Georgia wins FIDE World Women’s Team Championship 2023
Kazakhstan gets the silver medal, and the bronze goes to France. The experience of the Georgian players prevailed over the youth and talent of the Kazakhstani team, which, with an average age of 18 years old, performed above all expectations and will bring home a praiseworthy Silver medal. It’s not the first time that Georgia has won this championship: in 2015, under a different format but with an identical lineup, Bella Khotenashvili, Meri Arabidze, Nino Batsiashvili, Lela Javakhishvili, and Salome Melia secured the trophy for their country in Sochi, 2015. In the Small Final, the clash between France and the USA was a very close affair, but in the end, it was “les bleues” who got the bronze medal after a draw in the first match and a 3-1 victory in the second. Georgia – Kazakhstan (2½-1½) (3½-½) The first match between Georgia and Kazakhstan set the tone for the final, with Lela Javakhishvili turning into the hero of the day, as she won both games in great fashion. Playing on the white side of a King’s Indian against Amina Kairbekova, she got an advantage right out of the opening that she soon converted into an extra pawn. At some point, her rival managed to equalise, but shortly after Amina made a mistake that allowed Lela to be in command again. With things looking so good on the fourth board from so early, all the Georgians played free of pressure. Nurmanova tried a new move in the Ruy Lopez, 11.Nxe5, against Batsiashvili, but the resulting position was completely equal and ended in a draw. The same result was registered in the second board, Arabidze-Kamalidenova, where the young Kazakhstani took risks from the opening, sacrificing a pawn for activity. Even though she got enough compensation, she never achieved an advantage. The game between Assaubayeva (with White) and Khotenashvili was a Queen’s Gambit Declined (Exchange variation), where as early as move nine, we had a completely new position on the board. With no real chances to win the game, Bibisara settled for a draw with a perpetual check. When Javakhishvili finally converted her advantage, the match was over: 2½-1½. The second match was not meant to change the fate of the final, and Georgia won again, even by a higher score. On the third board, the game between Nino Batsiashvili and Alua Nurmanova saw an early queen exchange, which soon led to a draw, increasing the pressure on the Kazakhstani players. The key was the battle on the first board between Bella Khotenashvili and Bibisara Assaubayeva. Both players followed an unorthodox plan in the King’s Indian, and White had a small edge out of the opening. Under pressure, Bibisara blundered a piece when her position was already hopeless. Lela Javakhishvili was better with Black after her opponent played the opening carelessly, but after checking the match situation after 90 minutes of play, she decided to go for a line that would guarantee her a draw. Perfectly aware that this result was not enough, her opponent tried to force matters and keep the game going, only to lose. The second-board clash between Kamalidenova and Arabidze was very balanced, but towards the end, Meruert lost the thread of the game and her position collapsed, leaving the final score in a double victory for the Georgians by 2½-1½ and 3½-½. France – USA (2-2) (3-1) The first match for the bronze was quite a slaughter fest, with 6 out of the 8 games reaching a decisive result, many of them after several unexpected turns. On the fourth board, two former teammates found themselves facing each other, representing their countries of adoption. Mitra Hejazipour, with White, and playing now for France, chose the wrong plan with 23.f4 and 24.Rf3, giving up a pawn for the attack. Atousa Pourkashiyan, playing for the USA, demonstrated that Black had nothing to fear and grabbed the full point. Anastasia Savina had an inferior position with White, but Tatev Abrahamyan went wrong, allowing the white queen to penetrate the black king’s position, and resigning shortly after. Alice Lee went wrong with 19.Qa5 and allowed Deimante to grasp the initiative, and to make things worse, she then blundered a pawn with 22.Rc3, missing a simple tactic. However, things went horribly wrong for Deimante from then on. She gave up an exchange, unnecessarily, to capture one of White’s pawns, and then she got her pieces entangled in the first rank, losing material and the game. In the meantime, Sophie Milliet played a brilliant attacking game with Black, with an exchange sacrifice included. With her victory, the first match was tied 2-2. For the second match, the Americans replaced Abrahamyan with Zatonskih, while Hejazipour gave her place to Natacha Benmesbah. France’s second board, Anastasia Savina, got out of the opening with a better position against Anna Zatonskih, but the game ended in a draw. Atousa Pourkashiyan went for a false combination, probably missing something important in her calculation and lost almost on the spot, giving the full point to Natacha. Sophie Milliet, on the White side of a Richter-Rauzer Sicilian, saw her attack progressing much faster than her opponent’s counterplay and scored another brilliant victory, the second of the day for her, becoming the star of the French team. On the first board, the clash between Daulyte-Cornette and Lee was “unbalanced but roughly equal” and ended in a draw after 60 moves, when the match had already been decided on the two lower boards. A fantastic performance by the French team, which brought them a historical and well-deserved bronze medal. The individual medals, decided by tournament performance, were awarded as follows: First board:Alice Lee (USA) – GoldDeimantė Daulytė-Cornette (FRA) – SilverBibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) – Bronze Second board:Meri Arabidze (GEO) – GoldYang Shen (CHI) – SilverAnastasia Savina (FRA) – Bronze Third board:Nino Batsiashvili (GEO) – GoldTatev Abrahamyan (USA) – SilverSophie Milliet (FRA) – Bronze Fourth board:Qi Guo (CHN) – GoldLela Javakhishvili (GEO) – SilverAlua Nurmanova (KAZ) – Bronze The closing ceremony took place shortly after the conclusion of the games, in the nearby Music Academy
