ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess: Iran sweeps U14 category
ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 is an online event, taking place on a virtual platform Premium Chess from 3 to 25 October 2020. The first finals in the U14 category (born in 2006-2007), 9-round Swiss tournaments with time control 3+2 were held on Saturday and Sunday, 18-19 October 2020. Young chess players from Iran claimed the titles in both groups. Mohammad Javad Khorshidi Paji won among the U14 Open, while Sahar Masoumi Kajaz came out on top in the U14 Girls category. Both players qualified for the ISF U15 World Schools Games in Belgrade, Serbia (scheduled for 26th June – 4th July 2021). Final standings: Open U14 category:1. Mohammad Javad Khorshidi Paji (Iran) – 7 (took the title thanks to better tiebreaks)2. Read Samadov (Azerbaijan) – 73. Simon Lamaze (France) – 6.5 4. Mykhailo Matviienko, (Ukraine) – 6.55. Timur Balmagambetov (Kazakhstan) – 6 Girls U14 category: 1. Sahar Masoumi Kajaz (Iran) – 7.5 (took the title thanks to better tiebreaks)2. Candela Belen Francisco Guecamburu (Argentina) – 7.53. Munkhzul Davaakhuu (Mongolia) – 6.5 4. Gulenay Aydin (Turkey) – 6.55. Ava Yazdani Kouhi (Iran) – 6 The finals were broadcasted to 1 Play Sports social media channels and moderated by the Soumya Swaminathan, a former FIDE World Junior Girls champion and World #24 player Vidit Gujrathi (both India). The second round of the finals, in the U17 category (born in 2003-2004-2005), will take place on 24-25 of October. The live broadcast will begin at 14:00 UTC. Full results and archive of the live stream:https://www.isfsports.org/isf-world-schools-championship-online-chess-2020
Mads Andersen wins Danish Championship
Grandmaster Mads Andersen from Skanderborg Skakklub became Danish champion for the 3rd time on Saturday. The winner repeated his success of 2016 and 2017. The Danish Chess Championship took place in Svendborg from October 09 to October 17. The event should have been held in the spring but due to the epidemiological situation was postponed to the fall. The tournament became one of the strongest in the history of Denmark’s chess with six GMs and the highest rated IM of the country Bjørn Møller participating. Before the final round, Mads Andersen was a full point ahead of the two closest competitors Bjørn Møller Ochsner and Allan Stig Rasmussen but faced his young clubmate Jonas Bjerre with Black. Bjerre put some pressure on the leader but Andersen was defending with precision and eventually reached a draw and clinched the title. Bjørn Møller Ochsner (pictured above) came second with 6 points out of 9. In order to complete his second GM norm, he had to win his last round game against Jesper Søndergård Thybo and was up to the task. Final standings: 1. GM Mads Andersen (2589) – 6½2. IM Bjørn Møller Ochsner (2484) – 63-4. GM Allan Stig Rasmussen (2560) – 5½3-4. GM Boris Chatalbashev (2517) – 5½5-7. GM Jesper Søndergård Thybo (2570) – 4½5-7. GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre (2537) – 4½5-7. IM Martin Haubro (2407) – 4½8. GM Sune Berg Hansen (2565) – 3½9. FM Nicolai Kvist Brondt (2214) – 310. IM Jens Ove Fries Nielsen (2395) – 1½ Photo: Thomas Vestergård Official site: https://skak.dk/
Norway Chess R10: Firouzja finishes second
In the final round of Norway Chess Magnus Carlsen suffered his second defeat in the tournament and the first one with White in classical chess since December 2017. Alireza Firouzja scored a good victory over Jan-Krzysztof Duda and secured the second place in the final standings. It was not Magnus Carlsen’s day today as he, figuratively speaking, lost twice against Levon Aronian. After finding himself in a bad position right after the opening the World Champion scrambled out of danger and reached an almost equal position in the rook ending but then grabbed a poisoned pawn 50.Rxf6? As a result, his rook was unable to timely retreat and eight moves later Magnus threw in the towel. Nevertheless, Carlsen finished clear first one point ahead of Firouzja. Alireza Firouzja obtained a clear advantage in the game with Jan-Krzysztof Duda but on move 27 made an inaccuracy and give his opponent a chance to equalize. After the Pole missed this opportunity (27…Na5) Firouzja did not let him off the hook. Aryan Tari held his own on the black side of Ruy Lopez against Fabiano Caruana in the classical game but the top-rated American GM prevailed in the Armageddon. Final standings: 1. Magnus Carlsen – 19½ 2. Alireza Firouzja – 18½3. Levon Aronian – 17½4. Fabiano Caruana 15½5. Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 9½6. Aryan Tari – 3½
