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
FIDE World Schools Team Championship: Schools from Turkey and India are in the lead
Two more rounds were played today at the FIDE World Schools Team Championship in Aktau. Two teams are in the lead in the U18 section. Four match victories of Istanbul ENKA High School come as no surprise as Turkish players are the rating favourites of the event. So far, IM Isik Can and his peers have conceded only half a point to their opponents. The same result from Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, a school in Chennai, India, is even more impressive as they started 11th. The team made a tricky choice of putting their lowest-rated player, Santhosh V L, on the top board, and he has a tough time, but his teammates greatly compensate for that. In the U12 category, the Indian squad of Velammal MHS Mogappair is in sole lead with four match wins. Tomorrow they will be put to serious test facing the National Physics & Mathematics School of Kazakhstan, trailing just one point behind. Apart from creating chess masterpieces, the participants of the Championship continue exploring what Aktau has to offer. Today the players visited a local water park to refill their batteries and lift team spirits! The organizers prepared a diverse program of fun side activities so everyone would return home with lifetime memories. Here are the top standings after Round 4: Under 18 1 TUR Istanbul ENKA High School 8 2 IND Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai 8 3 PER Saco Oliveros 7 4 KAZ Republican School of Physics and Mathema 6 5 PAR ABSE Escuela 6 6 GER Gymnasium Theodorianum Paderborn 6 7 UZB No 5 Xatirchi 6 8 MGL Mongeni Complex School 6 9 ARM Photon Gymnasium 6 10 AZE Sumgayit city No-1 Secondary School name 6 Under 12 1 IND Velammal MHS Mogappair 8 2 KAZ National Physics & Mathematics School 7 3 POL Szkoła Podstawowa nr 48 im. Szarych Szer 6 4 KAZ School of Astana, number 72 6 5 PER Saco Oliveros 6 6 CAN Silver Stream Public School 6 7 UKR Lviv Academic Gymnasium 6 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 1: A round of draws
In a sign that things are tightening up at the World Cup, a huge number of games ended in a draw, setting the stage for a more challenging second day for the favourites Magnus Carlsen and Leinier Dominguez Perez were the only top-rated players in the Open to score a victory. While all the other top players started round three with a draw, Daniil Dubov lost with white pieces against Daniele Vocaturo. Things were similar in the Women’s tournament, where Aleksandra Goryachkina and Mariya Muzychuk were the only two leading players to score a victory. The Open Tournament highlights: The main surprise of round three in the Open Tournament is Daniil Dubov’s unexpected loss as White against Italian Daniele Vocaturo (who eliminated Andrei Volokitin in the round two tiebreaks). After finding a nice combination to draw an even position, Dubov blundered, allowing the black king to escape perpetual check. Dubov ended with a rook down and ultimately had to resign. Norway’s number two, Aryan Tari, played a solid game as Black against the world’s highest-rated player and countryman, Magnus Carlsen. Tari ended with five pawns and a knight against a rook and three pawns, but Carlsen – who is regarded as one of the best endgame players in history – slowly peeled off Black’s position and then transitioned to a winning pawn endgame. Cuban-born American Leinier Dominguez Perez had a lucky break against Azerbaijan’s Gadir Guseinov. In a sharp opening line where Black (Guseinov) gave up a knight for four pawns, the two reached an even endgame. In a critical moment, facing time trouble, Guseinov blundered and was immediately lost. Salem Saleh is continuing his excellent run in the World Cup. Today he defeated Iran’s Bardiya Daneshvar (who yesterday eliminated Grischuk after four rounds of nail-biting tiebreaks) after a sharp attack, which destroyed the black king’s fortress and saw him getting caught up in a mating net in the centre. Notably, wildcard-entrant Peter Svidler defeated Jeroen Van Foreest after the Dutchman allowed the FIDE World Cup 2011 winner to launch a crushing attack on the kingside. All the other top favourites drew their games, including Nakamura, Caruana, Nepomniachtchi, Giri, Duda, So, Radjabov, and others. The Women’s Tournament highlights: Former Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk and former World Championship Challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina got off to a good start in Round 3 as they pushed forward with a victory against Indian players. Mariya Muzychuk was better throughout her game against India’s rising star Vaishali Rameshbabu and won. Goryachkina scored against Deshmukh Divya after the Indian player overlooked a combination in the middlegame leading to a dominating position for White. The derby Round 3 in the Women’s tournament, between Elisabeth Paehtz and the reigning Women’s World Blitz Champion Bibisara Assaubayeva, ended in a draw, with neither side gaining any advantage. Georgia’s Nino Batsiashvili scored a notable victory as Black against China’s Zhao Xue. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun drew with black pieces against Ulviyya Fataliyeva, while the 2011 Women’s World Cup Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, was held to a draw by Serbia’s Teodora Injac. Other top women players – Humpy Koneru, Tan Zhongyi, Anna Muzychuk, Zhu Jiner, Harika Dronavalli, and Polina Shuvalova, start round three with a draw. The full list of the results from the first game of round three can be found here: https://worldcup2023.fide.com/tree. Here follows a look at some of the most interesting positions from the first game Round 3: Daniil Dubov suffered a shocking defeat today as he lost a drawn endgame to more than 100 points lower-rated Italian GM Daniele Vocaturo. Following the English Opening which transposed into the Modern Benoni reversed, the two reached the following position. Black is a pawn up but his pawn structure is weak and the rook on h8 is yet to join the action. In a slightly inferior position, Dubov found a nice combination for a draw: 27.Na4! Qf2 28.Qxc6 Qc2 29.Nc5 Qb1+ 30.Kg2 Qd1 31.Nb7!+ Ke7 Now Dubov should have continued with 32.Qc5+ and after 32…Ke8 33.Nd6+ Kf7 34.Qb5+ Ke7 35.Qc5 both sides can only give perpetual checks. Dubov instead took the pawn with 32.Qxc7+ and after 32…Qd7 35.Qc5+ Ke8 36.Nd6+ Kd8 37.Qxa3? (37.Kh3 offered more chances) Qc6+ 38.Kh3 Nxc4 39.Nxc4 Qxc4 Black repelled all the threats and preserved his extra rook. Saleh Salem scored an impressive victory as White over Bardiya Daneshvar. White’s pieces are poised for an attack on the black king. Black should have taken it seriously and focused more on defending, with 26…Ne8. Instead, he played 26…Rc8? 27.Ng4! Ne8 but now it’s late 28.Nh6!! gxh6 29.Rg3+ Kf8 30.Qd2 Ke7 31.Qxh6 Qxb2? The fatal error. After the precise 32.Rf1! White is simply unstoppable 32…Qc2 33.Qg5 Kd7 34.Qg8! Nd6 35.Qg7 Nf5 36.Qxf7+ Ne7 37.Rg7 Re8 38.h6 Qf5 39.Qf6! Qh5 40.h7 Rcc8 41.c4! dxc4 42.d5 and Black has no good options to resist anymore. Guseinov dropped a point to Dominguez Perez in an even endgame. In a deeply analyzed and tested line of the Four Knights Variation of the Sicilian, playing as Black, he got three pawns for the knight. As the game progressed the two reached the following endgame: In time trouble, Black misplayed with a seemingly logical move 40…Rf1? Guseinov should have proceeded with 40…Rfa8 maintaining the balance. But now: 41.Bg8! and Black either has to give up a rook for the bishop with his king in a mating net, or accept immediate checkmate. Aleksandra Goryachkina won her game as White against Divya Deshmukh after the Indian player overlooked a combination early on, after which she was in dire straits. 16…Nd7? (better was 16…Nd5) and after 17.Nxa5 Bxc5 18.Nxb7 Bxb7 19.Nxd7 Rxe1+ 20.Bxe1 Qxd7 21.Bxb7 White is not only a pawn up but also significantly better. The game between Zhao Xue and Nino Batsiashvili ended with a victory for Black after White underestimated the attacking chances against her king. Black is significantly better but Zhao’s trade of the knights is a perfect illustration of “the cure is worse than the disease”. 25.Nxg4? hxg4 26.Rc5 Completely ignoring Black’s potential on the h-file, although White’s position is beyond repair. And now: 26…Rh8 27.Rxa5 Rae8 28.Qb4 Rh6 29.Rc1 Qe4! White resigned as there is no way of
FIDE World Schools Team Championship commences in Aktau, Kazakhstan