Inmates around the globe get ready for Intercontinental Chess Championship for Prisoners
From October 11-13, 2023, FIDE, jointly with Cook County (Chicago) Sheriff’s office, will hold the third Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, dedicated to the International Day of Education in Prison. The online event is open to male, female and youth teams representing correctional facilities. Registration for participation is open here until September 22. So far, 53 teams representing prisons and correctional facilities from 27 countries have already registered for the competition. Inmates from Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Malawi, North Macedonia, Philippines, Portugal, El Salvador, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turks and Caicos Islands and the USA are getting ready for the event. 39 teams will compete in the male tournament, 9 teams will fight for the medals in the women’s event, and four teams will be playing in the youth section of the championship. For some participants, it will be the first official online chess tournament ever played, while many others have already taken part in previous events and are working hard to improve their chess skills. Indian teams will be represented by the “Parivartan – Prison to Pride” social responsibility project run by IndianOil since August 2021. The initiative aims to engage and rehabilitate prison inmates nationwide through sports coaching programs. The Parivartan chess courses are supervised by experienced coaches, including GMs Abhijit Kunte and Surya Sekhar Ganguly, WGMs Eesha Karavade, Soumya Swaminathan, Padmini Rout, to name a few. “I was pleased with the kindness of the prison authorities and the quiet atmosphere. All the inmates were very enthusiastic, calm, and patient while learning chess. The attendance throughout the camp was almost 100”, said Shri Ketan Khaire, Chess Coach of Yerawada Central Jail, Pune. In four phases so far, the Parivartan project has covered 51 Prisons spanning 21 states and 5 Union Territories of the country with coaching over 2950 Inmates. On another continent, preparations for the upcoming championship are also in full swing. Inmates of Maula Prison, Malawi, have chess lessons and play monthly tournaments within the prison walls. The Chess in Prison program was launched at Maula Prison last year with the support of the Dadaz Chess Academy. Susan Namangale, founder of the Dadaz Chess Academy and the Global Head of “The Gift of Chess”, a nonprofit organization transforming the lives of people through the universal language of chess, says that the academy has also reached out to other penitentiaries in the country. “They are all very happy with the program. It is a great tool to improve the quality of life for prisoners as this prepares them for liberation”, Namangale says. On the European continent, in Bulgaria, prison tournaments were held to determine the players who will now participate in the upcoming Intercontinental Chess Championship. The Bulgarian team is made up of amateur players who have already played chess before going to prison but with less intensity. Chess tournaments are a part of the regular activities for the inmates in Bulgarian prisons. The participants are mostly individuals who respect prison rules and do not commit disciplinary violations. They usually have a good level of education and a propensity for a law-abiding lifestyle. “The game of chess has a positive influence on their behaviour and supports the process of rehabilitation. It cultivates sportsmanship, tolerance, honesty and precision”, says Chief Commissioner Ivaylo Yordanov, Director General of the General Directorate “Execution of Sentences”. A three-day “Chess in Prison” marathon will not only include a live broadcast of the championship but will also feature some special quests – FIDE officials, government officers, members of the penitentiary administration and policymakers, who will share the best practices of introducing chess to inmates, as well as former convicts proving through their own experience the positive impact of the game on prisoners. Tournament regulations More info about the program here: chessforfreedom.fide.com
Sam Sevian wins 2023 Champions Showdown 9LX
GM Sam Sevian won the 2023 Champions Showdown after a brilliant final day, where he defeated both Garry Kasparov and Fabiano Caruana to finish with 7/9 and take home the $37,500 first place prize. The event featured Chess 960 (aka Fischer Random), a chess variant where the starting position of the pieces is randomized along the first rank. The tournament, a 10-player round-robin, with a time control of 20 minutes per side with a 5-second increment, took place from September 8-10, 2023 in the World Chess Hall of Fame, Saint Louis Chess Club. ROUND 7 Going into the day Sevian and Aronian were tied for the lead with 4.5/6. While Aronian could only manage to draw against So, Sevian defeated Kasparov, after the former World Champion overstepped the time limit while trying to defend a pawn down. Also winning was Caruana, who outplayed Xiong from the Black side in nice positional style: Xiong-Caruana: final position after 