The second leg of the Candidates Tournament is postponed to the spring of 2021
Unfortunately, FIDE is forced to postpone the resumption of the Candidates Tournament until the spring of 2021. The main reason for rescheduling the event is, of course, the concern related to the well-being of the players in the midst of the second wave of the pandemic. FIDE was ready to provide special travel arrangements and hospitality, including dedicated charter flights, and a high-class hotel being converted into an isolated environment. We have discussed all the details with each one of the players, and we’d like to thank them for their honest opinions, which helped us to weigh all pros and cons. Till now, we have not received clearance for all players to participate in the tournament. Two players from one country are awaiting permission from their national authorities. While having full respect for the respective national procedures, FIDE will take further decisions about both the location and timing of the event based on our organization’s internal rules. With the World Championship Match being scheduled for November-December 2021, we have some margin to adjust the reschedule of the Candidates Tournament. Holding the event in the spring of 2021 increases significantly the possibility of staging this very important event in a safe environment, minimizing the stress on the participants. FIDE confirms that the second leg of the event will, in any case, take place in the spring of 2021. FIDE does not consider any changes to the cycle regulations. The venue and exact dates will be approved by FIDE two months before the resumption of the competition. The protocol for the event will be developed taking into account the practice of other top-level tournaments and the recommendations from local authorities. We understand this announcement might be a disappointment for the chess community. However, it is FIDE’s responsibility to ensure not only the safety of the players and their general well-being during the tournament but also to provide the best possible conditions for the course of such a high-level event. Finally, FIDE would like to express its gratitude to the host city of Yekaterinburg, which did a splendid job organizing the first leg of this competition under very challenging circumstances. Likewise, we are very thankful to the Georgian authorities, who generously stepped in to offer us an alternative in case of need. Finally, we would like to thank our sponsors for their patience and commitment.
Carissa Yip and John Burke win 2020 U.S. Junior Championships
The 2020 U.S. Championships features a series of five national title events, all taking place online for the first time. The tournaments, stretching from October 8 to October 29, started with the 2020 U.S. Girls Junior Championship, followed by the Junior Championship (Open). Top seed and two-time U.S. Girls’ Junior Champion IM Carissa Yip managed to pull a hat-trick and win her 3rd straight U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship title in a row, thanks to a brilliant final day where she won all three of her games to finish with 7.5/9 points. Trailing Carissa during the final day was IM Annie Wang, who despite a loss was able to finish in 2nd place with 6.0/9, along with WIM Rochelle Wu, who finished the event in clear third place with 5.5/9 points. Asked about her success, Carissa said, “My first two days weren’t really my best chess, the rapid time control is something I’m not really used to, so there were a lot of blunders, but I feel like I got the hang of it the last day, and put more of an emphasis on time than in standard games.” In one of the most thrilling finishes ever, GM John Burke managed to win the 2020 U.S. Junior Championship after getting the best of GM Jeffery Xiong in an Armageddon playoff that ended with the U.S. #5 ranked player losing on time in a winning position. The final game took place after the players both finished with 6.5/9 points during the regular event, leading to a two-game rapid playoff match that was also tied. Asked about the rapid