2023 European Team Championship kicks off in Budva, Montenegro
The 2023 European Team Chess Championship commenced in Budva, Montenegro. The Opening ceremony took place in Hotel Splendid, the official hotel and the playing venue of the competition. The ceremony was inaugurated with the rendition of the ECU and Montenegro anthems. The President of the Chess Federation of Montenegro, Jovan Milovic, then took the floor and welcomed the players and distinguished guests. “I am very proud that we organised the European Team Chess Championship two months before celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Chess Federation of Montenegro. It is the best gift of all: chess players, chess enthusiasts and friends of chess, Montenegro,” said Milovic. The President of the European Chess Union, Zurab Azmaiparashvili, addressed the players and guests and expressed his gratitude to the Montenegro Chess Federation for their hospitality. “I believe that Montenegro is becoming the number one chess destination in Europe. I would like to praise the overall work of the current leadership of the Chess Federation of Montenegro, as well as their efforts regarding the Chess in School projects,” emphasized Azmaiparashvili. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Youth and Sports of Montenegro, Dragoslav Scekic, wished the competitors a nice stay in Montenegro. “I would like to thank the European Chess Union for entrusting our country with organizing one of the biggest European chess events. I admire their work and believe we will have a successful cooperation,” he said. The Opening ceremony also featured musical performances and a short historical movie about chess development in Montenegro. World #1 Magnus Carlsen attended the opening ceremony of the event and kindly poseв for photos with fans. The Technical meeting took place after the opening ceremony, with the attendance of the team captains. The Chief Arbiter of the event, Nenad Doric, addressed the captains and introduced them to the tournament rules together with his colleagues: Fair Play Officer Tania Karali and Deputy Chief Arbiter Igor Vujacic. The event brought together 70 teams from 39 European federations, with 38 teams in the Open section and 32 teams in the Women’s tournament. Azerbaijan (Rtg average 2701) headlines the Open tournament, and Georgia (Rtg average 2471) is the top seed of the Women’s event. Top European players represent their federations at the championship, including the World No1 GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2829), GM Richard Rapport (ROU, 2748), GM Teimour Radjabov (AZE, 2745), GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE, 2734), GM Vincent Keymer (GER, 2721), and GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI, 2526), GM Bella Khotenashvili (GEO, 2488), GM Nino Batsiashvili (GEO, 2487), GM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER, 2473), and WGM Dinara Wagner (GER, 2467) in Women’s section. The ECU President Zurab Azmiaparashvili and the ECU Honorary Vice President, and the Vice President of the Montenegro Chess Federation Veselin Draskovic played the first ceremonial moves on the top boards of the Open and Women’s event to open the round. The first round brought some unexpected results. Denmark beat the top seed Azerbaijan by a minimal margin (Mads Andersen defeated Shakhriyar Mamedyarov; other three games were drawn), while Norway and Romania were held to a draw by lower-rated Slovakia and Austria, respectively. There were no surprises in the women’s section as almost all the favourites scored confident victories in Round 1. The only exception was the match between Germany and Greece, which the latter tied after all four games were drawn. Standings after Round 1 Open Standings after Round 1 Women Text and photos: European Chess Union Official website: etcc23.me/
Winners crowned at World Amateurs Championship 2023
The World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 is in the books. Organized by the Omani Chess Committee, in partnership with the International Chess FederationThe event took place in Muscat, Oman from November 2 to November 11 in the main sports hall at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bawshar. The Kazakhstani player, Abilmansur Abdilkhair, clinched the title in the amateur chess championship in the Open U-2300 category. The event saw the dominance of Mongolian players: Dashtogtokh Amarsaikhan secured gold in the Open U-2000; his countryman Ganbat Danzanjunai came out on top in the Open U-1700 section, Norovsambuu Badamkhand won Women U-2000, while in the Women U-1700 categpru, Bat-Amgalan Anujin of Mongolia wrestled the title in fierce competition with her compatriot Tsogdelger Anudari, thanks to the direct encounter win. Bauyrzhan Amash from Kazakhstan became the champion in the U-2300 category. Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain, Minister of Labor, was the chief guest of the Closing ceremony attended by several dignitaries, national chess federations’ officials and ambassadors from participating countries. The tournament saw incredible battles of 389 players representing 64 countries from all over the planet. This diverse lineup added an atmosphere of a truly global competition. Each round commenced with an inaugural move made by one of the distinguished attendees, including Her Highness Sayyida Hujaija Jaifer Al Said and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. In addition, the tournament had extensive media coverage across FIDE social media platforms and the Omani Chess Committee. There were also several pieces on the championship in the Arabic and English newspapers. In the Open U-2300 category, Abilmansur Abdilkhair of Kazakhstan delivered an exceptional performance and secured the top position, scoring 8/9. In the final round, he faced Naranbold Sodbilegt of Mongolia and dominated throughout, netting a crucial point. Kartavya Anadkat of India and Egyptian Marco Fadi tied for second place on 7/9, with the former taking silver thanks to better tiebreaks. Dashtogtokh Amarsaikhan from Mongolia steamrolled the competition in the Open U-2000 category, winning all nine games. He particularly shone in the battle with Alikhan Khazhatuly from Kazakhstan, a highly challenging encounter for both players. R Sham of India came second, netting 7.5 points, while the bronze medal went to another Indian player, Ragavesh Velavaa (6.5/9). In the Open U-1700 category, Ganbat Danzanjunai of Mongolia emerged as the winner, notching up 8/9. The decisive confrontation with the Indian player Batra Deepak in the final round saw an exciting clash on the king’s side, but when the dust settled, the opponents agreed on a draw. Vadim Pak from Kyrgyzstan scored 7.5/9 and tied for second place with his compatriot Medet Dzhaparov but claimed silver by dint of better tiebreaks. In the Women U-1700 category, players from Mongolia occupied the entire podium. Bat-Amgalan Anujin beat Kenyan Wanjiru Kimani in a crucial last-round encounter to claim gold. Her fellow countrywoman Tsogdelger Anudari scored an equal amount of points with the champion but had to settle for silver after losing the direct encounter, while bronze goes to Baldanjantsan Khuslenzaya (7/9). In the Women’s U-2300 category, the Kazakhstani Bauryzhan Arnash claimed the title with 5 points. Balandin Naymanova of Bulgaria took silver, while Lukina Aleksandra (FID) won the bronze. In the Women U-2000 category Norovsambuu Badamkhand (Monglia) lifted the trophy, while Desandhi Dhihansa Gamage (Sri Lanka) and Niki Nadernia (Iran) finished second and third respectively. The closing ceremony, attended, among others, by FIDE Executive Director Victor Bologan and President of Omani Chess Committee Ahmed Al Bulushi, featured a visual presentation showcasing all nine days of the championship, including the most notable games. Then Dr Mahad bin Said Baowain took the stage and awarded the winners in all categories, organizing committee members, and companies contributing to the championship’s success. Official website: worldamateur2023.fide.com/ Results and standings: worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Live games: Open U-2300chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2300#live Open U-2000: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2000#live Open U-1700: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u1700#live Women U-1700 https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-w1700#live Live broadcast (English/Arabic): youtube.com/@Omanchesscommitteeoman About 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 is organized by the Omani Chess Committee together with the International Chess Federation, with the financial support of Gold sponsors: Syool, Apollo Hospitals, Oman LNG. Bank Muscat, Otaxi, Oronamin C Drink as well as Diamond sponsors: Asyad, OMIFCO, and Oman Airport.
ACP Prize established to support young players
The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP), a non-profit organisation founded in 2003 to protect the rights of professional chess players, was dissolved this year after two decades of existence. Upon the dissolution, ACP decided to dedicate its remaining funds to supporting young players, winners of the FIDE Junior World Championships for players under 20. In addition to the regular prizes, a special ACP Prize of 1,000 EUR will be awarded to the winners of both open and girls sections in the next five years (2023-2027). “In this way, we hope to preserve the legacy of the ACP, at the same time helping the future professionals of our beloved game,” reads the statement of the ACP Board. The first awardees of the ACP Prize are Marc’Andria Maurizzi, from France, and Candela Francisco of Argentina, the winners of the 2023 U20 World Junior Championships, held in Mexico City this October. FIDE is very thankful to ACP for their support of young talents and investment in the future of the game!