32…Ng5 0-1 ROUND 8 In the penultimate round Sevian drew with Xiong, maintaining his lead but allowing others a chance to reach him. Aronian, just a half-point behind Sevian, lost to Caruana after flagging in a difficult position, leaving Caruana in second place going into the final round. Also winning to enter the tie for second was Shankland, who refuted a faulty Greek Gift sacrifice from Kasparov to win his second straight game as well: Shankland-Kasparov: after 22.Nf4 Black was forced to resign, as h5 is falling next. ROUND 9 The final round featured the crucial game Caruana – Sevian, with Fabiano needing to win in order to overtake first place. A sharp battle ensued, with the critical moment occurring when Sevian went all-out for an attack, finding a stunning bishop sacrifice in order to get his heavy pieces in front of White’s king. Caruana was simply unable to defend the position and Sevian clinched tournament victory as he was soon to deliver mate. Caruana-Sevian: 18…Bxb2!! was a stunner, with idea 19.Kxb2 Rgg6!-+, lifting the second rook in order to hunt down White’s king. Shankland would go on to draw against Xiong, leaving him in second place with 6.0/9, while Aronian and So both managed to win their final games, as So converted an extra pawn in the endgame against Robson while Aronian took down Nakamura thanks to a vicious counterattack on the queenside. Good prep pays off! Shankland chose the right player to analyze with. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes So scored 2.5/3 to sneak into the tie for second. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes A second place finish for Levon Aronian as well. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes Written by IM Kostya Kavutskiy
Portuguese Championship: José Guilherme Santos clinches title
José Guilherme Santos is the new champion of Portugal. The 20-year-old FM turned in a commanding performance and won his first national title with a round to spare. The 2023 Portuguese national chess championship took place from September 3-10 at the Hotel D. Luís in Coimbra. José Guilherme Santos dominated the field from the start, scoring an impressive 8/9 and conceding his opponents just two draws. The champion completed his second IM norm and picked up 49 rating points. FM Bruno Martins finished 1.5 points behind the champion and took silver. Thanks to his final-round victory over Paolo Dias, Bruno also achieved an IM norm. Rounding out the podium was a four-time national champion, IM André Sousa, who had won this event in 2019-2022. The champion and the runner-up became the only unbeaten players in the tournament. Final standings: 1 FM SANTOS, José Guilherme 2392 8 2 FM MARTINS, Bruno 2325 6½ 3 IM SOUSA, André V 2430 6 4 IM ROCHA, Sérgio 2306 5½ 5 IM VEIGA, Francisco 2354 5 6 GM FERNANDES, António 2321 5 7 NM FIDALGO, André Neves 2229 4 8 IM DIAS, Paulo 2320 2½ 9 FM SANTOS, António P 2219 2 10 NM SOUSA, João Dinis 2249 ½ Official website: fpx.pt/ Photos: official website
FIDE WWTC 2023: Georgia and Kazakhstan to fight for the gold
The two semifinals had to be decided on blitz tie-breaks. France and the USA will play for the bronze medal. Kazakhstan – France (1-3) (3-1) (blitz: 4-0) In the first match, things went quite well for the French squad. At the expense of some minor concessions in the center, Daulyte-Cornette built a very dangerous attack with White, throwing her pieces towards Bibisara Assaubayeva’s King. Bibisara, who had not yet lost a game in this event, found herself under tremendous pressure. Deimante was a bit short of time towards the end, with only seconds on the clock, but her advantage was overwhelming, and she converted it without hesitation. The second French victory came in the third board, also with the white pieces: the clash between Milliet and Nurmanova was quite a roller coaster, and in fact, Sophie was worse for most of the game. But at some point, the young Kazakhstani overlooked a simple tactical trick that allowed Milliet to capture the A pawn and turn the tables, setting the score in a 3-1 victory for France. Nurmanova took her revenge in the second match, which followed a very different storyline. Alua completely outplayed her opponent with the white pieces in a very instructive attacking game. Short of time and against the ropes, Milliet had to resign. Earlier in the match, Mitra Hejazipour blundered a pawn in the opening, and Amina Kairbekova was merciless. With the remaining two games ending in a draw, the match was to be decided in the tie-break. It was clear that the result and the emotions of the second rapid match affected the mood and confidence of the players as they entered the playing hall for the tie-break. Kazakhstan was on a roll, and the youngsters got a clean sweep in the blitz games. Reaching the final is no doubt a fair and well-deserved result for the Kazakhstani players, who completely dominated the pool stage, but a bitter end for a French team that was one of the revelations of the event. Georgia – USA (2½-1½) (1½-2½) (blitz: 3½-½) We could say that Georgia took control of the first match from early on, as Lela Javakhishvili delivered a brilliant blow to Pourkashiyan’s position. Curiously enough, Lela didn’t find the best continuation to follow up on her attack, and little by little, her advantage vanished, being this the only game to end in a draw. However, being aware that they were probably going to lose on the fourth board was something that weighed on the American players. Tatev Abrahamyan went wrong in a drawish position and lost to Nino Batsiashvili. Anna Zatonskih defended a slightly inferior position against Meri Arabidze, falling behind on the clock. Arabidze