playoff, Jeffery felt he “jumped the gun a bit” in terms of his conversion in some games, but didn’t feel too bad about losing in the eventual time scramble, focusing on his own mistakes. “The key was not being precise earlier, and then once we were low on time it was just a mouse race so it was not in my control,” said Jeffery. Burke was able to cap off an incredible run that started with a first-round loss to Xiong in the event, needing to win game after game to stay within reach of the leaders. “After losing the first game I was worried that it might turn into a not-so-good tournament, but somehow I was able to keep focusing on one game at a time.” With this win, Burke will qualify for the 2021 U.S. Championship, as well as earning an additional $6,000 in scholarship money. Finishing in 3rd place with 6.0/9 was #2 seed GM Sam Sevian, who despite a poor start managed to fight his way back to a bronze finish. Next up in the 2020 U.S. Championship series is the 2020 U.S. Senior Championship, which starts Saturday, October 17, with live coverage from WGM Jennifer Shahade, GM Yasser Seirawan, and GM Maurice Ashley starting at 12:50 PM CDT on USChessChamps.com, YouTube, and Twitch. Text: IM Kostya Kavutskiy Photo: Official website Official site: USChessChamps.com
Magnus Carlsen wins Norway Chess with one round to spare
Magnus Carlsen won Norway Chess with one round to spare after beating his main competitor Alireza Firouzja in Round 9. Despite this vexing defeat (the youngster lost a drawing position) Firouzja is still one point ahead of Levon Aronian and has a fair chance for the second place in the final standings. Carlsen little by little outplayed Firouzja in a symmetrical position but when the time came to rip the harvest he rushed things with 35…Nc1 (Magnus thought that he was winning on the spot). Firouzja reached a roughly equal position and eventually transposed into a drawing endgame but had to play on a 30-second increment. Still, all he had to do is to hold a distant opposition but Alireza cracked under pressure, made a tragic mistake 69. Kc3?? (69. Kd2 lead to a draw) and after an obvious 69…Kc5 immediately capitulated. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Fabiano Caruana played a very clean high-quality game. The computer evaluation of the position throughout this encounter hovered around equal and even a rook sacrifice on move 37 by the American did not change the balance. The Armageddon game was quite a different story as Caruana quickly obtained quite a comfortable position with Black in the Modern Benoni reversed. Trying to get some play Duda misplaced his knights and the punishment was both quick and severe. Aryan Tari came very close to claiming his first win in this event as Levon Aronian opted for a very interesting but risky pawn sacrifice with Black in the Caro-Kann defense hoping to confuse his opponent. The Norwegian accepted the gift, consolidated his position but then move after move let his advantage slip away and by the time control allowed Aronian to reach an equal endgame. In the Armageddon game, Aronian got back to his trusted 1…e5 and scored a good victory in a sharp line of the Scotch Game capitalizing on the opponent’s mistake 21.a4? (21.Bh6 was much better). Standings after Round 9:1. Magnus Carlsen – 19.52. Alireza Firouzja – 15.53. Levon Aronian – 14.54. Fabiano Caruana – 145. Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 9.56. Aryan Tari – 2.5
World Rapid and Blitz Championship postponed to 2021
Last year, almost 350 chess players from 48 different countries gathered in Moscow for the 2019 King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Championship. This event has grown in importance and popularity, turning it into one of our flagship competitions, almost on par with the Olympiad and the World Championship match. Unfortunately, under the present circumstances, such an international gathering of people would have not been possible. Holding the World Rapid and Blitz Championship during Christmas, as it was initially planned, is not feasible. The pandemic situation poses health and logistic challenges that can not be easily solved for an event of these characteristics. In view of the situation, FIDE has decided to postpone the 2020 edition of the World Rapid and Blitz Championship. We will do our best to make it happen in spring 2021.
