Rating Analytics: The biggest rating gains of 2019
Kaspars Migla is the creator and founder of a chess website chessratings.top. In his column, he analyzes FIDE standard rating changes, career-highs, rating distribution by country, continent, region, and other rating-related statistics. In this edition, he looks back at the biggest rating gains in 2019, made by players in various categories. Chessratings.top analyzed the biggest FIDE rating gains over the year 2019 and broke them down into different categories. Generally speaking, the higher the rating, the lower the rate of its change. Consequently, the lower the rate of the rating change, the more difficult to improve one’s rating. The more difficult to improve one’s rating the more significant every gain. With this in mind, let’s start with GMs. Evgeny Shtembuliak (UKR) born in 1999 (pictured above) made the biggest progress among grandmasters – over the period from March 2019 (when he was awarded his GM title) to January 2020 he improved his rating by 109 points and reached the 2625 mark. His gain is only 4 points bigger than one by a chess wunderkind from Iran Alireza Firouzja who made a huge jump from 2618 to 2723. Ironically, in 2018, when Alireza had lower rating (consequently, it was easier to earn rating points) his progress was also quite big, but not that impressive – from 2549 to 2618, i.e. 69 points. A young Chilean (born in 1996) Cristobal Henriquez Villagra rounds out the top-3 in this category after hitting the mark 2603 with a 99-point increment. It is nice to see a lady in the top-20 GMs making the biggest progress – Aleksandra Goryachkina (2578) boosted her rating by 60 points. Another gifted player from Iran Parham Maghsoodloo made roughly equal increments in 2018 and 2019 and increased his rating by 107 points over a two-year period moving up from 2572 to 2679 mark. TOP-20 biggest rating gains among GMs: The biggest gains are registered among IMs, which is hardly surprising given their lower rating comparing to GMs. The top spot in this nomination belongs to Mahfoud Oussedik from Algeria who picked 118 points and for the first in his career broke the 2400 barrier (2423). Jonas Buhl Bjerre from Denmark (born in 2004) really stands out in this list as he made an impressive leap from 2422 to 2535, passing the GM mark (2500). Jonas Buhl Bjerre Back in 2018, Wilson Guillermo Palencia Morales was the IM to make the biggest progress after improving his rating by 120 points from 2211 to 2331. TOP-20 biggest rating gains among IMs: Let’s talk about seniors. After retiring from competitive chess many of them have more time to spend on the game, which in turn has a beneficial effect on their level of play and rating, especially if it was not particularly high. Two players managed to increase their rating by 300 points and more thanks to a so-called low base effect. The age difference among the players on this list is striking. It is also noticeable that there is not a single player having an international title. TOP-20 biggest rating gains among seniors (all titles): Since juniors chess rating is calculated with the greatest coefficient (К=40), in the table below we see the biggest gains among all the players. Usually, Indian players dominate junior rating lists but this particular case the first three positions are occupied by the representatives of other counties. The first place in this list belongs to Reja Neer Manon from Bangladesh (born in 2010), one of the world leaders in the U-10 category. In 2019 his rating rose from 1486 to 2206 (720 points). Reja’s achievement is even more significant given that he had the highest starting rating among all the players on this list. Reja Neer Manon The #2 in our top-20 is quite a different story. Matteo Calvigioni from Italy (born in 2001) got his first international rating only in 2018. As of January 01, 2019, it was equal to 1130 points. Starting from this mark Matteo moved only up and by the end of the year he ramped it up to 1821! Back in 2018, the leader in this nomination Milan Gagic from Serbia (born in 2005) improved his rating by 654 points – from 1335 to 1989. TOP-20 biggest rating gains among all young players: Since youngsters took all the positions in this TOP, we analyzed the best achievements of juniors (players born in 1999 and 2000) separately. Predictably, the players with initial low ratings are among the leaders. For example, Dominik Zilkay (SVK) started the year with 1238 points and finished on the 1683 mark. TOP-20 biggest rating gains among U-20 (1999, 2000): Probably the broadest and the most diverse category in chess is adults, i.e. players born in 1999 and older. It is hard to find a well-known player in this list with a wide range of age – there is a player, born in 1947 in this top. As we all know, chess unites players of different ages not only over boards but also in rating lists. TOP-20 rating gains among adults (born in 1999 and older) When it comes to female WGM, IM, and GM we see a totally different picture: young players and juniors play second fiddle. Indeed, there is only one (!) U-18 player – WGM Aleksandra Maltsevskaya (RUS) WGM Katarzyna Toma (ENG) made the biggest progress (108) after increasing her rating from 2173 to 2281. It is worth