was very smart and broke through with 66.e4 at the right time, provoking a mistake from Anna. The only victory for the Americans came on board one, where Alice Lee got yet another scalp, outplaying Bella Khotenashvili with White in a very fine game. For the second game, the coach of the US team decided to bench Anna Zatonskih, who was replaced by Annie Wang. This proved to be the right call, as Annie scored the crucial victory for her team in a London system against Nino Batsiashvili. As all the other games ended in a draw, this victory allowed the USA to force a tie-break. The blitz games were quite one-sided, with the Americans failing to show their A-game. Abrahamyan managed to neutralise Arabidze, reaching a quick draw. However, Atousa blundered a pawn against Javakhishvili, while Annie Wang blundered a whole piece and gifted the whole point to Batsiashvili. In the remaining game, on the first board, Alice Lee also fell for a simple tactical trick that left her one exchange down and resigned shortly after. The Georgians will have the chance tomorrow to increase even further their impressive track record of victories in women’s competitions. The final fight for the medals will take place tomorrow, with the games beginning at 14:00 local time, one hour earlier than previous rounds. Written by David Llada Photos: Michal Walusza and Niki Riga Official website: worldwomenteams.fide.com. About the event The 2023 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship takes place from 5-12 September in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Twelve teams participate: Georgia, USA, China, India, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, FIDE Americas, France, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Egypt, each with four players (plus two reserves). They are divided into two pools of approximate strength. Four teams will be eliminated at the pool stage, with the best eight teams advancing to a double-round knockout stage. The matches are decided by team points, with 2 points for the winning team and 1 each in case of a draw. Time control is 45 minutes for the whole game, with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from move 1. Event website: worldwomenteams.fide.com About Bydgoszcz Located in northern Poland, less than 200km from the capital, Warsaw, Bydgoszcz sits at the junction of the rivers Vistula and Brda. With 350,000 inhabitants, it is served by its own domestic airport. An architecturally rich city, Bydgoszcz is home to a number of universities, like the Casimir the Great University, the University of Technology and Life Sciences and a conservatory. With a thriving cultural life, it also hosts the Pomeranian Philharmonic concert hall and the Opera Nova opera house. More information: bydgoszcz.pl
WWTC 2023: Kazakhstan-France and USA-Georgia to cross swords in semifinal
France – Poland (3-1) (2½-1½) France was one of the first teams to secure their qualification for the FIDE World Women’s Team Championship semifinals, with a double victory over the home team, Poland. The first match was one-way traffic: Klaudia Kulon won again in the fourth board, extending her successful run to a remarkable 4½/5, but all her teammates succumbed against “les bleus”, setting the score of the first clash at 3-1. Despite the pressure of being forced to win, the Polish squad played better in the second round, which was much closer, but France always had the match under control. This time, it was Klaudia who took even more risks than usual and lost her game and, with it, the match (2½-1½). Significantly reinforced with the incorporation of Mitra Hejazipour in the third/fourth board, France demonstrated once again to be a very competitive squad, on par with the big guns, despite the poor form of Natacha Benmesbah (1/4). Georgia – China (2½-1½) (2-2) Georgia-China was probably the closest match of the Quarter Finals. In the first round, Meri Arabidze ground her way with the black pieces to achieve a fine win over Kaiyu Ning, which was enough to give the victory to her team (2½-1½), as all the other three games ended in a draw. In the second clash, China had excellent chances to hit back. While the games in the three lower boards seemed pretty equal, Yuxin Song managed to build an advantage with White against Bella Khotenashvili, and she was, in fact, very close to winning. However, Song let her advantage slip, and in the end, she could have even lost. The relief on the faces of the Georgians was blatantly obvious when Bella and Yuxin shook hands and signed the draw, promoting Georgia to the semifinals. USA – Ukraine (2½-1½) (2½-1½) The USA won both matches against Ukraine by the minimum margin on both occasions. The Ukrainians demonstrated their resilience and gave the Americans a run for their money, but the USA was the better team, and their victory was a fair result. Young prodigy Alice Lee drew both her games against Anna Ushenina on the first board, but the USA victory was cemented on the lower boards, where Tatev Abrahamyan and Atousa Pourkashiyan won both their games. In the second clash, Anna Zatonskih blundered still in the opening (23…dxc4?) and lost on the spot against Nataliya Buksa, but this lone win for Ukrainians was not enough to change the fate of the qualifying. Kazakhstan – Germany (2-2) (3-1) The clash between Kazakhstan and Germany was probably the most exciting battle of the day. The first game between Paehtz and Assaubayeva was a relatively quiet draw in 25 moves. The exchange of blows happened on boards two and three, where Alua Nurmanova gave no chance to Josefine Heinemann, while Meruert Kamalidenova made a dubious pawn sacrifice that Dinara Wagner