World Amateur Championship 2023: Round 8 recap
The eighth round’s first move was made by the Hussein Abdullah Al Khouri, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chess Club, at the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Bowsher, Muscat. Round 8 saw players from Mongolia and Kazakhstan lead in all five categories. The rankings remain subject to change, especially in direct confrontations between the frontrunners. Round 8 has not brought any significant changes in the Open U-2300. Abilmansur Abdilkhair still leads with 7 points, half a point ahead of his closest competitors. He made a draw in an exciting game against Indian Kartavya Anadkat. Following him in the standings is the Mongolian player Naranbold Sodbilegt with 6.5 points. These two players are the main contenders for the title the U-2300 category. In the Open U-2000, Dashtogtokh Amarsaikhan of Mongolia secured the title after scoring his eighth straight win this time over the Indian player Ragavesh Velavaa. Heading into the final round the trio of closest competitors – Sham, R, Alikhan Khazhatuly and Pernekhan Ravil – are trailing the champion by 1.5 points. In the Open U-1700, significant changes occurred in the eighth round, after Ganbat Danzanjunai of Mongolia defeated Aleksandr Martynov (FIDE) in a thrilling battle to take the lead. Aleksandr moved to the second position with 7 points after leading in the first seven rounds. The fate of the title will be decided in the final ninth round. In the Women U-1700 category it came down to the wire as well. The race is on with Bat-Amgalan Anujin from Mongolia sharing the lead with her teammage Tsogdelger Anudari on 6.5 points after drawing her Round 8 game against Arun Aditi of India. Text: WACC 2023 media team Photos: Entisar Nasser Al-omiiri, Hamed Al-Mabsali, Abduallah Al-Rashdi, Salma Hamood, Salem Al-Salhi Official website: worldamateur2023.fide.com/ Results and standings: worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Results of the rounds: https://worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Live games: Open U-2300chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2300#live Open U-2000: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2000#live Open U-1700: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u1700#live Women U-1700 https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-w1700#live Live broadcast (English/Arabic): youtube.com/@Omanchesscommitteeoman About 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 is organized by the Omani Chess Committee together with the International Chess Federation, with the financial support of Gold sponsors: Syool, Apollo Hospitals, Oman LNG. Bank Muscat, Otaxi, Oronamin C Drink as well as Diamond sponsors: Asyad, OMIFCO, and Oman Airport.
Argentine Championship 2023: Peralta wins fifth title
Fernando Peralta defended his national title in the 98th Argentine Chess Championship (98 Campeonato Argentino Superior). A native of Lomas de Zamora won this event for the fifth time, following his success in 2006, 2018, 2020 and 2022. The 98th Argentine Championship took place from October 28 to November 7 in Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes. The format remained unchanged – a twelve-player round-robin, but compared to last year’s edition, the 2023 championship was not as strong for obvious reasons. Alan Pichot (former top-rated Argentinean player) changed federation, while Sandro Mareco (current #1) competed in the FIDE Grand Swiss on the Isle of Man. Still, the tournament was a very close race among the top-rated participants that came down to the wire again. Coming into the final, Fernando Peralta and Federico Perez Ponsa jointly lead the field a full point ahead of the chasing pack. Peralta drew with the black pieces in a hectic game with Leonardo Krysa, while Perez Ponsa did not manage to break the resistance of the second lowest-rated FM Ariel Tokman on the white side of Caro-Kann. To determine the champion, a two-rapid-game tiebreak was played. Despite having unpleasant positions in both encounters at some point, Fernando Peralta drew the first one and pulled off a win in the second game to clinch the title. GM Leonardo Krysa and IM Pablo Ismael Actorsta tied for third place, netting 7/11 each, with the former claiming bronze thanks to a slightly better Sonnenborn-Berger. Final standings: 1 GM Peralta, Fernando 2580 8 2 GM Perez Ponsa, Federico 2527 8 3 GM Krysa, Leandro 2546 7 4 IM Acosta, Pablo Ismael 2482 7 5 FM Tokman, Ariel 2306 6½ 6 GM Valerga, Diego 2428 6 7 GM Tristan, Leonardo 2523 6 8 IM Villca, Julian 2383 5½ 9 FM Gomez, Carlos David 2331 4½ 10 WGM Francisco Guecamburu, Candela 2345 3 11 Silva, Luca 2287 2½ 12 FM Miranda, Rafael 2343 2 Photos: Federación Argentina de Ajedrez Facebook
2023 World Amateur Championship: Leaderboards taking shape