noting though, that this rating-jump happened after a real slump in October of 2018 when she dropped 114 points in the course of two tournaments. If we present rating progress as a linear chart, that of IM Bhakti Kulkarni stands out from the rest and looks like a wave curve. Back in November 2018, her rating was 2256 but ten months later in August 2019 it reached 2429 points. Katarzyna Toma In 2018 WGM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova from Uzbekistan topped the list. She made an impressive jump from 2329 to 2446 (117 points) breaking her personal record along the way. TOP-20 biggest gains among women (GM, IM, WGM): It comes as no surprise that youngsters are the absolute leaders among all female players when it comes to the biggest rating gains. TOP-20 biggest gains among all women: The young generation dominates all regional tops. Out of 80 players you
Candidates 2020: Ding Liren beats Caruana to make a comeback
In a duel between the two favorites China’s Ding Liren – who started with two losses – made a comeback in the third round and defeated the #2 player in the world, Fabiano Caruana. This was the only game with a decisive outcome on the third day of the 2020 Candidates and it made the tournament wide open again A day before the first break at the eight-player 2020 Candidates Tournament, there are three players in the lead – Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) and Wang Hao (China), all on 2/3. American Fabiano Caruana and Russian Alexander Grischuk are a half-point behind with 1.5/3. Anish Giri (The Netherlands), Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) and Ding Liren (China) have one point after three rounds. Every game in the Candidates is critical, but this was especially the case for Ding Liren in Round 3. The first two days were challenging for the Chinese player: seen as one of the favorites, he surprisingly lost two games in a row. A few minutes before the third round, he was sitting in his chair, staring at the board, completely oblivious of his opponent who quietly set across. After the Chinese player opened with d4 Caruana opted for the Slav Defence, an unlikely choice for him. A few moves down the line the first interesting moment of the game occurred: Caruana played a novelty 9…e5, sacrificing a pawn. The American made this move fast (suggesting it was pre-prepared) and left the board. The Chinese player got into a deep think. As a result, he managed to find an accurate sequence of moves and preserved an extra pawn. To keep the initiative, Black (Caruana) sacrificed another pawn, hoping to expose the white king. Ding Liren, however, was up to the task – he gradually neutralized Black’s threats and consolidated his material advantage. Caruana kept on playing, hoping to create some chances, but to no avail. The Chinese player – although in time trouble – steered his ship with a firm hand forced the opponent to resign. This game was an important milestone for Ding Liren, whose confidence will be bolstered after this victory against the second player in the world. In the interview following the game, he said he hopes to recover to his top form and get back to the top of the scoreboard. The game between Anish Giri (The Netherlands) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) ended in a draw. Vachier-Lagrave predictably played his trusted Grünfeld Defence against 1.d4 and quickly proceeded to simplify the position. The ensuing endgame was slightly better for White but provided the Frenchman with enough defensive resources to hold his ground. The opponents agreed on a draw and shook hands on move 30. This was the first game of the day to finish. Alexander Grischuk (Russia) made his third consecutive draw in the tournament, this time against Wang Hao (China). After White played 1.e4, the Chinese player opted for the Petrov Defence. The Russian obtained a slightly better position with two bishops and superior pawn structure although Wang Hao’s pieces were very active. After the exchange of dark-squared bishops, Grischuk gradually advanced his kingside pawns and got an upper hand. The Chinese GM was resourceful in defense and eventually reached a draw but not without some help from Grischuk. Being in time trouble Alexander missed 34…Ne4+ which allowed Wang Hao to equalize. Ironically Grischuk had seen this idea long before but completely forgot about it on the move 34. Wang Hao is now on 2/3, while Grischuk – with three consecutive draws – is on 1.5/3. Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) faced his compatriot Ian Nepomniachtchi. This was the first time the two played against one another. Somewhat surprisingly, Nepomniachtchi went for the French Defence. The last time we saw the French Defence in the Candidates was back in 2007 in Elista in the game Leko – Gurevich (and the last time Black scored a victory in the Candidates in French Defence was in the game Sokolov – Yusupov, in Riga in 1986!). The position on the board after the opening was mostly even but full of life: Black put some pressure on the queenside, while White had his chances on the opposite flank. On the move 20 Alexeenko sacrificed an exchange and got compensation but the position remained about equal. Later on, though Kirill missed an opportunity when Black played 25…g6. The Russian wild card had a chance to take the g6-pawn (26. Bxg6) and launch a forceful attack on Black’s king, which would have been difficult to defend against. Explaining why he did not go for the g6-pawn, Alekseenko said that he was struggling with time and was not able to calculate everything until the end. Ten moves down the road White’s queen penetrated Black’s kingside and the youngest participant of the competition forced a draw by perpetual check. Ian Nepomniachtchi is now on 2/3 while Kirill Alekseenko has one point after three rounds. A Japanese bow instead of the “elbow-shake” In light of the concerns regarding the coronavirus, traditional handshakes have been dropped in the tournament. Players decide between themselves if and how they wish to acknowledge one another. Dutch player Anish Giri suggested that there should be a new code agreed between the players when it comes to handshakes, arguing it is very confusing as some people offer handshakes and some refuse. Anish also said he was not a great fan of “elbow-shakes”. “I think it would be much more elegant to do a bow as the Japanese do. I think they do that in shogi and it would make a lot of sense. This ‘elbow-shake’ is very creepy. From all the possible ways to show respect to each other, this is the creepiest”, Giri said. Friday is a rest day at the 2020 Candidates. Round Four of the 2020 Candidates Tournament starts at 4 PM local time on March 21. The pairings for the fourth round are: Fabiano Caruana (USA) – Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)Wang Hao (China) – Kirill Alekseenko (Russia)Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) – Alexander Grischuk (Russia)Ding Liren (China) – Anish Giri (The Netherlands) Standings after Round 3: 1-3. Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Wang Hao – 24-5. Fabiano Caruana and Alexander Grischuk –
Candidates 2020: Four in the lead as Ding Liren suffers a second loss
Four players are in the lead after the second day of the 2020 Candidates tournament in Yekaterinburg. Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Wang Hao are all on 1.5/2, followed by Alexander Grischuk with one point, and Alekseenko and Giri with half a point. In the last place, alone, is one of the favorites to win the tournament, Ding Liren, who lost again today Pavel Datsyuk, a Russian professional ice hockey player, opened the second round with a symbolic first move in the game between Fabiano Caruana (USA) and Kirill Alekseenko (Russia). The former contender for the title of World Champion and World #2 surprised his opponent by playing 1.d4 instead of his usual 1.e4. The game saw a double-edged line of the Nimzo-Indian. It seemed that something went wrong with Alekseenko’s opening preparation – he spent a lot of time thinking but ended up missing key moves. Caruana quickly took advantage of his opponent’s hesitation, pinning Black’s pieces and preventing him from getting any activity. It was a tense, tactical battle in which Caruana played with great precision. Although Alekseenko got seemingly sufficient compensation for a sacrificed knight, the American quickly coordinated his pieces for a deadly final attack and went on to win the game. The game between compatriots Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia) ended in a draw. Instead of a traditional handshake, the players greeted each other with an “elbow-shake” at the beginning. Grischuk opted for the Berlin Defense in the Ruy Lopez and after Ian’s inaccuracy 24.Bc1 probably could hope for more than just equality. However, in his usual time trouble, Alexander relieved the tension by exchanging the knights, which led to an equal ending with opposite-colored bishops. A second draw for Grischuk who is now on one point, while Nepomniachtchi is on 1.5/2. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) defeated Ding Liren (China), delivering a second blow in a row to the Chinese favorite. The Frenchman started to press from the very beginning and created a strong position in the middlegame. At one point Black had to give up a pawn and tried to compensate with aggressive play on the kingside. This approach, however, backfired. Eventually, Ding’s uncoordinated pieces were unable to withhold White’s pressure and the Chinese GM had to resign on move 37. A second loss in a row for the Chinese who ahead of the tournament was considered as one of the favorites to win the Candidates. Unlike for Ding Liren, the tournament started well for the Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (1.5/2) despite getting a spot at the event at the very last moment (after Teimour Radjabov pulled out). The longest game of the day was played between Wang Hao (China) and Anish Giri (The Netherlands), lasting almost six hours. In Round 1 Wang Hao defeated his compatriot and one of the favorites, Ding Liren, while Giri started with a loss (to Nepomniachtchi). White tried to grab the initiative straight out of the English opening and eventually obtained a slightly better endgame with some pressure on Black’s isolated d-pawn. Wang Hao gradually shifted his focus on the queenside, outmaneuvered his opponent and won a pawn. Being better on time, Giri put up a stubborn