The new scholastic flagship FIDE competition started in Aktau on August 4, 2023, bringing together more than 400 students from 53 countries. These young chess enthusiasts are competing in two age categories: up to 12 years old and 18 years old. Two rounds were played at the Halyk Arena on the first day. As many as eight teams in the U18 and five in the U12 sections won both matches. Notably, the Istanbul ENKA High School team from Turkey, competing in the U18 category, showcased exceptional skills by winning all of their games and reinforcing their position as the main favourites of the tournament. The day started with the grand Opening Ceremony at the prestigious Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan. Among the distinguished guests were Mr Arkady Dvorkovich, the President of the International Chess Federation, Mr Timur Turlov, the President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, and Mr Nurlan Nogaev, Akim of Mangistau region, where Aktau is situated. “A few months ago, we thought bringing more than 50 countries to the World Schools Team Championship was an almost impossible mission, but together we made our idea a reality. And I want each and every one of you to dream of something that seems impossible and achieve it,” said Arkady Dvorkovich greeting the participants. “This championship is in full compliance with our strategic objective of building an intellectual nation, strengthening human potential and promoting the cult of knowledge. And school-level chess should play a key role in it,” noted Timur Turlov. “Schoolchildren from four continents came to the Caspian coast to defend the honour of their school and country with dignity. I am sure these talents will conquer great milestones and become champions in the future. It is also worth noting the merit of coaches and parents because their work is behind each victory,” said Nurlan Nogaev. Nurlan Nogaev made the symbolic first move in the U18 category, while Timur Turlov the honours in the U12 tournament, and the chess fighting commenced. Eight teams in the Under 18 section won both matches, finishing the day with four match points: Istanbul ENKA High School (TUR)Republican School of Physics and Mathema (KAZ)Velammal Vidyalaya Alapakkam, Chennai (IND)Gymnasium Theodorianum Paderborn (GER)Author’s educational complex of the gymn (KGZ)Riga State Gymnasium No. 1 (LAT)Sumgayit City No-1 Secondary School (AZE)ABSE Escuela (PAR) In the Under 12 category, five teams are in the lead with perfect 4 match points: Lyceum School No. 8 for Gifted Children (KAZ)Velammal MHS Mogappair (IND)Saco Oliveros (PER)Lviv Academic Gymnasium (UKR)Szkoła Podstawowa nr 48 im. Szarych Szer (POL) Rounds 3 and 4 will be played on Saturday, August 5. The winners will be determined on August 7. Apart from the thrilling competition, this event offers a diverse excursion and entertainment program, ensuring that participants and guests have an unforgettable time in Aktau. The historic World Schools Team Championship presents a unique opportunity for young chess players from around the globe to showcase their skills while getting to know new cultures, enjoying a friendly atmosphere and making new friends. 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 2023 Round 2 Tiebreaks: Grischuk and Lagno eliminated
A tough day at the World Cup in Baku as another group of strong players were eliminated, including the chess power couple and three-time World Blitz Champions, Alexander Grischuk and Kateryna Lagno Despite their strong reputation, the duo found themselves ousted by opponents rated lower than them. Lagno was eliminated in the first rapid match of the playoff after losing the second game to more than 200 points lower-rated Mary Ann Gomes. Grischuk’s fate was sealed after a gruelling six-hour battle across four playoff rounds, ultimately succumbing in the final game against Iranian Bardiya Daneshvar after missing a winning move. Among the favourites in the Open, Nakamura, So, and Giri are through after winning their rapid tiebreaks. In the Women’s tournament, the World Champion Ju Wenjun, as well as the 2021 World Cup winner (and former World Champion) Alexandra Kosteniuk, are through after winning their rapid tiebreaks. The Open tournament highlights: Alexander Grischuk’s day turned tragic as he navigated through four stages of tiebreaks, only to be eliminated in the final blitz game while playing as White. Iran’s 2577-rated Bardiya Daneshvar proved to be a formidable adversary to Grischuk. The two drew both of their classical games in the second round. Then came the first rapid match: After drawing both classical games in the second round, the first rapid match saw Daneshvar clinching a win after losing the initial game in the playoffs. The second rapid match saw the same thing happen again. Then came the Blitz – where Grischuk was the favourite as the three-time World Champion in this