FIDE against sexism and sexual abuse in chess
Statement of International Chess Federation against sexism and sexual abuse in chess At FIDE, we are deeply moved by the letter signed by over 100 women chess players denouncing sexist and sexual violence in chess. This letter, initiated by 14 women of French chess, has reverberated throughout the chess world. We commend these women for their courage and solidarity. FIDE stands firmly against any behavior and actions based on sexism including any form of abuse. We are proud that more women are playing chess than ever before, and they deserve a safe and respectful environment. We want to underline that we take any reports of sexism and abuse very seriously and are committed to improving the chess world. We want to encourage more girls and women to play chess and pursue their passion, whether as a hobby, a sport, or a career. We continue our work on a safeguarding policy for women in chess, as we want to provide them with the tools and support to feel safe and confident. In the meantime, we urge any women players who have faced misconduct to file a complaint with the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission. The EDC operates with confidentiality and respect for the complainant’s privacy. We believe in the power of the chess family too. Together, we can improve the culture and make our chess community a safe, respectful, and friendly space for everyone. Even if just one woman is experiencing abuse, it is one too many.
FIDE World Junior Rapid & Blitz U20 Championship: Free accommodation available
The chess world’s spotlight will turn on Pula (Sardinia), Italy, this fall as the first-ever FIDE World Junior Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship U20 approaches. The event will take place on the second-largest Mediterranean Island from October 9 (arrival) to October 16 (departure), 2023. The Organizing Committee is thrilled to announce an amazing opportunity for the first 50 Federations to reach out. Seize a unique chance to get free accommodation for a boy and a girl chess player in our partner hotels by registering by August 25, 2023. Players will be accommodated on a “first come, first served” basis in the partner hotels (check out the official website). To take advantage of such an opportunity, please email the OC juniorrapidandblitz2023@fide.com expressing your interest and including the following details: Name, Surname, and FIDE ID. Only National Chess Federations can apply; individuals cannot submit their own requests. Regulations and invitation letter (pdf) Official website: juniorrapidandblitz2023.fide.com Email: juniorrapidandblitz2023@fide.com Photo: Olaf Tausch
GM Aleksandar Matanovic dies at 93
The renowned Yugoslav/Serbian Grandmaster Aleksandar Matanovic passed away in Belgrade on 9th August, two months after celebrating his 93rd birthday. Following the passing of Yuri Averbakh in May of 2022, Matanovic was the world’s oldest living Grandmaster. An eulogy by Milan Dinic Matanovic with his wife, Vesna, in Amsterdam in 1960 The President of FIDE, Arkady Dvorkovich, expressed his condolences to the family and added:“Aleksandar Matanovic made significant contributions to chess both on and off the board. From his remarkable games and tournament successes, to founding the Chess Informant and contributing to FIDE, his impact was profound. I had the privilege of meeting Matanovic in Belgrade at the end of January this year. Despite his age, his energy and passion were still evident. While the chess world mourns the loss of one of its heroes, Matanovic and his legacy will be forever remembered.” A journalist by training and a highly successful player, Matanovic has left an indelible mark on the chess world, both with his games and with his writing. Alongside Svetozar Gligoric, Borislav Ivkov and Milan Matulovic – he formed the backbone of the second superpower in the chess world, marking the golden era of Yugoslav chess from 1950 to 1980. Matanovic was also the vice president of FIDE from 1990 to 1994 and the director and editor of the esteemed Chess Informant (Šahovski Informator) publishing house which he co-founded in 1966. Aleksandar Matanović was born on the 23rd of May 1930 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He learnt chess at the age of six from his sister. He became the Youth Champion of Serbia in 1947 and then the Youth Champion of Yugoslavia in 1948. He won the title of National Master in 1949, became IM in 1951 and a Grandmaster in 1955. He won the Yugoslav chess championship thrice – in 1962, 1969 and 1978. From a tournament in Australia in 1970 His first appearance in the Yugoslav team was in 1950 when he defeated Albert Pinkus 2:0 in a radio match between Yugoslavia and the US (which ended with an 11,5:8,5 victory for Yugoslavia). From 1954 to 1978 he was a permanent member of the Yugoslav Olympic team winning five silver and four bronze medals, as well as five individual medals (one gold, three silvers and one bronze). Altogether, Matanovic played in 11 chess Olympiads and was undefeated in four of them. In five European championships, between 1957 and 1977, he won four silver and one bronze team medal. In 1980 he was the coach of the national team that won the final Olympic medal for Yugoslavia. After retreating from actively playing chess, Matanovic continued to write and promote the game – with books (aimed at children and chess enthusiasts), articles and public appearances. Matanovic in May 2023 In May this year, to commemorate his 93rd birthday, the oldest newspaper in the Balkans – Serbian daily Politika – asked Matanovic to write a biographical article. He finished it with the following lines: “Chess is a game. Games [are a way to] determine the values of the various factors in sport. Not just human versus human. The chess player is the one side and chess is the other. When a chess player discovers all the secrets of chess, and that is in progress, chess will lose. When a violinist completely masters his instrument, or when a doctor discovers what causes a disease – they will win. The game is a conflict. Conflict, in anything, leads to progress. In chess, for example, the events on the board today are different from those of the previous era – they are on a higher level. When you set out on a journey of no return, who and what you are depends on what you leave behind. When my time comes, I will leave behind my wife, son, three grandchildren, three daughters-in-law, four great-grandchildren, the chess language, and countless games played… And the hope that everything that directed our lives will be better than it was”. Photos: Family archive / Courtesy of the Serbian Chess Federation
FIDE World Cup: Carlsen remains in the race, but Wesley So is out
The world’s highest-rated player won the second game against Vincent Keymer, to clinch the tiebreaks. American Wesley So has been eliminated, while Fabiano Caruana advances to the next round. Goryachkina, Shuvalova and Tan all go to the next round of the Women’s World Cup Magnus Carlsen had a lucky break today surviving his “first serious scare” as he put it. Following a stunning defeat in the first game, he made an error in the first part of the second but wasn’t punished. In the end, he defeated Vincent Keymer with white pieces thanks to a better performance in the endgame. Fabiano Caruana is also through, while Wesley So is out after not being able to achieve more than a draw against Sarana. In the Women’s tournament, among the top favourites, Alexandra Goryachkina and Polina Shuvalova qualified for the next round, while Ju Wenjun and Elisabeth Paehtz will decide the winner on the tiebreaks. Humpy Koneru won her second game against Khotenashvili, reaching the tiebreaks. The Open Tournament Highlights Magnus Carlsen made a comeback today as White after a loss in the previous game to Vincent Keymer. In the Ruy Lopez, Vincent Keymer held the position well but missed a brilliant chance on move 17…Nxe4!, which left Carlsen “shocked”. After that, Carlsen started to play “hesitantly at times” but was “completely fine”, according to the post-mortem by the winner. But in the endgame, the young German star started to err. First, right before the time control he gave Carlsen an easy and clear plan of pushing the a-pawn. In positional manouvering that occurred, Keymer could not find the best path forward and soon Carlsen’s king invaded and was winning. In the post-game interview world’s number one player was very open about his feelings: “Progressing in the World Cup is one thing… but honestly, since day one I was wondering what am I doing here, why am I spending all this time playing classical chess which I just find stressful and boring. But it’s also not a good state of mind. First of all, you should try to do well. But these were my thoughts. If I lose, that’s gonna be another humiliation in the World Cup.” You can watch the full interview on our YouTube channel. Wesley So has been eliminated from the race after drawing his second game with Sarana (having lost the first one). In the exchange line of the Grünfeld, the position was even throughout without either side managing to gain more chances. Having joined the race from round two, Wesley So’s performance in Baku was not at his own level, going through rounds only after tiebreaks and making lucky saves of significantly weaker positions. On the other hand, Sarana’s skilful victory over So in game one, as well as his performance in the previous games, suggests that he is someone to look out for. Fabiano Caruana qualified after beating compatriot Ray Robson in 27 moves, following an effective attack on the black king. In the post-game interview, Caruana was very enthusiastic but noted that he is starting to feel more tired and has less energy to visit the gym, a habit he is following every day. The other players to qualify today are Vidit, Berkes (who knocked out Ponomariov), Grandelius and Erigaisi (who won after Sindarov blundered in an even rook endgame). Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, Leinier Dominguez and 2021 World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda all head for the tiebreaks having drawn both of their round four games. Joining them there are heavyweights Svidler, Ivanchuk and Wang Hao. Berkes goes to the Grand Swiss Ferenc Berkes has won one of the three tickets for the FIDE Grand Swiss, reserved for players who reach the Round of 16 at the World Cup! The other two may go to Vahap Sanal and Daniele Vocaturo if they win the tiebreaks tomorrow. The Women’s Tournament Highlights Aleksandra Goryachkina is through to the next stage after she defeated Nino Batsiashvili with white pieces. In the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Goryachkina was having more initiative from the outset and by move 15 was completely dominating. Polina Shuvalova is also through after defeating Serbia’s Teodora Injac who blundered in the opening. Humpy Koneru staged a comeback, defeating Bella Khotenashvili to clinch the tiebreaks. Despite being slightly better in the first part of the game, Khotenashvili allowed Koneru to improve her position and then gave her a huge advantage. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun had another draw today with Elisabeth Paehtz and the two will face each other in the tiebreaks. In the Berlin line of the Ruy Lopez, the two quickly exchanged pieces in the centre and went for a theoretical draw with a threefold repetition, ending on move 15. It seems that both sides feel they have better chances against one another in the tiebreaks. Among other notable results, Tan Zhongyi qualified after a furious attack against Zhu Jiner. Sisters Marya and Anna Muzychuk drew their second game and will have to decide in the rapid who will move to the next round. The full results of today’s round can be found here: https://worldcup2023.fide.com/pairings Tiebreaks of round four will take place on Friday, 11th of August at 3 PM local time in Baku, Azerbaijan. Here follows a closer look at some of the top games on the second day of round four of the World Cup. Magnus Carlsen defeated Vincent Keymer with white pieces, to stay in the race for the next round of the World Cup. Although the position was even through most of the game, Carlsen had a lucky break after making an error early on. The best move was to play the h1-rook to f1. Instead, Magnus played 16.a3?? Keymer proceeded correctly but missed the key move: 16…Bxc3 17.Qxc3 and now Keymer exchanged the queens. Instead, he should have played 17…Nxe4 and after 18.Qxe5 (If fxe4, then Qxe4) Rxe5 19.Nf4 Rf5 20.Ne2 Ng5 And Black is better. This is how Carlsen summed up what had happened after he made the 16.a3 move: “At first,
Ready to start: everything you need to know about FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad
A very special event will start in Eindhoven on Sunday 13 August: the FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad. Around 250 top talents (boys and girls) from all over the world play chess for six days in a row. And at the same time, there is another event: the Open World Dutch Women’s Top 10 Championship. We are ready to start! Below you can read everything you need to know. 1. The FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad, what’s that? This is an important chess tournament of the international chess federation FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs ) for youth teams of all national chess federations in the world. This is a kind of world championship for youth teams. 2. Who participates? How many participants are there? 67 teams from 50 different countries from all over the world will play in the World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad. Each team has 4 players (at least 1 boy and at least 1 girl). The rule is that the players should not have reached the age of 16 on January 1, 2023. Some federations have additional teams. For example, Kazakhstan plays with 5 teams, the Netherlands with 4 teams, and Canada and Uganda both play with 3 teams. 3. What playing strength do these young players have? The players are very talented. About 80 players have a FIDE rating above 2000. The player with the highest rating is Eray Kilic (Turkey) with 2433. You can see a list of all the players here. 4. Why is the Youth Olympiad in the Netherlands? An event of the FIDE in the Netherlands is very rare! But it is no coincidence that the Youth Olympiad in 2023 has been awarded to the Netherlands. The Royal Dutch Chess Federation (KNSB) exists 150 years and celebrates that with all kinds of activities. The KNSB is the oldest national chess federation in the world. But chess is certainly also very popular among the youth. That is why the KNSB has made an effort to bring in the Youth Olympiad. 5. What is the game schedule? The Youth Olympiad opening ceremony is on Sunday 13 August. 3:00 PM. The 1st round starts at 4:00 PM. There are chess games every day throughout the week. The last chessday is Friday, August 18. There are 9 rounds in total. The time control in the games is 45 minutes with an increment of 10 seconds per move starting from move 1. 6. What side events are there? During the tournament, there are fun events in different locations in the town to promote chess. For example, Mr. X will play chess against anyone who wants to play with him. Mr. X is a very special person. He (or she?) is a very good chess player, but no one knows who he or she is, because this player is in a chess suit so that no one can see him or her. 7. And a very nice tournament to promote chess for women! There is also another top event in Eindhoven: the Open World Dutch Women’s Top 10 Championship. The first round will be played on August 10. The closing ceremony will be held on August 18 together with that of the Youth Olympiad. All rounds start at 2:00 PM (Central European Time), except the last one, which starts at 10:30 AM (CET). With an average rating of 2341 and several IMs and WGMs participating we are very much looking forward to the start of the Women’s Top 10. It’s a very nice tournament to promote chess for women. 