punished ruthlessly. With a draw on the scoreboard, everything was at stake in the second match, where all four games reached a decisive outcome. Nurmanova won again against Heinemann, and so did Amina Kairbekova on the fourth board. However, the lucky Germans still hoped for one more miracle, as Elisabeth Paehtz got a clear advantage out of the opening against Bibisara Assaubayeva while Dinara Wagner was building an attack in her game. However, the blunders caused by the time trouble struck again in the game between Paehtz and Assaubayeva, with the advantage changing sides with almost every move in the final stage of the game. In the end, it was the Kazakhstani the one who made the second-to-last mistake, inflicting a painful defeat on Paehtz. Dinara won her game, but it did not change anything. The semifinal matches will be Kazakhstan-France and USA-Georgia, where none of the four teams seems to be a favourite. As in previous days, the first of the Rapid matches is played at 15:00 local time and the second at 18:00. Written by David Llada Photos: Michal Walusza and David Llada Official website: worldwomenteams.fide.com. About the event The 2023 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship takes place from 5-12 September in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Twelve teams participate: Georgia, USA, China, India, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, FIDE Americas, France, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Egypt, each with four players (plus two reserves). They are divided into two pools of approximate strength. Four teams will be eliminated at the pool stage, with the best eight teams advancing to a double-round knockout stage. The matches are decided by team points, with 2 points for the winning team and 1 each in case of a draw. Time control is 45 minutes for the whole game, with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from move 1. Event website: worldwomenteams.fide.com About Bydgoszcz Located in northern Poland, less than 200km from the capital, Warsaw, Bydgoszcz sits at the junction of the rivers Vistula and Brda. With 350,000 inhabitants, it is served by its own domestic airport. An architecturally rich city, Bydgoszcz is home to a number of universities, like the Casimir the Great University, the University of Technology and Life Sciences and a conservatory. With a thriving cultural life, it also hosts the Pomeranian Philharmonic concert hall and the Opera Nova opera house. More information: bydgoszcz.pl
FIDE WWTC 2023: A big upset for India, a huge miracle for Germany
Kazakhstan, Georgia, the USA and Poland enter the knockout stage as the top seeds. In a dramatic turn of events, Bulgaria suffers a last-minute defeat at the hands of Germany and says goodbye to the competition, while India is eliminated after France and Ukraine unexpectedly tie a very tense match. The last round of the Pools stage was full of unexpected turns and twists, as no less than seven teams had yet to secure their qualification for the knockout stage. In Pool A, the clash between Kazakhstan and Georgia (2-2) seemed like a trivial affair, as both teams had already earned their spot. However, the match turned out to be quite the slaughter-fest, with all four games ending with a decisive result. In a slightly inferior position with Black against Bella Khotenashvili, Bibisara Assaubayeva opted for a bold exchange sacrifice that was objectively incorrect. However, it paid off, as Bella was in time trouble and panicked, giving away a whole piece unnecessarily and letting her position collapse. In the fourth board, 16-year-old Amina Kairbekova demonstrated once again that she is probably the most underrated player on the field, as today she outplayed the experienced Salome Melia. Meri Arabidze and Nino Batsiashvili scored the two victories for the Georgians, levelling the match: they both show to be in top shape, having scored so far 4/5 and 3½/4, respectively. India, the 4th seeded team in the competition, had lost its matches in rounds 2, 3 and 4, but today did their part, winning confidently against Egypt by 3½-½. Their qualification was to depend on the result of the match between Ukraine and France, in which a victory by either of the teams would have given the Indians a hail-Mary qualification, as they had better tie-break (board points). It was the moment when all the drama unfolded. Natalia Zhukova drew against Mitra Hejazipour. Natacha Benmesbah ruined a very advantageous position against Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova and lost. Anastasia Savina evened up the score, winning convincingly against Inna Gaponenko. The match and India’s fate were to be decided in the game between Nataliya Buksa (white) and Deimante Daulyte-Cornette (black). Buksa had a favourable position, but the game entered a stage where both players had very little time on the clock. Nataliya blundered a simple mate in two that her opponent overlooked – not once, but twice! In a wild time scramble, the advantage changed sides several times, and after 66 moves, despite having a winning position, Nataliya decided that she had had enough stress and offered a draw that secured her team a spot in the knockout stage. A satisfactory result for both France and Ukraine, but a heartbreaker for India. In Pool B, the situation resembled the one in Pool A, as the two teams who had already qualified, USA and Poland, were to cross swords in the 5th round. And again, the clash was anything but peaceful, with the home team getting the upper hand. Monika Socko struck first and paved the way for her team with an early win against a well-known rival for her, Anna Zatonskih. Socko was a pawn up from early into the game, while her opponent, being short of time, failed to find the best defence. Oliwia Kiolbasa put an end to Alice Lee’s winning run, defeating her in a very nice game. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya rejected a draw by threefold repetition but found herself in a lost endgame shortly after, giving the USA their only victory in the match and leaving the score at 2½-1½ for the home team. China recovered from the double defeat suffered yesterday in rounds 3 and 4, and with a good performance on the bottom boards beating FIDE Americas 3-1, and punched their ticket to the knockout stage. All eyes were on the match Germany-Bulgaria, which was one of the last to end. After a draw was reached in boards 2 and 3, the situation was clearly in favour of the Bulgarians: Elisabeth Paehtz was a pawn up against Antoaneta Stefanova but with no realistic chances to win, while in the fourth board, Viktoria Radeva had a completely winning position against Jana Schneider. Radeva reached an endgame with a rook vs. two pawns, with the engines announcing mate in 25 moves. But as it so often happens, one simple mistake was enough to turn a decisive victory into a draw. Probably distracted by what had just happened, it was Stefanova’s turn to make a mistake, and she lost her game, giving away the crucial point. Germany, after having lost their first three matches in succession and having won only two games in the entire competition (Schneider 1-0 Campos in round 4, and Paehtz 1-0 Stefanova in round 5), leapfrogged Bulgaria in the last turn, defeating them by the minimum score (2½-1½), tying on match points, and barely overtaking them on board points. Pool A results: Georgia (2-2) KazakhstanUkraine (2-2) FranceEgypt (½-3½) India Pool A Standings: Kazakhstan – 9Georgia – 7France – 5Ukraine – 5India – 4Egypt – 0 Pool B results: China (3-1) FIDE AmericasPoland (2½-1½) USAGermany (2½-1½) Bulgaria Pool B Standings: USA – 7Poland – 7China – 6Germany – 4Bulgaria – 4FIDE Americas – 2 Written by David Llada Photos: Michal Walusza Official website: worldwomenteams.fide.com. About the event The 2023 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship takes place from 5-12 September in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Twelve teams participate: Georgia, USA, China, India, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, FIDE Americas, France, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Egypt, each with four players (plus two reserves). They are divided into two pools of approximate strength. Four teams will be eliminated at the pool stage, with the best eight teams advancing to a double-round knockout stage. The matches are decided by team points, with 2 points for the winning team and 1 each in case of a draw. Time control is 45 minutes for the whole game, with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from move 1. Event website: worldwomenteams.fide.com About Bydgoszcz Located in northern Poland, less than 200km from the capital,
Cape Verde Women’s Championship 2023: Célia Rodriguez retains title
The 2nd Cape Verde Women’s National Championship, a 5-round Swiss tournament, took place from September 1-3 at Clube Juventude on the island of Sal. As many as 20 players registered before the start, but due to the flight cancellation from the island of S. Nicolau to the island of Sal, only 19 participants ended up competing in the event. Two rounds were scheduled every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. In one of the morning rounds, some participants, probably unaccustomed to the strict regulations, arrived shortly after the 30-minute grace period and forfeited for non-attendance. Among these players was the defending National Champion, Célia Rodriguez, who was due to play the 2022 runner-up. As a result, heading to the final round, Juliana Monteiro needed only a draw to clinch the title of 2023 champion. Facing the defending champion, Célia Rodriguez, Juliana Monteiro grabbed the initiative in the opening and was building up the pressure until the 24th move, when she made a mistake to drop her advantage. In subsequent play, the two traded inaccuracies, but on move 78, there was a 3-time repetition. Unfortunately for her, Juliana missed that and did not claim a draw that would have secured her the national title. Célia Rodriguez went on to win this dramatic game and became a two-time Cape Veridan Women’s Champion, thanks to superior tiebreaks. For the runner-up, Juliana Monteiro, it was a painful lesson, but she showed that her chess had improved considerably. Final standings: 1 Rodriguez Guevara, Celia 1729 4 2 Pio Monteiro, Juliana 1297 4 3 Almeida, Jacira Laura 1331 4 4 Martins, Katlene Jussara 1232 4 5 Moreno, Akiane 1310 3½ 6 Moreno, Viviane 1046 3 7 Martins, Amanda Maria 1384 3 8 Lopes, Jussara Patricia 3 9 Brito, Karima Monteiro 3 10 Spinola, Divania 1329 2½ Complete standings Official webpage: fcvx.org/cnf-2023/
FIDE WWTC: Kazakhstan, Georgia, USA and Poland advance to quarterfinals