Norway Chess R08: Carlsen regains the lead
In Round 8 Fabiano Caruana stopped the leader Alireza Firouzja and gave a chance to Magnus Carlsen which the World Champion quickly grasped. Jan-Krzysztof Duda moved up a notch in the standings by scoring 1.5 points against Levon Aronian. Magnus Carlsen gradually outplayed his compatriot Aryan Tari in a symmetrical position and created a textbook case of “good knight vs. bad bishop” concept. On move 34 the World Champion planted his knight on d5 and broke through on the kingside. Fabiano Caruana tried a relatively rare move 3.f3 against Alireza Fourouzja’s Caro-Kann in both classical and Armageddon games. He got a certain edge in the first one but after 21.Bd7 (21.a4 seems stronger) Firouzja solved all his problems and comfortably reached a drawn in the endgame. Alireza opted for a different line in the Armageddon but jumped out of the frying pan into the fire – Fabiano masterfully took control over the dark squares and sailed to victory. Jan-Krzysztof Duda was under pressure in the classical game and trying to relieve it he ventured upon a pawn sacrifice to transpose into an endgame with the opposite-colored bishops. Levon Aronian did not accept it but probably underestimated the maneuver Bb2-Ba3 that allowed Duda to sneak out of danger. Levon was full of determination in the Armageddon game but Jan-Krzysztof was holding his own. Trying to win at any cost Aronian took it too far by playing 65. Kb5? but missed an obvious refutation 65…e4, which turned the position from equal into winning for Black. Standings after Round 8: 1. Magnus Carlsen – 16.52. Alireza Firouzja – 14.53. Levon Aronian – 134. Fabiano Caruana – 12.55. Jan-Krzysztof Duda – 8.56. Aryan Tari – 1.5
Norway Chess R07: Firouzja maintains the lead
Alireza Firouzja preserved his leading position after Round 7. After a draw and the victory in Armageddon over Levon Aronian, he is one point ahead of Magnus Carlsen, who achieved the same result vs. Fabiano Caruana. The American #1 put a lot of pressure on Magnus Carlsen by wedging his pawn to d6, but the World Champion demonstrated great accuracy in defense and saved a draw. In the Armageddon game, Carlsen got an upper hand with Black right in the opening. Facing a very difficult task Caruana managed to complicate the issue and reached equality but eventually lost on time. Alireza Firouzja got a slight edge with White against Levon Aronian but it was hard to turn it into something substantial in the position with a symmetrical pawn structure and an open center. The Armenian was much closer to the victory in the Armageddon encounter but after missing his chance in a time scramble also forfeited on time. Jan-Krzysztof quickly dispatched the struggling Aryan Tari after convincingly refuting a risky opening concept of the Norwegian GM. By the move 18 White had an overwhelming position and it did take the Pole long to wrap up the game. Standings after Round 7: 1. Alireza Firouzja 14.52. Magnus Carlsen 13.53. Levon Aronian 124. Fabiano Caruana 115. Jan-Krzysztof Duda 76. Aryan Tari 1.5 Photo: Lennart Ootes Official site: https://norwaychess.no/en/
New Presidents of national federations elected
Photo: Lars OA Hedlund SWEDEN Last week, Håkan Jalling (pictured above) was elected the new President of the Swedish Chess Federation, the 13th in the history of this organization, founded in 1917. “Sveriges Schackförbund“ has approximately 40,000 registered players, and it has recently moved its offices to Uppsala. In an interview published at the website of the Swedish Chess Federation, Håkan explains that the main challenges he will face are related to the new scenario created by the coronavirus pandemic, citing the safe resumption of over the board events as one of his priorities. Pretty much like everywhere else, the country’s top players have been affected by the economic disruption, being deprived of the possibility of competing at tournaments with money prizes. However, the new President is optimistic about the future. “Chess is basically a fantastic product and well suited for sponsors. Who could not want to be involved in making Sweden smarter?“ The full interview is available on the website of the Swedish Chess Federation. SERBIA The Serbian Chess Federation has also elected a new president, Dragan Lazic. The extraordinary assembly of the Chess Federation of Serbia was held in the Amphitheater of the College of Business Economics and Entrepreneurship PEP in Belgrade, where Mr. Lazic was elected with 34 votes in favor, and 1 abstention. Slavoljub Jocic, Jovan Obradovic, and Jovan Vujasinovic will be members of the Board of Directors, until April 2022. Photo: http://www.serbiachess.net/ With a Bachelor’s degree in economics, Dragan is an experienced professional in finance management and business planning, having been a regional manager for Credit Agricole Serbia for more than six years. More information on the website of the Serbian Chess Federation. SLOVAKIA Photo: http://www.nazahori.sk/ The Slovak Chess Federation also held elections this weekend, which resulted in a new President: Milan Roman. And entrepreneur and chairman of a chess club in Skalica, Milan has the intention to modernize the federation, expanding and bringing the game to as many people as possible. “We have to work with children, for whom chess can lay the foundations for their future life since the game develops their logical skills and critical thinking”. Along with him, Ladislav Šipeky, Štefan Blaho, Rastislav Nemečkay, Rastislav Diviak, and Ján Kocúr, were also elected members of the board of the Slovenský Šachový Zväz. More information on the website of the Slovak Chess Federation.