The leaderboard began to shape up after the 6th round of the 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship, organized by the Omani Chess Committee in cooperation with FIDE. Round 6 had several surprises in store – pleasant and unpleasant, wins, losses, draws and missed opportunities, in intense and exciting clashes between players from all over the world. The top of the standings has been formed in all the categories to some extent, but with three rounds to go, it is still wide open. The ceremonial first move of Round 6 was made under the patronage of His Excellency Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Hamidi, the Mayor of Muscat, at the main hall of the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Bowsher. Kazakhstani player Abilmansur Abdilkhair confidently leads the under-2300 category thanks to a sixth consecutive win, this time against Indian Indrajeet Mahindrakar, in a game that lasted over three hours. Abdilkhair enjoys a perfect 6/6 score, while Victor Arce Benito from Spain is in second place, one point behind. In the under-2000 category, Dashtogtokh Amarsaikhan of Mongolia defeated R Sham from India in a closely contested game and emerged as the sole leader with 6 points, one point ahead of the closest pursuer, Indora Punit (India). We finally have the sole leader in the Under-1700 category. Aleksandr Martynov (pictured above) claimed the top position after beating his main rival, Hamed Imani Lasaki (Sweden), with the white pieces. With this win, Martynov kept his 100% score (6 points) and pulled away from the pack, led by the Mongolian player Ganbat Danzanjunai with 5.5 points. In the women’s under-1700 category, Mongolian Bat-Amgalan Anujin prevailed over Binoj Shybi (FIDE) in a remarkable tactical clash, notching up her sixth straight win and consolidated her first place in the standings, a full point ahead of her teammate Baldanjantsan Khuslenzaya. Text: WACC 2023 media team Photos: Entisar Nasser Al-omiiri, Hamed Al-Mabsali, Abduallah Al-Rashdi, Salma Hamood, Salem Al-Salhi Official website: worldamateur2023.fide.com/ Results and standings: worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Results of the rounds: https://worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Live games: Open U-2300chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2300#live Open U-2000: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2000#live Open U-1700: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u1700#live Women U-1700 https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-w1700#live Live broadcast (English/Arabic): youtube.com/@Omanchesscommitteeoman About 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 is organized by the Omani Chess Committee together with the International Chess Federation, with the financial support of Gold sponsors: Syool, Apollo Hospitals, Oman LNG. Bank Muscat, Otaxi, Oronamin C Drink as well as Diamond sponsors: Asyad, OMIFCO, and Oman Airport.
FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2023 to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
The ancient city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, is set to host the 2023 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships from December 26 to 30. This five-day tournament will gather the world’s top chess players, vying for the title of the World Champion in Rapid and Blitz across the Open and Women’s categories This December, history and chess will meet in Samarkand, one of the oldest inhabited places on earth. Samarkand was a pivotal city along the historical Silk Road trade route and also holds historical significance for chess: It was in this city where the earliest known chess pieces were discovered in 1977, dating to between the 6th and early 8th century AD. “FIDE recognizes Uzbekistan’s rich chess tradition and its recent emergence as a chess superpower. This dedication and investment in chess led us to entrust the hosting of this prestigious event to Uzbekistan,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “Uzbekistan will also host the 2026 Chess Olympiad – and hosting such a major event as World Rapid and Blitz will certainly give a boost to preparations,” Dvorkovich added. Uzbekistan has rapidly ascended in the world of chess. In the recently concluded FIDE Grand Swiss, three Uzbek players finished in the top 20, emphasizing the country’s strong presence at the top. Notably, the nation claimed victory in the 2022 Chess Olympiad among 188 competing teams and secured the second position in the World Teams Championship after China. Currently, Uzbekistan has four players in the world’s top 100, including Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who in 2021 became the youngest person to clinch the title of World Rapid Champion (at the age of 17). The upcoming FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Samarkand follows Uzbekistan’s successful hosting of Pool B of the 2022/23 Women’s Candidates edition in the ancient city of Khiva. FIDE looks forward to an exceptional event and welcomes players to Uzbekistan! More details, including information about registration, hotels, and visas, will be published by November 15. Photo: Ekrem Canli OFFICIAL PARTNERS: Freedom Holding Corp. is a US-based financial services holding company. Through its operating subsidiaries, Freedom Holding provides services like retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market-making, retail banking, corporate investment banking and underwriting services in Eurasia. The Company has retail locations in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Germany. The Company’s financial services business provides retail securities brokerage, research, investment counselling, securities trading, market making, corporate investment banking, underwriting, complementary banking