Kazakhstan scored their fourth victory in a row and seems unstoppable, while the USA emerges as the strongest team from Pool B. Round 3 Pool A Kazakhstan (2½-1½) FranceGeorgia (3½-½) EgyptUkraine (2½-1½) India Pool B USA (2-2) FIDE AmericasChina (1-3) BulgariaPoland (2½-1½) Germany The leaders in Pool A, Kazakhstan, were off to a great start, as Bibisara Assaubayeva got a very promising position against Deimante Daulyte-Cornette. However, Bibisara didn’t play precisely enough and let her early advantage fade away. Kazakhstan’s victory came in their boards where they had the black pieces: Meruert Kamalidenova convincingly beat Sophie Millet, and Amina Kairbekova scored a full point against Natasha Benmesbah. The reigning French Champion, Mitra Hejazipour, clinched her first victory playing for the national team, but that was not enough to change the fate of the match. Georgia cruised over Egypt to recover from the defeat in the previous round. Shahenda Wafa was very close to winning against Nino Batsiashvili, as she was a pawn up for most of the game, but she prematurely traded the queens and liquidated to a rook endgame that was a theoretical draw. The match against Ukraine was a cold shower for India. Towards the end of the round, 3-1 looked as the most likely outcome, as Vantika Agrawal had an overwhelming position against Buksa, while Savitha Shri also reached a favourable endgame in her game with Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova. In the end, Savitha had to settle for a draw, but the worst was yet to come: on board two, Agrawal made a horrible blunder (29.d7??) and lost almost on the spot. A serious setback for India and a miraculous triumph for the Ukranians. In pool B, the most relevant result was probably the surprising defeat of China in the hands of Bulgaria by 3-1. At some point, Stefanova’s position against Yuxin Song looked slightly dubious, but she demonstrated her class with a slashing counter-attack on the kingside. Viktoria Radeva scored the second victory for the Bulgarians after Yiyi Xiao fell into a simple tactic. Poland also notched up a big win against their historical rival, Germany. On the fourth board, Klaudia Kulon, a very aggressive and dynamic player, got the kind of position that she enjoys playing, being one pawn down in exchange for the initiative. Her victory against Hanna Marie Klek forced Dinara Wagner to push for a win in a very delicate position, which resulted in Monika Socko’s getting a decisive advantage. However, in the time trouble, Socko fell for a simple perpetual check that, but thankfully for the Polish team, it was enough to seal the victory in the match. In “the Battle of the Americas”, the North and South split the points. Alice Lee continued her impressive performance beating Cuban IM Lisandra Ordaz, while the Argentinian Maria Jose Campos got a victory for FIDE Americas against Annie Wang. The final score 2-2 was a fair result. Round 4 Pool A France (3-1) EgyptKazakhstan (2½-1½) UkraineIndia (1-3) Georgia Pool B USA (2½-1½) ChinaFIDE Americas (1½-2½) GermanyBulgaria (2-2) Poland In Round 4, Kazakhstan extended their winning run with an important victory against Ukraine (2½-1½). Bibisara played a fine game against Anna Ushenina and smoothly converted her extra pawn in a bishop endgame. Alua Nurmanova scored the second full point for the Kazakhstani, while Natalia Zhukova got her second win in a row in the fourth board. The clash between two main contenders for the final victory, India and Georgia, was decided in favour of the Georgians by 3-1. The Indians were still a bit shaky after their dramatic defeat in the previous round, and Harika lost with White in an instructive game very well played by Bella Khotenashvili. The second victory for Georgia also came with the black pieces: Divya Deshmukh tried to defend a weak pawn with some tactics that didn’t really work, and Nino Batsiashvili got a very comfortable position with an extra pawn. The GM from Batumi got sweet revenge for the defeat she had suffered last week at the hands of Deshmukh in the Tata Steel Chess India. France – Egypt was a very one-sided match, won by the Europeans by an indisputable 3-1. The good news is that Egypt achieved its maiden board victory after Ayah Moaataz (1959) checkmated Sophie Millet (2335) on the third board. In Pool B, the main clash of the fourth round was the match between the USA and China, where the Americans came on top by 2½-1½. It was the second defeat of the day for the young Chinese team, a disappointing result after their good performance on the first day of competition. 13-year-old Alice Lee won again and is now on 3½/4, having conceded only one draw in the first round. The way she played an equal endgame against Yuxin Song speaks volumes about how confident the young American feels at the chess board, always trying to keep the game going, waiting for an opportunity. FIDE Americas vs. Germany was a very close match, but in the end, it was decided in favour of the Europeans thanks to a victory in the fourth board, where Jana Schneider outplayed Maria Jose Campos from Argentina. Poland had to settle for a draw against Bulgaria. Klaudia Kulon is on fire and won her third game in a row, this time against Beloslava Krasteva, but Gergana Peycheva levelled the score. This result, however, was good enough for the home team to advance to the knockout stage, regardless of their result tomorrow. With these results, Kazakhstan and Georgia qualified for the knockout stage from Pool A, while France, Ukraine and India will fight in Round 5 for the remaining two qualification spots. As for Pool B, USA and Poland have secured their place in the quarterfinals. No less than four teams – China, Bulgaria, FIDE Americas and Germany – will battle for two remaining places in the knockout stage. Written by David Llada Photos: Michal Walusza Official website: worldwomenteams.fide.com. About the event The 2023 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship takes place from
FIDE WWTC 2023: USA, China and Kazakhstan lead after Day 1
