Hikaru Nakamura wins Norway Chess 2023
Hikaru Nakamura clinched his maiden Norway Chess title after winning on demand over the tournament leader Fabiano Caruana in the final-round game. The 11th edition of this prestigious tournament, a 10-player round-robin, featuring elite GMs, took place at Finansparken in Stavanger, Norway, from May 30 to June 9. Each round consisted of a classical game with a win worth 3 points and a loss – 0. In case of a draw, the players played an Armageddon game, where the winner scored 1½ points, and the loser got just 1 point with a draw favouring Black. Fabiano Caruana beat Magnus Carlsen in the first-round classical game, grabbed the lead and preserved his top position up to Round 9. As the tournament fate would have it, the leader faced second-placed Hikaru Nakamura in the final round. Trailing Caruana by 2.5 points, Hikaru had a chance to wrestle the title from Fabiano by winning the classical game with the white pieces. The opponents played a well-known line of the Two Knight Defence which has been tested in many games lately. Black got sufficient compensation for a sacrificed pawn, but the first original move by Caruana (17…f5? instead of tried-and-trusted 17…Nb4) was the decisive mistake as Hikaru simply won another pawn. As the winner said in his post-game interview, Caruana must have confused the move order, as in some variations, f7-f5 is very good for Black. Nakamura quickly neutralized the opponent’s initiative and converted his extra material in an endgame. Hikaru took home NOK 750,000 and earned 27.19 FIDE Circuit points. Fabiano Caruana came in second (16.5/27), while 17-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju, who turned in a very solid performance, took third place (14.5/27). The defending and five-time Norway Chess champion Magnus Carlsen finished only sixth, not winning a single classical game. Final standings Photo: Norway Chess Official website: norwaychess.no/
FIDE World U8-10 Rapid & Blitz and Champions Match: Day 5 recap
On June 9, the World U8-10 Rapid & Blitz participants had a rest day. The organizers prepared a busy program for them. The young players visited Batumi Botanical Garden, a member of the International Plant Protection Council (BGCI) of the world’s botanical gardens since 1998. The Second World Championship in solving chess compositions was also held in three age categories under 10, 14 and 18 (boys and girls). Each participant had 90 minutes to solve eight positions (3 two-moves; 3 three-moves and 2 studies). The Nesis Cup 2023, a 9-round Swiss blitz tournament (3+2), which brought together 32 players, also took place on a free day. Final standings Open: Murzin, Volodar Maghalashvili, Davit Kobalia, Mikhail Amonatov, Farrukh Jojua, Davit Final standings Women Nikoladze, Sopio Ziaziulkina, Nastassia Bodnaruk, Kseniya Beridze, Tinatin Vlasova, Nataliya The World Blitz Championship will start at 3 PM local time at Euphoria Hotel in Batumi on June 10. Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results Champions Match Day 4 On the same day, Round 4 of the Champions Match was played in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel in Batumi. Nino Batsiashvili – Mariya Muzychuk (0.5-0.5) The opponents quickly got off the beaten track in a symmetrical line of Gruenfeld Defense after Mariya sacrificed a pawn on move ten. Nino accepted the sacrifice, but Black comfortably maintained equality throughout the battle that ended in a draw in a knight vs bishop endgame. Meri Arabidze – Anna Muzychuk (0.5-0.5) Black introduced an interesting novelty in a sharp line of the Queen’s Gambit as early as on move eight and obtained a very promising position. Sensing that things were not going her way, Meri sacrificed a pawn but did not get sufficient compensation. However, a natural plan with fianchettoing the dark-square bishop and castling short that Anna opted for was not optimal as Meri engineered some activity along the light squares. After a series of mutual errors in the middlegame, Muzychuk emerged clearly better again, but with just under a minute on the clock had to settle for a draw on move 29. The Round 5 of the Champions Match will start on June 10 at 3 PM local time, with the Ukrainian players having the white pieces. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Live games Pairings and Results
Winners crowned at FIDE World Rapid U8-18 2023 in Batumi