resistance, which eventually yielded dividends. Wang Hao failed to find the right path to victory and – after almost six hours of play – the two called it a draw. Wang Hao is now on 1.5/2 while Giri is on half a point. There are 12 more rounds to go in Yekaterinburg and a significant number of decisive outcomes in the first two rounds suggest a lot of excitement ahead. Questions are being asked about whether Ding Liren will be able to make a comeback, especially as he is due to face Fabiano Caruana in the next round. Still, the tournament is in its early days and many things can change and likely will. Round 3 of the 2020 Candidates Tournament starts at 4 PM local time on March 19. The pairings for the third round are: Ding Liren (China) – Fabiano Caruana (USA)Anish Giri (The Netherlands) – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)Alexander Grischuk (Russia) – Wang Hao (China)Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) – Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) Official website: www.en.candidates-2020.com FIDE website: www.fide.com Chess Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region: www.ural-chess.com Press inquiries: press@fide.com Text: Milan Dinic Photo: Maria Emelianova and Lennart Ootes About the partners: Sima Land – Title sponsor of the FIDE Candidates Tournament Algorand – Official blockchain partner Kaspersky – Official cybersecurity partner PJSC PhosAgro – General partner of the CFR Mercedes-Benz Russia – Official Auto Partner Pine Creek Golf Resort – Partners SILA International Lawyers – FIDE legal partner You can find more information about the partners at www.en.candidates-2020.com/partners
4th FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for Players with Disabilities postponed
4th FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for Players with Disabilities New Dates! June 28 – July 5, 2021 Denver, Colorado, USA Keeping our Junior Players safe. Dear Junior Players, Chess Families, and Members of the International Chess Community: In light of recent developments surrounding COVID-19, the health risks, travel restrictions and quarantines being enforced around the world, we are heeding the advice of public health experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). With this in mind, out of an abundance of caution and concern for the well-being of Junior Players with Disabilities, our team and chess families, we have decided to postpone this year’s event in an attempt to minimize the players’ exposure to the virus. Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the Junior Players and we take seriously our responsibility as the organizers of this wonderful event. During this difficult time, we believe that chess has the ability to keep us connected, and we encourage you all to embrace and support our chess communities beyond the tournament halls. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@worldjuniorchess.org. We look forward to seeing you in Denver, Colorado, USA in 2021! Yours for Chess,IO Beatriz Marinello Event OrganizerOn behalf of the Organizing Committee
Nepomniachtchi and Wang Hao early leaders at the 2020 Candidates
Round one of the 2020 Candidates Tournament opened with a Chinese upset as the underdog Wang Hao, playing with black pieces, defeated his compatriot – and one of the favorites of the tournament – Ding Liren. The second decisive outcome was produced in the game between Anish Giri and Ian Nepomniachtchi in which the local player prevailed. After the first round, Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Wang Hao (China) lead the field, with four players on half a point and two on zero. The 2020 Candidates Tournament is probably the only high-profile sporting event taking place in the world. In light of the concerns regarding the coronavirus, various measures have been put into place. Players and arbiters are supplied with masks, sanitizers, and the audience is not allowed in the playing venue. In chess terms, this event is unique given that it has the highest prize fund ever for a Candidates Tournament (500,000), and that for half of the players (Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Kirill Alekseenko, and Wang Hao) this is their debut at the event. Traditionally, the opening round started with the first-move ceremony. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich made the first move in the game Ding Liren – Wang Hao, Russian football star Dmitri Bulykin made the first move in the game between Vachier-Lagrave and Caruana, the head of Yekaterinburg City Chess Federation Mikhail Vakhrushev did the honors in the Russian duel between Alexander Grischuk and Kirill Alekseenko and the 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov opened the game between Anish Giri and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Interestingly, while Giri did shake hands with Karpov, Nepomniachtchi refused, in light of the concerns about the global coronavirus pandemic. The biggest upset of the day came in the Chinese duel where Wang Hao (who is playing his first Candidates event) defeated Ding Liren (who finished the 2018 Candidates without a single loss!). For the first time in the Candidates, two Chinese players were playing each