8. Where does everything take place? The Youth Olympiad will be played at the smartest square kilometer in Europe: the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. The campus is built around an ecosystem of 260 companies with a range of application fields. Home to over 12.500 innovators, researchers, engineers that create the technologies and business of tomorrow. The special tournament for the women will take place in the Van der Valk Hotel, about 3 kilometers from there. Photo: High Tech Campus Eindhoven official website 9. How can I see the tournament? Of course, you can come and see the games yourself. But you can also see it anywhere in the world via computer or smartphone. All the games will be broadcast live. Also there will be live broadcast with commentators IM Stefan Kuipers and FM Anna-Maja Kazarian. The Content Team will bring interviews, photos, and videos every day. 10. Who made it all possible? We would like to thank the Ministry of VWS, the province of North Brabant, the municipality of Eindhoven, BrabantSport, the High Tech Campus, ASML, DGT, Van der Valk and Thinc ahead. Maes van Lanschot of the municipality thinks it’s great that the Youth Olympiad is taking place in Eindhoven: “We would like to welcome all young chess players to the ‘smartest square kilometer’ in the world, our High Tech Campus.” Bianca Muhren (KNSB): “Incredibly great that in our jubilee year as the oldest chess federation in the world, we managed to bring an international youth championship to the Netherlands, with a new international women top tournament as a bonus. We are going to make it an unforgettable event!” Michel Reinders (BrabantSport): “This international tournament suits our innovation region to attract talents to Brabant. With the Youth Olympiad in Eindhoven, we give the brightest talents the chance to shine on the highest chess stage.” Niels Cannegieter (organization and event agency Thinc ahead): “Thinking ahead is not only in our DNA, but also in our name. We are proud that we were able to organise this event in the Netherlands together with the chess federation.” Official website: youtholympiad2023.fide.com/
FIDE World Cup Round 4 Game 1: Magnus Carlsen loses to 18-year-old prodigy Vincent Keymer
The world’s top-rated player will have to win in the next game for a chance to stay in the World Cup. All the other top favourites ended the day with a draw In a surprising turn of events, the world’s highest-rated player Magnus Carlsen suffered his first defeat in the World Cup and the first ever to 18-year-old German prodigy Vincent Keymer. Carlsen misplayed an even endgame and ended up lost. All other top favourites in the Open – Nakamura, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi, finished the day with a draw. Of the eight games played in the Women’s tournament, all ended in a draw save one: India’s top-rated woman player and world #4, Humpy Koneru, lost as White to Georgia’s Bella Khotenashvili. The Open Tournament Highlights Former World Champion in classical chess, Magnus Carlsen, suffered a defeat as Black against 18-year-old German prodigy Vincent Keymer. This was the first time that Keymer beat Carlsen in a classical game. Playing as Black in the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Carlsen created a solid position in a typical Carlsbad structure. In a rook and knight endgame that transpired, Carlsen made a mistake on move 36 and ended up losing a pawn. Soon afterwards, the rooks were exchanged and in a knights endgame where Vincent smoothly converted his extra pawn. Keymer was realistic when asked to sum up the game: “It was an equal game, and then I got a chance and used it… This was a one-off blunder [for Carlsen] otherwise, the game would have ended with a draw which would have been totally fine with me.” To stay in the race, Carlsen will have to win the second game, where he will be playing as White. In another upset, Alexey Sarana beat Wesley So with black pieces. In the exchange line of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, the reigning European champion gradually outplayed his opponent. By move 23, Sarana was significantly better. Wesley So then managed to get close to equal after a mistake by Sarana, but in the proceeding moves, he made a drastic error of judgement and was lost again. Sarana finished off the opponent with several impressive moves. Three other grandmasters won today – Nils Grandelius beat Jamie Santos Latasa, Vidit defeated Bacrot in a sharp Sicilian battle, and Hungary’s Ferenc Berkes is continuing his impressive run, outplaying Ruslan Ponomariov. All other games ended in a draw, including those of Caruana, Nakamura, and Nepomniascthi. The Women’s Tournament Highlights The Women’s tournament saw Bella Khotenashvili secure the only victory of the day by defeating India’s top-rated woman player, Humpy Koneru, with black pieces. After Koneru made a mistake early on in the opening, she ended up defending a weaker position throughout the game. Despite Khotenashvili giving Koneru a few chances to equalise, in the end, the Indian didn’t use them and was forced to surrender after 42 moves. Round four saw an unusual pairing where two sisters – Anna and Mariya Muzychuk had to play against one another. In the Semi-Tarrasch, neither side managed to get much advantage, and the two agreed to a draw after reaching an even rook endgame. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun drew as White with Elisabeth Paehtz in what was a largely calm game. Serbia’s Teodora Injac had a nearly winning position as White against Polina Shuvalova in the opening but misplayed in the middlegame and her advantage gradually evaporated. The full results of today’s round can be found here: worldcup2023.fide.com/pairings. Game two of round four will take place on Thursday, 10th of August at 3 PM local time in Baku, Azerbaijan. Here follows a closer look at some of the top games of round four of the World Cup: Germany’s Vincent Keymer achieved the biggest game victory of his career as he defeated Magnus Carlsen for the first time in a classical game. In the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Carlsen had an equal position, but he blundered on move 36. White just played g5. The best option for Black was to plat his knight to e7, to try and force an exchange of knights. Instead, Carlsen played 36…Nc7? which failed to 37.Nd6! g6 Played to prevent White from placing the rook on f5, attacking the f7-point. However, after 38.Nxb7 Rb1 39.Nd8 Rb5 40.Rxb5 cxb5 41.Nc6, the knight endgame is hopeless for Black. Carlsen resigned on move 58. 