services and retail banking services to its customers. Its subsidiaries include LLC Investment Company Freedom Finance (Freedom RU), a securities broker-dealer; LLC FFIN Bank (FFIN Bank); JSC Freedom Finance, a securities broker-dealer; Freedom Finance Cyprus Limited (Freedom CY), a broker-dealer; LLC Freedom Finance Uzbekistan (Freedom UZ), a broker-dealer and FFIN Securities, Inc. (FFIN). Official website: freedomholdingcorp.com/ Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and specialized security solutions and services, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help over 220,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at kaspersky.com. Chessable is the world’s leading e-learning platform and home to the largest library of online chess courses, including masterclasses by chess world champion Magnus Carlsen, top-10 player Anish Giri and 8-time Russian chess champion Peter Svidler and many more. Chessable is the #1 science-backed chess training app to study chess openings , strategy and endgames. Learning chess from top GMs and coaches made easier. Official siteFacebookTwitterInstagram
EDU Commission announces its 12th Preparation of Teachers course
Dear chess friends, We are pleased to offer another exceptional opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and get certified as FIDE School Instructors! FIDE Chess in Education Commission is pleased to announce the dates of this year’s last Preparation of Teachers course. The course will be held online in English from 1-3 December 2023. The target audience is teachers, chess educators, and 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 successfully completing the course, participants will get lifetime access to the Opening Master premium chess database, which currently contains over 9.6 million official over-the-board human chess games and is growing monthly. Read the detailed course description here. Candidates who wish to attend the course must complete and return the registration form. The cut-off date for applications is November 27. 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
2023 World Amateur Championship passes midpoint
The battles are getting more tense and exciting at the 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship, organized by the Omani Chess Committee in cooperation with FIDE. Round 5 started with the ceremonial move made by Aimen Ahmed al Hosni, the Chief Executive Officer of Oman Airports, Diamond sponsor of the event. Some games were fiercely competitive, while on other boards, the opponents preferred a more conservative approach. In the Open U-2300 category, the Kazakhstani FM Abilmansur Abdilkhair (pictured below) continued his hot streak, winning his fifth straight game. He outplayed Burentegsh Aldar of Mongolia in a fierce battle to maintain his leading position halfway through the tournament. Dashtogtokh Amarsaikhan of Mongolia (pictured below) emerged as the sole leader in the Open U-2000 category. In Round 5, Amarsaikhan prevailed in a tactical game over Sri Lankan Desandhi Dhihansa to score his fifth victory. Alikhan Khazhatuly of Kazakhstan and Indian players Sham R and Ragavesh Velavaa, sitting on 4.5/5, are trailing Amarsaikhan by just a half-point. In the Open U-1700 category, Round 5 saw the clash of six participants with 4 points each. Aleksandr Martynov (FIDE) defeated Alzaabi Humaidan (UAE), Hamed Imani (Sweden; pictured below) beat Batra Deepak, while the Mongolian derby Batnyam Munkhbat vs Ganbat Danzanjunai ended in a draw. Martynov and Imani share first place with a perfect score. In the women’s category U-1700, the ninth-seed Bat-Amgalan Anujin of Mongolia (pictured below)bested her fellow countrywoman Naranbold Sodgerelt in a tough game to grab the sole lead. Four players on 4 points are for the second position in the race. Joining Naranbold are Baldanjantsan Khuslenzaya (Mongolia), Binoj Shybi (FIDE) and Arun Aditi (India). Day 5 of the World Amateur Chess Championship was also marked by another sports activity organized by the Omani Chess Committee. A friendly volleyball match was played between FIDE and OCC officials, arbiters, and players. The FIDE team, led by President Arkady Dvorkovich, proved stronger in this friendly competition. Text: WACC 2023 media team Photos: Entisar Nasser Al-omiiri, Hamed Al-Mabsali, Abduallah Al-Rashdi, Salma Hamood, Salem Al-Salhi Official website: worldamateur2023.fide.com/ Results and standings: worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Results of the rounds: https://worldamateur2023.fide.com/result/ Live games: Open U-2300chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2300#live Open U-2000: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u2000#live Open U-1700: chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-u1700#live Women U-1700 https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/fide-world-amateur-championship-2023-w1700#live Live broadcast (English/Arabic): youtube.com/@Omanchesscommitteeoman About 2023 World Amateur Chess Championship FIDE World Amateur Chess Championship 2023 is organized by the Omani Chess Committee together with the International Chess Federation, with the financial support of Gold sponsors: Syool, Apollo Hospitals, Oman LNG. Bank Muscat, Otaxi, Oronamin C Drink as well as Diamond sponsors: Asyad, OMIFCO, and Oman Airport.