other. Following the English Opening, the compatriots ended in a seemingly peaceful position in the midgame, with the queens exchanged. White (Ding Liren) had a tiny advantage – a strong knight on c4 and good control of the flow of the game, while Black had a passive bishop on c7. The position was, however, roughly equal. White then decided to open the position with 30.f4, but it allowed Black’s pieces to spring to life. Wang Hao got a chance to take the initiative, and several moves down the road he was dominating on the kingside, while at the same time blocking any chances for White. Facing an imminent collapse of his position Ding Liren decided to resign. Ding Liren did not appear at the press conference after the game. In his analysis of the position, Wang Hao highlighted 30.f4 as a bad move, pointing out that White had some advantage before that. This game was interesting for one other reason: over a million people tuned in from China to watch the live broadcast on the official website. The Chinese commentary being provided by non-other than the highest-rated female player in the world Hou Yifan, and three-time champion of China and 14-time champion of the Netherlands, Peng Zhaoqing. The first game to finish was the one between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (who got a place in the event after Teimour Radjabov decided to withdraw) and Fabiano Caruana (the #2 in the world and the winner of the 2018 Candidates). The opponents had a discussion in the sharp Arkhangelsk variation of the Ruy Lopez. As Caruana commented after the game: “it was one of the most double-edged lines in the opening, and it’s a double-edged opening in general”. The opening did not go as planned for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and, in his own words, “the position was very unpleasant”. In a tactically challenging battle, it seemed that Caruana was better prepared and had a more solid knowledge of the lines. However, the Frenchmen played patiently and managed to find the right moves to maintain the balance in a sharp position. The most critical moment of the game came on move 32 when White played 32.Qd3 after 23 minutes of thinking! This move seemed very dangerous for White, but there was still no sign of a distinct advantage for Black: “I looked at a number of options without finding anything with a clear cut. I didn’t see anything I liked so much. After that it was a clean draw”, said Caruana in an interview after the game. The opponents sealed a draw after 45 moves in an ending with rooks and opposite-colored bishops. The Russian duel between Alexander Grischuk and Kirill Alekseenko started with a handshake and ended in a draw. There was a technical issue at the beginning when Grischuk asked for his chair to be replaced, as he found it uncomfortable. The same opening was played as in the game between Ding Liren and Wang Hao. However, by move eight the game transpired into a position that has never been played before. After a slow but pressuring play in the center and the kingside White (Grischuk) managed to create a strong formation, towering over the central squares. Despite White’s building a secure and powerful structure in the center, Black (Alekseenko) had sufficient firepower (combining the queen and the bishop) and enough open diagonals to engineer some counterplay and threaten the white king. The duel ended in a perpetual check, confirming an even outcome. While the engines and chess pundits gave many opinions about this game and others from Round 1, Grischuk – in his style – gave a sweeping blunt summary of the first day: “Everyone played horrible today, except maybe Ian [Nepomniachtchi]”. Grichuk had a point in praising Ian Nepomniachtchi’s play as the latter managed to defeat Anish Giri with Black pieces. This was the longest game of the First Round, lasting over five hours. In yet another English opening, the players went for a very sharp line. As the game was developing, commentators around the globe – from Danil Dubov and Evgenij Miroshnichenko in Yekaterinburg (who are doing the English commentary for the event) to Viswanathan Anand in India and Hikaru Nakamura in the States – were guessing how far did Giri’s preparation go. It was noticeable that the Dutchman spent quite a lot of time before
FIDE enhances protection measures in the Candidates Tournament
Due to the current epidemiological situation, protection measures have been enhanced in the FIDE Candidates Tournament. No spectators will be allowed to the playing venue at the Hyatt Regency Yekaterinburg hotel. The accredited persons, including media, are admitted into the playing area only for the first 5 minutes after the start of the round. Photo and video shooting are allowed only from a distance of at least 6 meters from the players. Spectators can follow the games on the official website, FIDE website, and the FIDE Youtube channel A popular Grandmaster and coach Sergey Shipov will lead the Russian commentary. The World Rapid Champion-2018 Daniil Dubov and Grandmaster Evgeny Miroshnichenko will provide the English coverage. The Chinese commentators will be the highest-rated female player in the world Hou Yifan and three-time champion of China and 14-time champion of the Netherlands, Peng Zhaoqing.