The curtain fell on the World Rapid Chess Championship U8-18, organized by FIDE and the Georgian Chess Federation. The rapid part of the event stretched over three days, from June 5-8, in the conference hall of Hotel Euphoria in Batumi. Now we know the winners in all six age categories. Boys U8: Mujammed, Shayan Noushad Ibrahim Cheng, Louis Nguyen, Nhat Khuong Babkin, Timofey Dm Anetov, Amrizhan Boys U10: Sklokin, Sergey Kakavand, Ramtin Bulgak, Damir Zhauynbay, Alimzhan Beniosev, Daniel Boys U12: Dau, Khuong Duy Temirbekov, Taimaz Ambartsumian, Tyhran Yeganegi, Barad Moskvinov, Prokhor Boys U14: Pham, Tran Gia Phuc Dinh, Nho Kiet Vetokhin, Savva Uskov, Artem Averin, Nikolay Boys U16: Piliposyan, Robert Navumenka, Mikhei Sapenov, Daniyal Stribuk, Artiom Gurel, Ediz Boys U18: Murzin, Volodar Grebnev, Aleksey Tsaruk, Maksim Sahakyan, Aleks Siniauski, Artsiom Girls U8: Sivanandan, Bodhana Sobirova, Mumtozbegim Sharvaanica, A S Nguyen, Thi Quynh Hoa Saltkhutsishvili, Sara Girls U10: Zavivaeva, Kristina Berikkyzy, Alanna Milner, Romi Schirmbeck, Lilian Chiokadze, Barbare Girls U12: Le, Thai Hoang Anh Altynbek, Airu Preobrazhenskaya, Diana Tong, Thai Hoang An Akbari, Rosha Girls U14: Kirtadze, Anastasia Nurgaliyeva, Zarina Shukhman, Anna Zubkovskaya, Ekaterina Mai, Hieu Linh Girls U16: Shvedova, Alexandra Norman, Kseniya Shohradova, Leyla Khachatryan, Mariam Seemann, Pola Girls U18: Omonova, Umida Nguyen, Hong Nhung Lomaia, Diana Tsotsonava, Elene Poliakova, Varvara The closing ceremony will be held on June 11, after the completion of the blitz tournament. Tomorrow, June 9, the participants of the championship have a rest day. The organizers prepared some exciting activities for them, including visiting the Batumi Botanical Garden. The two-day World Blitz Championship U8 – 18 starts on June 10 at 3 PM local time. Champions Match: The rest day On June 8, the participants of the Champions Match had an amazing day. The Muzychuk sisters shared their valuable experience with young players and gave them a simul. They also had an opportunity to visit the most picturesque sites of Batumi, including a promenade a promenade along the Batumi seafront Boulevard. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze
2023 Cairns Cup: Anna Zatonskih leads midway through
The participants of the 2023 Cairns Cup in Saint Louis crossed the halfway mark. Ten of the world’s top female players continue a battle for their share of the $180,000 prize fund. With four rounds to go, it is still wide open. The start of the fifth day was marred by the unfortunate withdrawal of GM Humpy Koneru, who had to leave the tournament due to medical (non-COVID) issues. According to tournament regulations, Koneru’s results in the event will be annulled and won’t affect the final standings, but the games she played will still be FIDE-rated. The round only saw one decisive outcome as Khotenashvili narrowly managed to escape Dzagnidze’s mating attack to win her third game in a row, moving to clear second place in the standings with 3.0/5. Meanwhile, the tournament leader Zatonskih drew with Dronavalli, maintaining a half-point lead with 3.5/5 going into the rest day. The surprise leader of the tournament, Anna Zatonskih, reached a typical Carlsbad structure against Harika Dronavalli but failed to achieve any kind of serious pull in the position, with the players eventually simplifying down into a drawn rook endgame. IM Anna Zatonskih | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Crystal Fuller The game of the round was undoubtedly Dzagnidze-Khotenashvili, which started as a quiet Reti Opening that at one point turned incredibly sharp, as Dzagnidze found a fantastic piece sacrifice and launched a mating attack against Khotenashvili’s king. But Nana failed to find all the right moves to finish the attack as she blundered near the first time control, allowing Khotenashvili to consolidate and win thanks to her extra knight. 24.Kg2!! left the bishop on d5 hanging in order to play Qd4 & Rh1, with a devastating attack. But Dzagnidze later went wrong and ended up down a piece. A hat trick and now clear second place for GM Bella Khotenashvili, who was on the verge of losing today. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Crystal Fuller In Abdumalik-Kosteniuk, the players followed a familiar theoretical line in the Four Knights Scotch and drew without much drama. GM Zhansaya Abdumalik | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Crystal Fuller Meanwhile, in Krush-Paehtz, the 8-time U.S. Women’s Champion played quite boldly out of the opening, which saw her king end up on c3 supporting a very early queenside expansion. However, Elisabeth responded well and eventually forced a repetition from a slightly more comfortable position. After 12.b4, White’s queenside expansion was impressive, but the lack of development gave Black time to generate good counterplay. The 2023 Cairns Cup continues Friday, June 9, with tournament action live starting at 1:20 PM CT with commentators Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan, International Master Nazi Paikidze, and International Master Almira Skripchenko on uschesschamps.com and on the Saint Louis Chess Club’s YouTube and Twitch.tv channels. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photos: Crystal Fuller Dates & Location: June 3 – 13, 2023World Chess Hall of Fame Livestream:USChessChamps.Com Web: uschesschamps.com | Twitter: @STLChessClubInstagram: @STLChessClub | Facebook: @STLChessClubYouTube: @STLChessClub | Twitch.tv: @STLChessClub#TheAmericanCup #STLChessClub Press Contact:Rebecca Buffingtonrbuffington@saintlouischessclub.org Photo Credits:Photos and appropriate credits available on Flickr