1-0 Wesley So – who has had a lot of luck in the World Cup so far – wasn’t lucky today. Alexey Sarana (now playing for Serbia) outplayed the American in the Queen’s Gambit Declined. By this point, Black had already gained more space and initiative over the board. White should have tried to ease the pressure by exchanging a pair of rooks with 23.Rxc8 followed by Qb4. So, however, went for 23.Qd3? giving Black a precious tempi 23…Rxc1 24.Rxc1 and now Sarana chose the wrong path for his knight with 24…Ng4. 24…Nd7, with the same idea of Ne5, was a preferred move by the engines. 25.Qf5 Nf6 – Sarana admits his mistake. 26.Nc5 h5 and now, 27.b4? After 27.Qg5! Black is just slightly better. Now Black pressed on. After 27…h4 28.Nf1 g6 29.Qd3 Nh5 Sarana dominates. The final portion of the game is quite spectacular. 29…Nh5 30.Qxa6 Qxa6 31.Nxa6 Nf4 32.Nc7 This last try by Wesly was met with 32…h3! 33.Ng3 hxg2 34.Nxa8 d3, and there’s no way for White to stop the Black from promoting the d-pawn. 0-1 Humpy Koneru lost as White to Bella Khotenashvili from Georgia. Things started to go south for India’s top woman player as early as move seven. In the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Bella introduced an interesting novelty 6…b5. Humpy’s reaction 7.a4? was far from optimal. 7.Nxb5 or 7.e5 were the best options. After 7…b4 8.Ne2 Bb7 9.Ng3 b3 10.Qxc4 Nxe4 Black emerged clearly better but dropped most part of his advantage in subsequent play. Black now has only a slight edge. White should have played 22.Rd1 and proceeded with gradually consolidating her position. Instead, Humpy opted for a natural but erroneous 22.Be3? After 22…Nxe3 23.fxe3 Qh8 24.b3 e5 25.Qf2 e4 26.Rhd1 f4 Black is dominating with opposite-colored bishops only reinforcing her attack. The rest was a smooth sail for
Istanbul ENKA High School and Velammal MHS Mogappair win FIDE WSTC
The big celebration of scholastic chess – the FIDE World Schools Team Championship 2023 – has ended. Istanbul ENKA High School (Turkey) in the U18 section and Velammal MHS Mogappair (India) in the U12 were unstoppable! Both winning teams won all eight matches and deservingly claimed gold medals. Lviv Academic Gymnasium takes home the trophy for second place in the U12 tournament. Solely trailing the leaders going into the last day of the competition, the Ukrainian squad finished solidly with a match win and a draw. The match points (2 for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss) determined the winners. If the match points were equal, the Olympiad-Sonneborn-Berger tiebreak came into play. It added the scores of each defeated team and half the scores of each drawn team, excluding the lowest result. Five teams tied for third, but the tiebreak favoured National Physics & Mathematics School from Kazakhstan. The tiebreak also decided the silver and bronze in the under-18 category. The local team, Republican School of Physics and Mathematics (Kazakhstan), and Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai (India), had 12 points each, but the tiebreaks gave the edge to the former. More exceptional performances deserve special mention: Aarav A (IND), Aziz Degenbaev (KGZ), FM Adar Tarhan (TUR), and Suleyman Akhmet (KAZ) all scored 8 out of 8 and won individual gold medals. The 2023 FIDE World Schools Team Championship took place in Aktau, Kazakhstan, from 4-7 August. More than 300 schoolchildren from 53 countries came to the city on the Caspian shore to defend the honour of their schools by competing in two age categories: up to 12 years old and 18 years old. The award ceremony was held in the Amphitheater on the promenade by the sea. Mr Timur Turlov, the President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, addressed the audience: “Today, dozens of teams from more than 50 countries have gathered in this hall. This is a clear marker of the incredible popularity of the chess movement throughout the world and the influence of Kazakhstan on the global chess agenda. I am convinced that this tournament became the starting point in hundreds of young chess players’ careers and allowed you to find new friends and like-minded people, enjoy the beauties of Aktau and get to know Kazakh culture better.” Mr Nurlan Nogaev, Akim of Mangistau region, noted that more tournaments like this will be held in Aktau. “Chess is not only an exciting game that enhances brain development but also a valuable tool that positively affects a person’s mindset. By engaging in the sport of chess, our teenagers and kids foster their creativity and set an example for their peers,” he said. The closing ceremony ended with colourful fireworks. Top 10 finishers Under 18: Istanbul ENKA High School (TUR) – 16 Republican School of Physics and Mathematics (KAZ) – 12 (202,5 tiebreak) Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai (IND) – 12 (190,5) No 5 Xatirchi (UZB) – 11 M. Gandhi Specialized Lyceum No. 92 (KAZ) – 11 Photon Gymnasium (ARM) – 11 Saco Oliveros (PER) – 11 Theoretical Lyceum “N. Gogol” (MDA) – 10 Author’s educational complex of the gymn (KGZ) – 10 Mongeni Complex School (MGL) – 10 Top 10 finishers Under 12: Velammal MHS Mogappair (IND) – 