to Day 3, but two players will be eliminated in the process. Finally, on October 6, six players will compete for three slots in the semifinals. Magnus Carlsen will enter the competition at the semifinal stage joining three best players of the quarterfinals. The semifinalists will meet over the board in Norway at the end of October; the winner will be crowned on November 2. Official site
World Cup final: Ding Liren draws first blood
The second games of the FIDE World Cup Final and the match for the 3rd place were played on October 1. Ding Liren and Teimour Radjabov played a well-known line of the English Opening, in which White sacrifices a pawn. The Chinese grandmaster got significant compensation and launched an attack on the kingside, while the black pieces were blocked on the three back ranks. Most likely Radjabov committed the decisive mistake on the 23rd move by advancing his pawn from e6 to e5 – the white pieces flooded into the Black’s camp wreaking havoc. Ding Liren was building up pressure with precise play and forced his opponent to capitulate on the move 40. This is the first loss of the Azerbaijani player in this tournament. However, it does not seem to affect his spirits: “Psychologically I was ready for this result from the first round till the end of the tournament. Anything can happen; you can lose at any moment. I do not have any special thoughts about it. I am just playing game after game. Losses happen, it’s a part of chess life.” This victory is Ding Liren’s gift not only to himself but also to his compatriots who are celebrating a big day today – the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yu Yangyi played the Petrov’s Defense. According to the French grandmaster, who had White in this game, he was exerting a certain pressure, but then underestimated a precise reply from the opponent, who was very well prepared for this variation. After the major pieces were exchanged, a balanced position arose, and the players agreed to a draw after the 30th move. The third games of both matches will be played on October 2, once again with colors reversed. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC.Official airline – Utair.Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft.FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”.General media partner – News Agency TASS.Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Koneru shoots up in the October rating list
FIDE October 1 rating listAll Top-100 listsAll rating lists – download Each month FIDE publishes a new official rating list. Right after the release, let’s take a look at the list and identify the most interesting developments. Since the FIDE World Cup 2019, that brought together almost all the best players, is not rated yet, the top 10 of the Open rating list remained intact with no movements inside it. In the November list, we will definitely see some changes. There are only two newcomers in top-100, namely Ray Robson and Alexey Sarana. Ray earned 17 points after his triumph in St Louis Fall A tournament and moved way up to 73rd position, whereas Alexey picked up 4 points in a small tournament in Linares and squeezed into the top-100.Ray Robson also stands out as the biggest gainer of the month, followed by Francisco Vallejo Pons and Radoslaw Wojtaszek. The Spaniard got 10 points in Linares while the Pole delivered a solid performance in Polish Extraleague netting him 9 rating points. FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Skolkovo became the main catalyst for rating changes among women. Humpy Koneru, on her way back from two-year hiatus, won the event, picked up 17 points and edged out Alexandra Goryachkina from the 3rd place. Despite losing one position, the Russian also increased her rating by 11 points. The Women’s World Champion Ju, Wenjun, who was second in the event, and Elizabeth Paehtz earned 10 points each. In the junior’s top 10, Alexey Sarana mounted to the fifth position, while Jorden Van Foreest returned to the elite group of young players. All players can check out the new ratings in the FIDE ratings section.
Uzbekistan dominates home Central Asia Junior Championship
The International Chess Festival organized by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation with the support of RosAtom Corporation, FIDE and the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan was successfully completed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Closing Ceremony was held right after the conclusion of the most important part of the festival, the Central Asia Junior Championship which saw a double success of the host team. The ceremony was attended by Ali Malak Zad Ghulam (the President of Afghanistan Chess Federation), Vyacheslav Pak (Deputy Director of the National Agency for Project Management under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Sayfullo Akhmedov (Deputy Chairman of the Uzbekistan Trade Unions Federation), Bakhodir Umurzakov (Deputy Minister of Employment and Labor relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Husan Turdialiev (First Vice President of the Chess Federation of Uzbekistan), Rajai Alsusi (Executive Manager of Sharjah Chess Club) and Abasin Mohibi (General Secretary of Afghanistan Chess Federation). As part of the development program, four Central Asia national chess federations (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) received 20 chess clocks each to help organize the events in their countries. These clocks were provided by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation with the support of RosAtom Corporation, FIDE and the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan Final standings of Central Asia Junior Championship: Open category: 1. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) – 7½2. Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) – 7½3. Saidakbar Saydaliev (UZB) – 6½ Girls category: 1. Nilufar Yakubbaeva (UZB) – 82. Xeniya Balabayeva (KAZ) – 7½3. Sitora Saparov (UZB) – 6½
World Cup Final: Peaceful start
The FIDE World Cup final and the match for the 3rd place started in Khanty-Mansiysk on September 30. The first game of the final between Teimour Radjabov and Ding Liren lasted less than an hour and ended in an uneventful draw. The players opted for the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez, following their recent game in Shamkir. Only on the 27th move, Radjabov deviated from the already played line, but Ding Liren reacted accurately. Almost all the pieces were exchanged, and a draw was agreed in an equal rook ending on the 33rd move. “I prepared some line but right before the game I did not like it and decided to call it a day. Just a normal day for me,” confessed Teimour in the post-game interview. The match for the third place between Yu Yangyi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave started with an opening discussion in a sharp line of the Gruenfeld Defense. Neither player was spending much time on his moves, however, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave confessed after the game that he had needed the time he’d spared to find the most precise defense in the endgame with two minor pieces against a rook. After the Frenchman demonstrated all the right replies, the players sealed a draw on the 36th move. Both matches will continue on Tuesday, October 1 with the opponents switching colors. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC.Official airline – Utair.Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft.FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”.General media partner – News Agency TASS.Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Equal Opportunities Workshop: Chess is for everybody
The past weekend has seen the 1st Workshop “Equal Opportunities” take place in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event was kindly supported and organized by the FIDE DIS Commission, ECU and the Hellenic Sport Association for Persons with Disabilities. The 3-day workshop saw presentations held with a specific focus on what Arbiters, Organisers, and Trainers need to be aware of when dealing with disabled players in mainstream tournaments. These prompted some great discussion and have given all participants food for thought on how they can make a difference to players with impairments. On the second day, the participants were welcomed by Voula Patoulidou (pictured below), former Greek hurdle gold medallist on behalf of the city of Thessaloniki; Thomai Thodoraki, representing the Hellenic Sport Federation for Persons with Disabilities; Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the ECU; and Sonja Johnson, secretary of the Planning and Development Commission. Each of them highlighted their roles and excitement at the prospect of giving people of all abilities a chance to participate in events and get the support they require.During the second half of the morning, keynote speakers gave accounts of their involvement in various projects to help raise awareness of the challenges of people with impairments in sport. Dimitrios Patatoukas spoke from a medical point of view and highlighted issues around the accessibility of playing venues for all types of sports. Thomas Luther (pictured below) and Dora Martinez spoke about the impact of the World Junior Chess Championship for the Disabled on the young participants and how the coverage of the tournament by CNN has required dedication from the organizers. They also shared details for other projects the commission has planned.The afternoon brought some interesting discussion which gave everyone a chance to reflect on what had been spoken. It also provided plenty of food for thought on how differences can be made through little changes and the engagement of individuals. This workshop has provided all participants with a much more in-depth knowledge and understanding and taken away some of the fear around the topic. Whilst there still is a lot of work to do every little step helps in raising awareness and highlights how vital it is to include everyone. At the end of the workshop, all participants were presented with a certificate by DIS Chairman GM Thomas Luther. Please contact the Commission if you are interested in this concept and would like to host this workshop.