FIDE World U8-10 Rapid & Blitz and Champions Match: Day 3 recap
On June 7, Rounds 4-7 of the World Cadets & Youth Rapid Chess Championship 2023 in Batumi were played in all age categories, with five participants having a perfect score of 7 out of 7. The event is broadcast live with professional commentary by IM Valeri Gaprindashvili. The children are preparing for the final rounds, starting on June 8 at 3 PM local time. Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results Champions Match On the same day, the third round of the Champions Match was played in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel in Batumi. The game Mariya Muzychuk – Nino Batsiashvili produced the first decisive outcome in the event after 61 moves of play. Black got a decent position in the Rossolimo Sicilian, but first, misplayed it with 10…Be5 and then opted for 17…Bg4? which turned out to be a serious mistake. Just a few moves down the road, Mariya won a pawn and slowly but surely converted her extra material in a knight endgame. The second duel between Anna Muzychuk and Meri Arabidze was a quick 14-move draw. June 8 is a rest day, and the participants have an interesting program prepared for them. The Round 4 of the Champions Match will start on June 9 at 3 PM local time, with the Ukrainian players having the black pieces. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Live games Pairings and Results
International Schools Festival 2023 in Ploiesti: 12 teams to have “invited” status
To all FIDE National Federations FIDE Events Commission is happy to announce that 12 teams from 4 continents (3 teams per the continent) first to enter the 1st edition of International School Festival in Ploiesti, Romania will receive free accommodation (full board is included). The event will take place from July 3-9, 2023. National Federations should send their requests to the FIDE Events Commission before June 13. The Events Commission should be emailed at: fideevents@fide.com Regulations of the International Schools Chess Festival
World Cadets & Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2023 starts in Batumi
The World Cadets & Youth Rapid & Blitz Chess Championship 2023, organized by FIDE and the Georgian Chess Federation, kicked off at the Euphoria Hotel in Batumi with an opening ceremony. The rapid competitions in all categories are 11-round Swiss tournaments with 15-min + 5 second increment time control. The event brought together 459 participants from 35 countries. The event will be broadcast live with professional commentary by IM Valeri Gaprindashvili daily. The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Adjara, Tite Aroshidze, the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara, Maya Khajishvili, the Mayor of Batumi, Archil Chikovani, FIDE Special Tasks Director, the President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Akaki Iashvili and Georgiian Chess Federation first Vice-President George Giorgadze, who welcomed the participants and wished them success. The government members made the first ceremonial move on several boards. Before the games start all participants were presented with symbolic gifts. On the first day threee rounds were played in all categories 39 participants having the perfect score of score of 3 out of 3. Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results Champions Match Day 2 On the same day, the second round of the Champions Match was played in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel in Batumi. In the second round, Ukainian players, Mariya and Anna Muzychuk, had the black pieces. After four hours of play, both games ended peacefully. White had a slight edge in both encounters but Black held draws with accurate defense. The third round of the Champions Match will start on June 8 at 3 PM local time. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Live games Pairings and Results
Global Chess League Unveils Six Franchises for Inaugural Edition Set to Reach 600 Million Viewers in 160 Countries
