John Fawole Chess Awards 2019: Full list of winners
The John Fawole Chess Awards 2019 has come and gone with loads of surprises, fun, games, drama, and laughs. In course of the ceremony, held at Chevron Recreation Club, Gbagada, Lagos Nigeria, the awards were given to the most deserving chess players, chess contributors, organizers, and arbiters. Established back in 2016, the John Fawole Chess Awards also known as Nigeria Chess Awards is Nigeria’s most prestigious and anticipated chess awards. The key goal of the award is to celebrate excellence for chess players who have contributed immensely to the development of chess in Nigeria, either through an excellent representation of the country in chess events or via a deliberate and charitable promotion of chess among the citizens of Nigeria. The organizers and panel of judges announced the full list of awardees for the year 2018. The list below is what the panel of judges decided after votes were cast online: 1. Most outstanding chess player award (Male): Abdulrahman Abduraheem Akintoye2. Most outstanding chess player (Female): Perpetual Ogbiyoyo3. Arbiter of the year (Male): Olawale Peter Oyeleye4. Best organized chess tournament of the year: MGI5. Tournament director of the year: Olawale Peter Oyeleye6. Most outstanding senior award: Erhabor David7. Award of recognition for most outstanding in WAUG: Daniel Anwuli8. Award of Recognition for most outstanding in WAUG: Perpetual Ogbiyoyo9. Promoter of the year award: Salem Fly10. Award of recognition for the most outstanding grassroots development project – Chess in the slum: Tunde Onakoya11. Personality of the year award: Tajudeen Oyeneyin12. Award of recognition for the most outstanding all-time tournament director: Rotimi Dasaolu13. Team leader of the year: Ayokanmi Ajayi14. Most Outstanding u-10 player award (Male): Osadebe Emmanuel15. Most Outstanding u-10 player award (Female): Oluyisola Abiola Diamond16. Most outstanding u-20 player (Male): Kikosem Igwubor17. Most outstanding u-20 player (Female): Akintoye Deborah18. Most consistent online player award: Aikhoje Odion19. Best online tournament award: chess online Nigeria (CNO)20. Arbiter of the Year (Female): Alhaji Tayo Amisu 23 Awards of Recognition for people who have contributed immensely to the development of chess in Nigeria: 1. Bimbo Fajemirokun2. Ayo Tuase3. Nnamdi Nwoye4. Robert Asibor5. George Lolomari6. Femi Adebajo7. Lekan Adeyemi8. Rotimi Odunaiya9. Adewole Adeyinka10. DIG Rtd. Sani. Mohammed11. Ajibola Olanrewaju12. Rachael Dappa13. Aisha Jimoh Ibrahim14. Rabiu Olabisi15. Magnus Epkiken16. Bode Durotoye17. Dasaolu Rotimi18. Tolu Ogunwobi19. Kenneth Odeh20. Bayo Babalola21. Niyi Oriolowo22. Ikechukwu Igwunze23. The Executives – Chevron Recreation Club, Gbagada Lagos.
Humpy Koneru, early leader in Women’s Grand Prix Monaco
Humpy Koneru, the champion in Skolkovo and the leader of the Women Grand Prix, continues her streak by becoming the only winner of the first round in Monaco. The second leg of the Women’s Grand Prix started at a slow pace at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Five games were drawn and only Humpy Koneru managed to clinch a win after over 5 hours play, despite being on the defensive side for most of the game. Her opponent Valentina Gunina got an advantage out of the opening, as she forced the black Knight to the awkward square b7. The Russian steadily increased her domination but failed to find winning continuations after move 30. Black’s position remained unpleasant after the time-control, but the Indian GM managed to keep the balance. Probably unhappy with the turn of events and with the clock ticking, the Russian lost her objectivity and overpressed. Koneru reacted perfectly and timely switched to a “winning mode”. After several mistakes by Gunina, Humpy converted her advantage and took the whole point. Pia Cramling and Alexandra Kosteniuk delivered a fascinating fight. It looked as if Black could hope to gain some advantage around move 20, but the Swedish legend unleashed the great move 22.d5. Kosteniuk was clearly confused and did not assess the consequences of this pawn sacrifice accurately. Instead of 22…Bxd5, taking the pawn with the Knight would have led to a draw. The classical double sacrifice of bishops on h7 and g7 admittedly looks dangerous, but it turns out that White would have had to make a draw by perpetual check. As a result, a few moves down the road the former World Champion found herself in a losing position. However, Pia missed the winning 30.Qd4 and later simplified into an equal rook ending. The all-Russian game between Aleksandra Goryachkina and Kateryna Lagno was rather tense. Lagno said afterward that she had been under pressure throughout, with the depressing perspective of having no counter-play. Goryachkina certainly failed to put more pressure at critical moments, and both players agreed to a draw by repetition. The game between Elizabeth Paehtz and Zhao Xue was a quiet affair. Following a fashionable line of the Sveshnikov Variation, none managed to create any chances for an advantage. The draw was signed on move 31, just after the limit of 30 moves stipulated in the regulations. The first game to finish was actually the encounter between Mariya and Anna Muzychuk. It is well-known that both sisters do not fight against each other in classical chess, and Monaco was no exception to the rule. Harika Dronavalli and Nana Dzagnidze played a balanced game. The Georgian felt that she was under slight pressure in the endgame but was happy to decide on a pawn sacrifice to activate her rook. The draw was signed shortly after. In other