category. The first game ended in a draw, but in the second, Grischuk had a lucky escape in the endgame where Daneshvar did not find the best continuation due to time trouble, despite winning. In the final tiebreak blitz game Grischuk was leading the white pieces and grabbed the initiative early on. At some point, Alexander was one move away from victory. However, he misplayed and allowed Black to escape a mating threat, while at the same time advancing his runners on the queenside. A tragic end for Grischuk and a heroic victory for the 17-year-old Iranian chess champion. He will be facing Salem Saleh in round three. Among other favourites, Hikaru Nakamura qualified for the third round after clinching victory in the second rapid game against India’s Venkataraman Karthik after their draw in the first one. The 2565-rated Indian GM was winning as White before he, first, dropped the advantage, and then got into trouble where he had to give up an exchange, ending up in a lost position. Speaking after the match, Nakamura said that it was “very tough” for him. Nakamura, who is currently the world’s second highest-rated player, complemented his opponent by noting that “Karthik defended ridiculously well, like a 2700 player” in game one. “It’s very clear he’s under-rated” Nakamura added. Wesley So’s luck continued as he overcame a seemingly lost position in the first rapid game against Emre Can due to the time trouble-induced errors. With a draw in game two, So was through to round three. Super GM Anish Giri, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Andrey Esipenko, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Amin Bassem were also through after the first rapid playoffs. In a big surprise, Azerbaijan’s Abdulla Gadimbayli (rated 2483) knocked out Spain’s 2691-rated GM David GM Anton. Following two draws in the classical part of round two, Gadimbayli won the first rapid game. Despite being lost in the middlegame in the second encounter, the Azeri GM put on stiff resistance and managed to take over the initiative from David Anton in time trouble and win. The second game ended in a draw. Andrei Volokitin was knocked out after two crushing defeats in the endgame at the hands of Italian GM Daniele Vocaturo. One of India’s top players, Vidit Santos Gujrathi, had to go through three rounds of the tiebreaker. Vidit was evenly matched by the Greek GM Dimitrios Mastrovasilis, as all of their classical and rapid games ended in a draw. In the Blitz Mastrovasilis finally broke: after a mistake in the middlegame, he allowed Vidit to get his rooks to the seventh rank and then create a passer on the b-file, which secured White the victory. The Greek GM could not make a comeback in the second blitz game, which ended in a draw. Ukraine’s Vasyl Ivanchuk qualified after finally defeating Chile’s Cristobal Henriquez Villagra in the second round of the rapid with 2:0 (finishing the second rapid game with an effective rook sacrifice). India’s Arjun Erigaisi is also through but only after the second round of the rapid. The Women’s Tournament: In the Women’s Tournament, the biggest upset of the day is the elimination of Kateryna Lagno – one of the strongest women players in the world (three-time world blitz and one-time world rapid champion, and two-time world champion candidate). After a draw in the first rapid game with Mary Ann Gomes, Lagno had a slightly better position in the second. However, she blundered in the middlegame, trapping her queen, and was completely lost. The knockout comes as a shock, given that Lagno was seen as one of the favourites for winning the World Cup. The Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun is through after her opponent Eva Repkova blundered a piece in an even position in the first game. The second rapid game ended in a draw which sent Ju to the next round. The 2021 World Cup Winner and former Women’s World Champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, is also through, having dominated Yan Tianqi in the first rapid game and finishing the second with a comfortable draw. Bibisara Assaubayeva won her rapid match against Qianyun Gong. In game one, despite dominating from the start, the Women’s World Rapid champion blundered in the endgame, entering an even position. Luckily for her, Gong also blundered soon after, ending a rook down. Bibisara also won the second rapid, despite being weaker in the first part of that game. Irina Krush and Dejsi Kori qualified after the first rapid. Nana