The 2020 Candidates Tournament officially opened in Yekaterinburg
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2020 Candidates Tournament, which is taking place in Yekaterinburg (Russia) The eight-player Candidates tournament is one of the most prestigious global chess events, held every two years. The event will determine who will challenge the defender Magnus Carlsen for the title of the World Chess Champion. This year’s event has a prize fund of 500,000 Euros, which is the highest ever in the history of the Candidates tournaments. The players taking part in the Candidates are Fabiano Caruana (USA), Ding Liren (China), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), Anish Giri (The Netherlands), Wang Hao (China) and Kirill Alekseenko (Russia). The opening ceremony took place at the “Ekaterinburg Expo” congress center. Speakers at the Opening Ceremony were Evgeny Kuyvashev (Governor of the Sverdlovsk Oblast (Region)), FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, former World Champion Anatoly Karpov, the President of the Sverdlovsk Chess Federation Andrey Simanovsky as well as the Regional Corporate Sales Head at Kaspersky Marina Usova. Evgeny Kuyvashev, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Oblast (Region) said that it is the first time this region is hosting a FIDE Candidates tournament and added: “Our region considers itself one of the leaders of the home [Russian] chess movement and the center for the development of “the chess thought”. Today some 20,000 people professionally play chess in the Sverdlovsk Region, including 2.500 children and teenagers. We are proud of our chess masters and our young chess talents”. Congratulating the players and chess fans across the world on the start of the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich pointed to this event being the most important stage in the qualifying cycle for the World Chess Championship, as it will determine the opponent of the current world champion Magnus Carlsen. “In the coming weeks, we will witness epic battles between eight world’s leading chess players. They went through the toughest selection process in the previous few months to compete for the right to challenge for the world chess crown in Yekaterinburg”. FIDE president also reflected on the fact that the Tournament is held in the environment of an alarming situation with the spread of COVID-19. “I would like to note that in terms of medical safety measures, the Tournament organizing Committee fully follows the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the IOC and Rospotrebnadzor and fulfills all the prescribed requirements. We also ask for maximum support from the chess community, the media, and all of you”. “Once again, I would like to welcome the participants of the FIDE Candidates Tournament and wish them memorable combinations and spectacular victories. And let the Tournament bring only joy and new positive emotions to all the fans”, Dvorkovich concluded. The mayor of Yekaterinburg, Alexander Vysokinsky highlighted the importance of this event for the local community, adding “we will try to do everything in our power so that this event is held according to highest standards, so everyone could enjoy!” One of the speakers at the ceremony was Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov, the 12th World Champion in chess, who himself comes from the Ural region. Karpov emphasized the uniqueness of the tournament for the region and spoke about efforts made to develop chess education, including at the Ural Federal University. The President of the Sverdlovsk Chess Federation Andrey Simanovsky, as well as the Regional Corporate Sales Head at Kaspersky Marina Usova joined the speakers in wishing the players good luck in the tournament. This year’s Candidates Tournament is held from March 16 to April 3. The First Round starts on March 17 at 4 PM local time (noon CET; 11 AM GMT). The pairings for the First Round: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) – Fabiano Caruana (USA)Ding Liren (China) – Wang Hao (China)Anish Giri (The Netherlands) – Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)Alexander Grischuk (Russia) – Kirill Alekseenko (Russia) More information about the event can be found here. The Partners: Sima Land – the title sponsor of the FIDE Candidates TournamentAlgorand – official blockchain partnerKaspersky – official cybersecurity partnerPJSC PhosAgro – General partner of the CFRMercedes-Benz Russia – Official car partnerPine Creek Golf Resort and SILA International Lawyers – partners Relevant links and contacts: Official website: https://en.candidates-2020.com/ FIDE website: https://www.fide.com Chess Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region: http://www.ural-chess.com Information about the partners: https://en.candidates-2020.com/partners Press inquiries: press@fide.com
Arkady Dvorkovich: Safety is our priority