A Paradigm Shift in Chess Spectatorship with the Inclusion of World-Class Players and Visionary Franchise Owners U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports(ISPL), Punit Balan Group, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports take ownership India / New York / London: 5th June 2023: The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, today unveiled the six participating franchises for its highly anticipated first edition. The league, set to revolutionize the chess ecosystem, will commence with a players’ draft where franchise owners will select players for their respective teams. The GCL aims to redefine the world of chess by bringing together the brightest stars in the game, including Viswanathan Anand, Ding Liren, Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hou Yifan, Kateryna Lagno, and other renowned players, alongside distinguished sports entrepreneurs as franchise owners. U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports (ISPL), Punit Balan Group, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports are the franchises committed to propelling the chess revolution forward. The league is scheduled to take place from June 21st to July 2nd, 2023, at the Dubai Chess and Culture Club. The FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, said, “Tech Mahindra Global Chess League started as a dream, and as we are heading towards its actualisation, we have found the right partners who believe in the vision. We are excited that such reputed entrepreneurs have joined the ranks of GCL. We want to welcome all the owners and their teams to the GCL family and look forward to making the league a big success.” Jagdish Mitra, Chairperson of the Global Chess League Board said, “GCL, the world’s first and largest official franchise league of its kind, blends traditional chess with the new era, aiming to enhance fan experience through digitization, innovation, and technology. The joint-team format, encompassing men, women, and U21 players, demonstrates our commitment to equal opportunities for all. With a cutting-edge broadcast reaching 600 million viewers in 160 countries, GCL will captivate new fans worldwide. We are delighted to have found the right partners to establish GCL’s strong presence across continents and look forward to creating a lasting legacy.” Joining the GCL bandwagon are three experienced sports entrepreneurs U SPORTS, Insurekot Sports, and Punit Balan Group. They are renowned for their successful investments in various franchises across leagues. Apart from the seasoned owners, three new names, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., Chingari App, and APL Apollo-led SG Sports, have joined the franchise owners’ ranks. U SPORTS, led by Ronnie Screwvala, renowned for its sporting successes in sports like Kabaddi, Table Tennis, and eSports in India, will make its international debut with the upGrad Mumba Masters team in the GCL. Suhail Chandhok, CEO, U Mumba & upGrad Mumba Masters said, “Chess is a sport that resonates with all of us, and being a part of something as revolutionary as the Global Chess League really does excite us at U Mumba. The collaboration between Tech Mahindra and FIDE has done an exceptional job of expanding the reach of chess to a wider audience. The star-studded lineup that the GCL promises thrilling matchups that will captivate and mesmerize spectators & we are thrilled to witness the incredible growth of this sport and proud to contribute to its flourishing future.” The second franchise of the tournament will be Ganges Grandmasters, led by Insurekot Sports (ISPL), an entity owned by Suresh Kotak. ISPL also owns the Pro Kabaddi League team & Ultimate Table Tennis League team, Puneri Paltan. Kailash Kandpal, CEO, Insurekot Sports Private Limited said, “We have always been dedicated to promoting sports with immense growth potential. While chess has a rich history, it has yet to establish itself as a mainstream spectator sport. GCL has the power to change that, and we eagerly wait for the league to start.” The third in this list of illustrious owners is the Punit Balan Group (PBG) which will own the team, Balan Alaskan Knights. Led by entrepreneur, businessman and sportspreneur, Mr Punit Balan, the Punit Balan Group has invested heavily across various sports leagues in India over the last two years and aims to contribute to India’s journey of becoming the sporting powerhouse globally. Punit Balan, Owner – Punit Balan Group said, “GCL is a vision that will attempt to change how Chess has been viewed and perceived globally. As a sporting brand, we at Punit Balan Group (PBG) wanted to be part of this historic milestone and represent India in the world of Chess as part of this game-changing global league. PBG supports multiple sports and Chess