16 Lviv Academic Gymnasium (UKR)- 12 National Physics & Mathematics School (KAZ) – 10 (172 tiebreak) Lyceum School No. 8 for gifted children (KAZ) – 10 (171,5) IT lyceum No 9 named after O. Zholdasbek (KAZ) – 10 (168) School of Astana, number 72 (KAZ) – 10 (129,5) Saco Oliveros (PER) – 10 (114,5) Szkoła Podstawowa nr 48 im. Szarych Szer (POL) – 9 El Altillo International School (ESP) – 9 “School-Lyceum No. 7 named after N. Mara (KAZ) – 9 About World Schools Team Championship 2023 Schoolkids come to Aktau from all over the world to defend the honour of their school and country. The Championship is organized by FIDE and Kazakhstan Chess Federation, with the support of the akimat of Mangistau region, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan. Freedom Holding Corp is the General Partner and Sponsor. Official website: wstcc2023.fide.com Photos: Flickr (can be used only for media reporting about the event, with credit given to Kazakhstan Chess Federation)
FIDE World Cup Round 3 Tiebreaks: A day of the underdogs
Several rating favourites were eliminated in the third stage of the World Cup, including the winner of the 2021 women’s competition and former World Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk The most significant upset of the round three tiebreaks occurred as Alexandra Kosteniuk was eliminated by Serbia’s Teodora Injac, who defeated her in both rapid games of the first tiebreak. It was also a challenging day for India’s Harika Dronavalli, who secured her place in round four only after winning the final blitz-game match with a 3+2 time control. The Open tournament witnessed dramatic eliminations as several top GMs were defeated by rating underdogs. Anish Giri faced a tough battle against Nijat Abasov and was ultimately knocked out after three stages of tiebreaks. Super GMs Teimour Radjabov (who won the 2019 World Cup winner) and Yu Yangyi were also stopped from making it to the next stage. The Open Tiebreaks: After an intense series of three tiebreak matches which altogether lasted five hours, Anish Giri was eliminated from the World Cup by the 28-year-old Baku native, Nijat Abasov. In the first rapid match, both sides exchanged victories. The second tiebreak ended with two draws. Then, in the third stage of the tiebreaks – where the time control was 5+3 – the first game ended in a draw, but Giri misplayed in the second and lost. The 2019 World Cup winner and the hosts’ biggest hope in this edition in Baku, Teimour Radjabov was also knocked out. Spanish GM Jaime Santos Latasa defeated him with black pieces in the first tiebreak rapid game after Radjabov badly misplayed in a rook and queen endgame. The second game ended in a draw despite Santos Latasa being slightly better. Fabiano Caruana defeated Turkey’s Mustafa Yilmaz 2-0 to qualify for round four and was the only player of the top favourites to finish the tiebreak on 100%. Wesley So, who faced France’s Jules Moussard, had to go through two rounds of rapid tiebreaks before he could qualify. The two drew both of their first rapid match games. In the second rapid match, So was better at the finish of game one. Game two ended in a draw despite So completely dominating since move 23. Jan-Krzysztof Duda qualified by capitalising on Ivan Cheparinov’s endgame slip in the rapid. Ian Nepomnichi is also through after Rauf Mamedov blundered towards the endgame in their first rapid duel. Wang Hao defeated England’s David Howell, who also misplayed in the endgame but in the first rapid tiebreaker. Peter Svdler scored a victory against Jorden Van Foreest as Black and then drew in their second rapid game to seal his path to the next stage. The round three tiebreak seems to have favoured the underdogs as several notably higher-rated GMs were eliminated. Turkish GM Vahap Sanal won both rapid games against the rating favourite Anton Korobov. In the first game, Korobov completely misplayed and had to give up an exchange, while in the second one, he blundered in the endgame. Hungary’s Ferenc Berkes (celebrating his birthday tomorrow) is having a great tournament in Baku and is through to Round 4 after knocking out Nikita Vitiugov in the first rapid tiebreaker with 1.5-0.5. It was the third tiebreaker Berkes had to play. In Round 1, he defeated Iran’s Pouria Darani via tiebreaks, then in the second round, he eliminated the former world champion candidate and 2009 World Cup winner Boris Gelfand, also in the tiebreaks. Once France’s leading star player, Etienne Bacrot, eliminated China’s 2700+ strong GM Yu Yangyi, defeating him with black pieces in game two of the rapid. Despite achieving a better position, Yu miscalculated. In an attempt to seize the black king in the centre, he first dropped the advantage and then blundered into a lost position. Ukraine’s Vasyl Ivanchuk (54) outmatched his opponent, the 30-years-younger and 2700+-rated Chinese GM Wei Yi, defeating him 1.5-0.5. Sweden’s Nils Grandelius prevailed over Amin Bassem by 1.5-0.5 and secured his qualification for the next stage. Nihal Sarin, Salem Saleh, Andrey Esipenko, and Radoslaw Wojtaszek also advanced. The Women’s Tiebreaks: In a monumental upset for the women’s tournament, Serbia’s Teodora Injac eliminated Women’s World Cup 2021 winner and former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, defeating her in both games of the first rapid tiebreak. However, in the first game, Kosteniuk missed an opportunity for a perpetual check, allowing Injac to secure victory. This was a very long day for India’s Harika Dronavalli, who qualified for Round 4 only after winning the