13-year-old Alice Lee defeated former Women’s World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova. Kazakhstan surprises, taking the lead following the defeats of India and Georgia. Round 1 In the Pool A, Georgia scored the best result of the round, a resounding victory by 3½-½ against a direct rival, Ukraine. The Georgian players cemented their win thanks to their dominant performance on the White boards: Meri Arabidze and Lela Javakhishvili showed great drive, and with an accurate play, they got the full point against Nataliya Buksa and Anastasiya Rakhmangulova, respectively. Khotenasvili, with Black on the first board, played a solid Grunfeld line and drew comfortably against Ushenina. The result could have been much closer, though, had Inna Gaponenko managed to convert the winning position she achieved against Nino Batsiashvili. However, the Ukrainian IM, who often falls in time scrambles, let the victory slip at the exact moment when she was going for the kill. Batsiashvili grabbed her chance and, with ingenious play, pulled off the biggest swindle of the day. India defeated France 3-1, but some of the games in the match were quite double-edged, and at times, it seemed as if the match could go either way. Vantika Agrawal is in great shape, and her sound king move 15.Ke2! gave her the upper hand against Deimante Daulyte-Cornette, who shortly after lost a pawn. Vantika’s conversion of her material advantage was flawless. Another Indian player in great shape is Divya Deshmukh, who arrived in Bydgoszcz as the surprising winner of the Tata Steel Rapid India with a splendid performance. With Black, she put Anastasia Savina under some pressure, and the French second board succumbed after making two mistakes in succession, 18.g3 and 20.Kg2. Divya was merciless and punished her opponent with a strong hand. Kazakhstan got a scare very early into the game, as in the second board both players seemed to have mixed up the move order in a Najdorf. Shahenda Wafa played a premature 9.e5, and Kamalidenova got confused and played 9…dxe5 right away (instead of 9…Bb7), giving White a chance to get a decisive advantage with 10.Ndxb5! However, the Egyptian player also missed this intermediate move, but without it, the a8-rook is a Trojan horse. Kamalidenova did not give her opponent a second chance. On the first board, Bibisara Assaubayeva was also ruthless as she outplayed Shrook Wafa, sealing the result at 3-2 for the Kazakhstani players. In Pool B, the home team lost against China by 2½ – 1½ in a match with several twists. Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, making her debut with the Polish national team, played a bit shaky in the opening (with black), and fell into a trap by Kaiyu Ning. Being down material since move 20, Aleksandra kept the game going, hoping for a miracle, and her resilience was rewarded, as Kaiyu failed to deliver a final blow. The very experienced Monika Socko got a clear edge against Yang Shen when the young Chinese misplayed the opening; however, Socko rushed to simplify the position and let the advantage slip, agreeing to a draw after 31 moves. The match was decided on the fourth board, where IM Qi Guo outplayed Michalina Rudzinska. Another thrilling match was the one between Germany and the US. The world is eager to see how 13-year-old Alice Lee will perform in the international arena, and her game today against such an experienced player as Elisabeth Paehtz was an excellent test to start with. With Black, the German GM rejected an early possible draw by threefold repetition against the young prodigy and tried to keep the game going for as long as possible, building some initiative. However, Alice never gave her opponent the slightest chance to get an advantage, and the game was a draw after 75 moves. The match was decided on the second board, where Dinara Wagner lost to Anna Zatonskih. Despite playing one of her pet openings, the Catalan, and being, in general, a very well-prepared player, Dinara seemed to struggle during the whole game to find a safe square to place her Queen, and on move 30, she blundered a knight. The match between the team FIDE Americas and Bulgaria was a very close affair, which came to an unexpected conclusion. The American ladies got ahead on the scoreboard after Lisandra Ordaz, with black, defeated former World Champion Antoaneta Stefanova in great fashion. The position around move 30, where the Cuban IM had a very strong Knight on d4 while Stefanova’s was stuck on a6, is very illustrative. Meantime, Jennifer Perez had Viktoria Radeva against the ropes, so it was all set for a convincing victory for FIDE America. Very short of time, Jennifer started to chase the black king, who ran away across the entire board and managed to hide from the threats for long enough to make her lose on time, despite the time increment of 10 seconds per move. In the end, it was 2-2 and a little setback for the South American players. Round 2 The second round of the day was packed with action: only a few games were decided in the first hour of play, but then, as the end of the afternoon was nearing, quite a few games took an unexpected turn. Kazakhstan took the lead in pool A after Georgia was defeated by France (2½ – 1½), while the USA and China are in command of pool B. Things started on the wrong foot for Georgia, as Salome Melia blundered a pawn early in the opening against Natacha Benmesbah, and could not offer much resistance. The game between Deimane Daulyte-Cornette and Bela Khotenashvili was a beautiful fight to watch. Demaine was by no means better, as Black’s bishop’s pair was restricting her play; however, the French player seized the initiative with her plan 22.g4-g5-g6. The position that emerged, with the White knights creating all kinds of threats, was extremely difficult to assess in a rapid game. Unfortunately, when the tension was reaching its peak, and the game was at its sharpest, Bella blundered a Rook.