A pre-press event for the 2020 Candidates took place earlier today at the Sverdlovsk Journalists’ Union, where the organisers, local officials, the public and Russian media were introduced to the programme and the organisation of the upcoming tournament. Present at the conference were the Sverdlovsk Region Deputy Governor Alexey Orlov, the president of the International Chess Federation Arkady Dvorkovich, the former World Champion Anatoly Karpov and the President of the Chess Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region Andrey Simanovsky. They were joined by the Regional Corporate Sales Head at Kaspersky Marina Usova, as well as one of the participants of the Candidates, Russian GM Kirill Alekseenko. Speaking on behalf of the regional authorities, Deputy Governor Alexey Orlov said that it is a “great honour for Sverdlovsk to be hosting the Candidates Tournament”. He added that the Sverdlovsk Region has “thoroughly prepared for the event” and that they are “putting a lot of effort into ensuring that all competitive events are organised to the highest safety standards necessary today”. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich thanked the regional government as well as the Chess Federation of Russia on organising the tournament: “This is a big event not just for the chess world but, possibly, for the whole sporting community since almost all international competitions have been cancelled due to the spread of the coronavirus”. Dvorkovich added that the International Chess Federation put special emphasis on minimising all health risks for the participants and everyone involved in the event: “We cleared all the health safety issues including medical screenings and tests with the Federal Service for Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor), and the Ministry of Public Health. We took precautionary measures, following recommendations by WHO, IOC, and Rospotrebnadzor. The participants, media, organizers, and spectators will be separated, and the latter will not be permitted to enter the playing hall. We expect these measures to be sufficient for the players’ safety, bearing in mind that this is not a mass event.” Dvorkovich added that, due to the concerns, all additional mass events (tournaments, simuls) planned for the Candidates have been cancelled. Despite the spectators not being able to attend the playing hall, Dvorkovich pointed out that there will be live commentary, in English, Russian and Chinese, which will be streamed online. Andrey Simanovsky, who heads the Chess Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region, emphasized there has never been an event of such magnitude in Yekaterinburg, adding that this will be “a good impulse to promoting chess in the region”. “I became a president of the regional chess federation rather recently, but already I recognize how exciting the chess world is, and how many extraordinary people are here. In my opinion, chess is the most peaceful, intelligent, and prestigious sport”, he added. Afterwards, Simanovsky showed medals which will be awarded to the top three players of the Candidates Tournament. Cybersecurity and chess The official cyber-security partner of the Candidates Tournament is Kaspersky. Marina Usova, Head of Corporate Sales at Kaspersky, has said that her company is “happy to be involved in a mind sport like chess, which cannot be imagined without the use of computer algorithms”. She drew on similarities between chess and the IT security industry: “There are constant challenges and they require strategic thinking. In cybersecurity, the ability to defend is crucial, as every detail matters. In chess – also. One wrong move can change the course of the game.” W. Sean Ford, COO of Algorand, another sponsor of the event, sent the following message to the participants: “As one of the leading blockchain organizations, we are honoured to join a lineup of other industry-leading partners in supporting chess. We look forward to being a part of the Candidates Tournament in Russia, where chess has been a longstanding tradition and produced some of the most skilled chess players in the world.” Anatoly Karpov: “Energy, health and calm nerves” The 12th World Champion and one of the key people in the Sverdlovsk chess federation, Anatoly Karpov also took spoke at the pre-press event. He shared his thoughts and advice to the players: “In order to win such tournament, one needs energy, health, and steady nerves. Tournament-specific preparation and general opening knowledge as well. The participants of this event won many tournaments during their careers – they are truly cream of the chess world.” Karpov also reflected on the history of chess development in the Urals. “We have never had such a high-level competition in Sverdlovsk Region or in Yekaterinburg. However, the Ural chess school has been developing rapidly in recent years, and the Chess Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region is now one of the most active in Russia. I believe this tournament will be held at the highest level. The players have ideal conditions and they will live and play in the same hotel”. One of the Candidates, Kirill Alekseenko: Playing for a win Kirill Alekseenko, the wild-card participant of the Candidates, was also present at the pre-press event. He expressed his gratitude for being invited, adding: “Naturally, I will be playing for a win, as only the first place gives a chance to challenge Magnus Carlsen.” The official Opening Ceremony of the Yekaterinburg 2020 Candidates Tournament will take place at 7 PM local time on March 16 at the Congress Centre – Ekaterinburg Expo. First games are played on March 17.