final blitz-game match with a 3+2 time control. Dronavalli was playing Lela Javakhishvili of Georgia after they drew both games in the classical part of round three. The first rapid match ended with two draws. In the second, Harika scored first, but Lela bounced back in the second. Then, in match three – with a time control of 5+3, both games ended in a draw. In the final two-game match, played under 3+2 time control, game one ended without either side having many chances. But in the second and final game, Harika took advantage of her opponent’s imprecisions and ended in a knight endgame where she was two pawns up, finishing with a victory. Grandmaster Zhu Jiner (whose title was officiated just recently by FIDE) has qualified after winning both of her rapid games against IM Yuliia Osmak. Another Chinese GM and former Women’s World Champion, Tan Zhongyi, is also through, having defeated Estonia’s IM Mai Narva in the second rapid match 2:0 (the first one ended with both sides scoring a victory each). The full list of the results from the round three tiebreaks can be found here: https://worldcup2023.fide.com/tree. Top performers head for the Grand Swiss Before the Baku event, the International chess federation (FIDE) announced that up to three players from those who reach the Round of 16 in the World Cup, and up to two players from the Women’s World Cup Round of 16, who haven’t qualified otherwise, will get a place in the upcoming Grand Swiss which will be held in October. On the
FIDE World Schools Team Championship: Schools from Turkey and India lead with perfect score
Only two rounds are left at the FIDE World Schools Team Championship in Aktau. FIDE World Schools Team Championship is entering its final day. The tournament’s favourite Istanbul ENKA High School is one step from securing gold medals in the U18 category. The Turkish team won all their matches and, with 12 match points, is three points ahead of the closest pursuers. Considering excellent tiebreaks, one draw in the last two rounds will likely suffice to claim the Championship. At the start of the day, two teams were in the lead with perfect scores: Istanbul ENKA High School and Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai. In Round 5, the Turkish team defeated their rivals in a close match by 2½:1½. In the next round, the Indian team conceded more points by making a draw with Photon Gymnasium from Armenia and is now trailing Istanbul ENKA High School by three points. Four more teams share the second place with the same score of 9 match points: Gymnasium Theodorianum Paderborn (Germany), Theoretical Lyceum “N. Gogol” (Moldova), Mongeni Complex School (Mongolia), and the abovementioned Photon Gymnasium (Armenia). The competition for silver and bronze medals is wide open. Six top teams will meet each other in the two final rounds and determine the pedestal in direct encounters. In the U12 section, Indian Velammal MHS Mogappair is unstoppable. Number 2 in the starting list, this team won all the matches so far and is leading by 3 points. In Round 7, they will face off with the number 1 seed Lyceum School No. 8 for gifted children from Kazakhstan. The team from the host country must win this match to continue their pursuit of the medals as they share third with five other teams that scored 8 points. The second spot is currently occupied by Lviv Academic Gymnasium from Ukraine. Trailing the leader by 3 points, number 3 in the starting rank, this team has already met with the leaders and a few close rivals. Solid play in the final games will likely lead them to a medal. Below are the Top Standings after six rounds. Under 18: Istanbul ENKA High School (TUR) – 12 match points Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai (IND) – 9 Gymnasium Theodorianum Paderborn (GER) – 9 Theoretical Lyceum “N. Gogol” (MDA) – 9 Mongeni Complex School (MGL) – 9 Photon Gymnasium (ARM) – 9 Under 12: Velammal MHS Mogappair (IND) – 12 match points Lviv Academic Gymnasium (UKR) – 9 National Physics & Mathematics School (KAZ) – 8 Lyceum School No. 8 for gifted children (KAZ) – 8 Silver Stream Public School (CAN) – 8 IT lyceum No 9 named after O. Zholdasbek (KAZ) – 8 School of Astana, number 72 (KAZ) – 8 Saco Oliveros (PER) – 8 About World Schools Team Championship 2023 Schoolkids come to Aktau from all over the world to defend the honour of their school and country. The Championship is organized by FIDE and Kazakhstan Chess Federation, with the support of the akimat of Mangistau region, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan. Freedom Holding Corp is the General Partner and Sponsor. Official website: wstcc2023.fide.com Photos: Flickr (can be used only for media reporting about the event, with credit given to Kazakhstan Chess Federation)
FIDE World Cup Round 3 Game 2: Intense showdowns and surprises