is a game which had its inception in India, it is something we always wanted to be part of and inspire more sporting enthusiasts to take up the game of chequered squares. We applaud the efforts of Tech Mahindra and FIDE in envisioning the League and look forward to a successful first season.” Triveni Engineering & Industries Limited, one of the largest integrated sugar manufacturers in India and a leading player in engineering businesses comprising Power Transmission business and Water & Wastewater treatment solutions, and Triveni Turbine Limited (TTL), a focused, growing and market-leading corporation with core competency in industrial heat & power solutions and decentralized steam-based renewable turbines up to 100 MW size, make their sports debut with Triveni Continental Kings in the GCL. Dhruv M. Sawhney, Chairman, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd., and Triveni Turbine Ltd., said, “We are excited to make our sports debut with Triveni Continental Kings in the Global Chess League (GCL). Chess is renowned for its strategic thinking and intellectual prowess that aligns perfectly with our core values. We are known for our rich legacy and nation-building initiatives through years of innovation and this venture marks another significant step in establishing global recognition for India. Our aim is to create meaningful connections with chess enthusiasts and the global chess community, nurture talent, and contribute to the growth of chess worldwide. Moreover, the association of Tech Mahindra with GCL reinforces our trust and confidence that the first-of-its-kind chess tournament will be a remarkable global success.” Chingari App (Tech4Billion Group), the world’s fastest-growing Web3 Social Networking App, whose popularity has skyrocketed since the pandemic, will also debut in the sports business
Champions Match Day 1: Black hold in both games
The Muzychuk sisters pressured with White, but the Georgian players stood their ground. On June 5, the Champions Match got off the mark in the conference hall of the Legend Hotel after a short opening ceremony. Before starting the clock, the participants were greeted by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara Maya Khajishvili and FIDE Special Tasks Director and the President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Akaki Iashvili. Mariya Muzychuk – Nino Batsiashvili (0.5-05) The opponents tested a popular line of the Sveshinkov Sicilian in which Black traded his light-squared bishop for White’s centralized knight and found herself in an inferior position. However, after a couple of sluggish moves by Mariya, Nino exchanged the queens and transposed into a roughly equal endgame where the opposite-coloured bishops suggested a draw as the most likely outcome. Indeed, the ladies split a point on move 44. Anna Muzychuk – Meri Arabidze (0.5-0.5) Meri comfortably equalized as Black in the Closed Ruy Lopez, but on move 26, she preferred activity to passive defence and sacrificed a pawn. It did not work out for Arabidze as, after a series of mutual inaccuracies, White gradually consolidated and achieved a winning position. After 48.a4 Black is hard-pressed for a reasonable continuation. However, Anna hastily played 48.e6? and let her opponent escape after 48…Rxe6 49.Rxe6 fxe6 50.Re5 Qc6. A draw was agreed in a rook endgame in which Black had sufficient activity for White’s extra pawn. The second round of the Champions Match will start on June 6 at 3 PM local time, with the Georgian players having the white pieces. Photos: Mindia Malakmadze Official website: batumi2023.fide.com/ Live games Pairings and Results
FIDE Education Commission announces its 7th Preparation of Teachers course
FIDE Chess in Education Commission is pleased to announce the dates of its new 7th Preparation of Teachers course. The course will be held online in English from June 23–25, 2023. The target audience is teachers, chess educators, beginner and advanced players with basic chess knowledge and experience working with children. Participants, based on their exam results, qualify for the FIDE title of School Instructor. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be offered lifetime access to the Opening Master premium chess databases, which currently contain more than 9.6 million official over-the-board chess games and are being updated monthly. Read the detailed course description here. Candidates who wish to attend the course must complete and return the following registration form. The cut-off date for applications is June 19. Applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and the maximum number of places on the course is 20. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at edu.courses@fide.com