Introducing Candidates: Fabiano Caruana
Fabiano Caruana (USA)Born: June 30, 1992 (27 years old)Rating: 2842Qualified as the Challenger in the World Championship match 2018 The third child in a large Italian family, Fabiano Caruana was born in Miami and spent his childhood in the US. Fabiano’s remarkable chess abilities became evident from an early age, and his father, a club-level player, dedicated his life to his son and made everything possible to realize his potential. In America, Fabiano was trained by Miron Sher. At the age of 12, the young chess player, together with his parents, moved to Europe. First, they settled in Spain, where Fabiano was trained by Boris Zlotnik for several years. Then, Caruana’s family put down their roots in Budapest, so that Fabiano could work with Alexander Chernin. The young chess player wasn’t even 15 when he became a grandmaster. Fabiano changed his federation to Italian and started steadily improving his tournament record, participating in numerous events (Biel, in New Delhi, Reykjavik, Dortmund, Zurich, and Wijk aan Zee). A new partnership with Vladimir Chuchelov proved to be very fruitful as the Italian grandmaster advanced rapidly. He firmly established himself in the top 10 players in the world and after a victory in Dortmund (2014), surpassed the 2800 rating mark. Fabiano did not stop there. Playing the Sinquefield Cup, an event featuring six of the world’s top-10 players, Caruana turned in a phenomenal result – he scored 8.5 points out of 10 and overtook the second-place finisher, the World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, by three points, adding 30 rating points along the way with a first-place finish. In 2015, Caruana returned under the American banner and qualified for the Candidates Tournament held in Moscow in March 2016. Fabiano was in contention for first place until the final round in which he lost the winner-takes-all game to Sergey Karjakin. The same year he won the Olympiad (Baku 2016) with his new team playing on the first board. Caruana is a very versatile chess player equally good in openings, positional maneuvering, and endgames. His distinguishing feature is unparalleled concentration over the board. Fabiano’s second attempt to qualify for the match with the World Champion was successful – after winning the Candidates tournament in Berlin (2018) Caruana crossed swords with Magnus Carlsen. The World Championship match in London was a very close one: after all 12 games with classical time control were drawn, the Word Champion prevailed only in a tiebreak. At the beginning of this year, Fabiano reached a new high after delivering an extraordinary performance in the Tata Steel Masters 2020. Caruana finished a clear first, two points ahead of Magnus Carlsen. The American enters the Candidates Tournament as the rating favorite. Will he succeed one more time? We will find out in three weeks. Caruana – Ponomariov (Dortmund 2014) 39. Re7! Qxe7 40. Ba6! Kxa6 41. Qa8# (“One of the mostsatisfying combinations I have ever played!” – Fabiano Caruana)
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FIDE Candidates Tournament opens today in Yekaterinburg Dzagnidze clinches victory in Lausanne New FIDE Charter approved USA (+50) and Russia (+65) win gold at the World Senior Team Championship Mercedes-Benz is the official auto partner of the Candidates Tournament READ NEWSLETTER