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Daniil Dubov were eliminated from the Open, while Bibisara Assaubayeva was knocked out of the Women’s competition after a loss to Elisabeth Paehtz The World Cup in Baku has seen another set of top favourites eliminated as the pressure is mounting. While some of the strongest players directly qualified for Round 4, many will have to fight in the tiebreaks. Among the favourites in the Open, Carlsen and Nakamura are through to the next stage. In the Women’s tournament, Alexandra Goryachkina qualified, as did Ju Wenjun, who scored a victory after miraculously saving a lost endgame. The Open Tournament highlights: The first qualifier to round four was the 23-year-old Alexey Sarana (playing for Serbia), who defeated Kirill Shevchenko today in just 26 moves, with an overall score of 1.5-0.5. The 17-year-old Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov eliminated one of the top players in the tournament, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (MVL). After a draw in game one, MVL had slightly more initiative in the second game, playing as White. After making a few inaccuracies in the middlegame the Frenchmen went for an attack on the black king which was refuted by several precise moves by the young Uzbek GM. Daniil Dubov is out. After a shocking loss in the first game, he could not make more than a draw with black pieces against Daniele Vocaturo in the second. In fact, throughout the second game, Dubov was notably weaker and made errors. At the moment when the draw was agreed, Vocaturo had a better position in a rook and queen endgame. Magnus Carlsen is through to round four after a draw with Aryan Tari (1.5-0.5 for Carlsen). Hikaru Nakamura also qualified after defeating Hungarian Benjamin Gledura in the second game with White. Leinier Dominguez Perez advanced to Round 4 after a lucky escape with a draw in a lost endgame against Guseinov. Parham Maghsoodloo also qualified, eliminating Alexander Donchenko (1.5-0.5) after making a hard-fought draw in the second game. After scoring victories in game one, Peter Svidler and Sleh Salem lost today, which means they will go to the tiebreaks. The 2021 World Cup winner Jan-Krzysztof Duda drew as White with Ivan Cheparinov and will be going to his first tiebreak in Baku. Several top favourites will also be playing in the tiebreaks after two draws: Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Teimour Radjabov, Wesley So (who finished today after just 17 moves!), and Anish Giri. Other super GMs going to the tiebreaks after two draws are Yu Yangyi, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Nikita Vitiugov, Wang Hao, Wei Yi, Vasyl Ivanchuk and Radoslaw Wojtaszek who managed to level the score playing with the black pieces after losing the first game against Ivan Schitco. The Women’s Tournament highlights: The biggest story in round three of the Women’s World Cup is the elimination of the reigning World Blitz Champion, Bibisara Assaubayeva, who lost to Germany’s Elisabeth Paehtz. In the transition towards the endgame, Bibisara chose the wrong time to offer an exchange of queens, and from that moment on, her position went south. The two drew their first game. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun had a tough game against nearly 200 points lower-rated Ulviyya Fataliyeva. After the English opening, Fataliyeva (playing as Black) completely outplayed Ju in the Nimzo-Indian-type pawn structure and reached an overwhelming position. However, she misplayed in time trouble and allowed White to equalise. The two finally reached an endgame where Ju had a rook and a knight against Black’s rook, with no pawns on the board. There was a path to a draw, but Black needed to play precisely, which she did not, walking into checkmate. A lucky escape and victory for Ju. Of the top women’s favourites, Aleksandra Goryachkina is through after drawing her second game, while Mariya Muzychuk won again today and qualifies for round four with two victories. Her sister, Anna, is also through to round four as she defeated the former Women’s World Champion and compatriot Anna Ushenina with an effective attacking combination to finish the match 1,5:0,5. Polina Shuvalova eliminated American Irina Krush, while Humpy Koneru was better than Olga Badelka, outplaying her in the Torre Attack. Dutch champion Eline Roebers is also through with a maximum score, beating Poland’s Klaudia Kulon in both games. The 2021 Women’s World Cup winner, and former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, will head to the tiebreaks as today again she could not break the resistance of Teodora Injac of Serbia. Zhu Jiner and Harika Dronavalli also go to the tiebreaks. The full list of the results from the second game of round three can be found here:https://worldcup2023.fide.com/tree. The tiebreaks of round three will take place on Monday, 7th August, at 3 PM local time in Baku, Azerbaijan. Here follows a look at some of the most interesting positions from the second game of round three: In a sharp line of the Morphy Defence, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave emerged with a slight edge. White has three pawns and a knight for a rook, an advanced protected pawn on a6 and more control over the centre. Still, Black has resources to counter. The best option for White was to go 22.Qa5, offer an exchange of queens, then try to relocate the c1-bishop to e3. Vachier-Lagrave decided to start an attack on the black king which backfired. 22.Qf5? Bxd4 23.Ng5 h6 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Nf3 Qb6 26.Nxd4? MVL overlooked – 26…Rxa6! forcing White either to lose material or get checkmated. 27.g3 Qb7! Now a threat of checkmate from h1! 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Qg7 Rxa1 Black collects the rook 30.Nf5+ 30…Ke6! Demonstrating precision to the very end. If 30…Kd8 then 31.Qf6+ and Black has chances to save the game. 31.Nd4+ Kd5 32.Nf3 Rxc1 32.Kg2 Rc4 33.Qxh Re6 and here the Frenchman realised it’s time to call it a day. 0-1 Kirill Shevchenko was very close to equality with the black pieces against Alexey Sarana, but one mistake cost him dearly. Black should hold with the precise 20…Kc6!, whereas after 20…Nc7?? 21.Rhb1! he has no way out. Kirill tried 21…Rc7 but after 22.Nb5 a3 23.Na7 White won