Hard-fought title wins at World Senior Championship 2023
The 31st Edition of the World Senior Chess Championship ended on Sunday, 5th November after exciting eleven rounds of play. WGM Calzetta Ruiz Monica (Spain; pictured below) clinched the title Women 50+ section after making a short eight-move draw in her last-round game against WIM Burchardt Brigitte (Germany) and scoring 8½ points total. WGM Galina Strutinskaia (FIDE; pictured below) also drew in the final round with WGM Tatiana Bogumil (FIDE) and netted 8 points to finish second and secure gold in the Women 65+ section. The Women 50+ and 65+ categories were merged into a single 11-round Swiss tournament as proposed by the organizing committee. Prizes were awarded separately to the best players in both sections according to the final standings. Final standings Women’s Section: 1 WGM Calzetta Ruiz, Monica ESP 2239 8½ 2 WGM Strutinskaia, Galina FID 2114 8 3 IM Klinova, Masha ISR 2249 7 4 WGM Makropoulou, Marina GRE 2081 7 5 WIM Tereladze, Sopio GEO 2215 7 6 WIM Krasenkowa, Elena POL 2089 7 7 WFM Folkova, Martina CZE 2022 6½ 8 WIM Burchardt, Brigitte GER 2124 6½ 9 WGM Bogumil, Tatiana FID 2080 6½ 10 WIM Lauterbach, Ingrid ENG 2026 6½ The Open 65+ competition was a very close race, with John Nunn (England) and Daniel Campora (Argentina) leading most of the tournament. In the decisive final round, Nunn pulled off a crucial victory against Martins Wagner Madeira, while Campora, who was a half point ahead, fell to Lubomir Ftacnik. As a result, Nunn and Ftacnik tied for the first place, with the former claiming gold thanks to a slightly better Buchholz. As many as five players tied for third place, but tiebreaks favoured Nikolay Legky, who took bronze. Final standings Open 65+ Section: 1 GM Nunn, John ENG 2560 8½ 2 GM Ftacnik, Lubomir SVK 2451 8½ 3 GM Legky, Nikolay FRA 2348 8 4 GM Knaak, Rainer GER 2451 8 5 GM Campora, Daniel ARG 2343 8 6 GM Vaganian, Rafael ARM 2493 8 7 IM Reprintsev, Alexander UKR 2227 8 8 FM Madeira Wagner, Martins BRA 2012 7½ 9 IM Renman, Nils-Gustaf SWE 2324 7½ 10 IM Rooze, Jan BEL 2245 7½ In the Open 50+ category, GM Adams Michael (England) emerged victorious in a tough contest with GMs Suat Atalik (Serbia), Ivan Morovic Fernandez (Chile) and Maxim Novik (Lithuania). Coming into the final round a half point behind the leader Atalik, Adams beat Martin Mrva (Slovakia) with the black pieces. Meanwhile, Suat made a quick draw with Michele Godena (Italy) on the white side of the QGD and shared first place with Adams but had to settle for silver due to slightly inferior tiebreaks. There was a tie for third place as well, but the bronze goes to Maxim Novik, again by dint of a better Buchholz over Michele Godena. Final standings Open 50+ Section: 1 GM Adams, Michael ENG 2670 8½ 2 GM Atalik, Suat SRB 2427 8½ 3 GM Novik, Maxim LTU 2375 8 4 GM Godena, Michele ITA 2441 8 5 GM Morovic Fernandez, Ivan CHI 2488 7½ 6 GM Stefansson, Hannes ISL 2529 7½ 7 GM Dlugy, Maxim USA 2520 7½ 8 IM Cummings, David CAN 2325 7½ 9 FM Nikolaidis, Konstantinos GRE 2096 7½ 10 GM Holzke, Frank GER 2473 7½ Complete results and final standings Photos: Patricia Claros Aguilar. Official website: worldseniorchess2023.com