news, during his speech at the opening ceremony, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich announced a new partnership between the International Chess Federation and Total SA, a French multinational founded in 1924, and considered one of the seven “Supermajor” gas and oil companies in the world. Results of the first round: Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Nana Dzagnidze (Geo): ½-½Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) – Zhao Xue (China): ½-½Pia Cramling (Swe) – Alexandra Kosteniuk Alexandra (Rus): ½-½Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus) – Kateryna Lagno (Rus): ½-½Valentina Gunina (Rus) – Humpy Koneru (Ind): 0-1Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr): ½-½ Round 2, 4 December at 3 pm: Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) – Anna Muzychuk (Ukr)Humpy Koneru (Ind) – Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr)Kateryna Lagno (Rus) – Valentina Gunina (Rus)Alexandra Kosteniuk (Rus) – Aleksandra Goryachkina (Rus)Zhao Xue (China) – Pia Cramling (Swe)Harika Dronavalli (Ind) – Elisabeth Paehtz (Ger) Official website, with live games and commentary by WGM Keti Tsatsalashvili, GM Josif Dorfman & GM Bartlomiej Heberla: https://wgp2019.fide.com FIDE YouTube channel Pictures are available on this Dropbox folder Text: Yannick Pelletier Photos: Karol Bartnik
GCT Finals: Rapid and blitz to determine the finalists
The finalists of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour will be determined in rapid and blitz as both classical games ended in a draw. The matches tomorrow will consist of two rapid and four blitz games, where a win in rapid is worth four points while a victory in blitz is equal to two points. Tomorrow promises to be an exciting day as faster time controls bring out the fireworks on the chessboard. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs Magnus Carlsen: ½ – ½ Magnus Carlsen wanted to surprise his opponent in the opening again, opting for a rare line in the Open Spanish that he played in Zagreb GCT against Caruana earlier this year. Maxim Vachier-Lagrave decided to take a cautious route, probably keeping in mind the loss Aronian suffered against Mamedyarov at the 2018 Olympiad in the same line. The Frenchman had a better pawn structure but this advantage was offset by his misplaced minor piece. Although both opponents felt that the resources to continue the battle were petering out, they played it out until only the lone kings were left on the board. 9-year-old Amoako Selikem from Ghana makes the ceremonial first move in Vachier-Lagrave vs Carlsen Ding Liren vs Levon Aronian: ½ – ½ Ding Liren escaped unscathed after finding himself in a worse position with the white pieces. An uncommon line in the Nimzo Indian Defense lead to a symmetrical position which the Chinese star thought would be better for him. However, he was unable to find a way to deal with the Bg4-pin and started playing “bad and unnatural” moves. Levon Aronian had a comfortable edge but still feeling unwell decided to end the day early with a repetition. Photo: Grand Chess Tour Official site
The second leg of the Women’s FIDE Grand Prix is officially launched
The second leg of the Women’s FIDE Grand Prix is officially launched. Monaco is hosting the best women chess players in the world for the next two weeks. Following the European Women’s Rapid and Blitz Championships which ended last weekend, Monaco is ready to stage another great event on the chess calendar. The second leg of the Women’s FIDE Grand Prix takes place December 2-15 at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Twelve of the best women players in the world participate in this prestigious round-robin tournament. There is a lot at stake. Besides a hefty prize fund, the participants of Grand Prix Series are fighting for two top places in order to qualify for the Candidates Tournament and get a chance to face the reigning World Champion in a final match in 2021. The Yacht Club de Monaco also hosted a glittering ceremony that opened the event tonight. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich expressed his delight with the collaboration of the International Chess Federation and the Mediterranean Principality in the organization of an official tournament in Monaco: “This is the continuation of the brilliant history of chess events in the Principality”. The opening ceremony was attended by numerous important guests, such as Joël Bouzou, President of Peace and Sport and adviser of His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco. He noted that “Monaco holds sport at a very high place, as it conveys the idea of neutrality. A chess game starts and unfolds with absolutely equal chances, and chess players are therefore fantastic ambassadors for peace”. Jean-Michel Rapaire, resourceful and tireless president of the Monaco Chess Club thanked all who contributed to making this tournament possible. “The event is under the patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, and I am particularly grateful for this honor.” The Yacht Club de Monaco is built in the shape of a majestic ship – certainly a suitable place for a chess tournament of this magnitude. This historic venue is used to host sports and cultural events so we can be sure of the highest level of organization. The first round starts on December 3rd at 3 pm. Pairings for the first round: Harika Dronavalli – Nana DzagnidzeElisabeth Paehtz – Zhao XuePia Cramling – Alexandra KosteniukAleksandra Goryachkina – Kateryna LagnoValentina Gunina – Humpy KoneruMariya Muzychuk – Anna Muzychuk The games can be followed live with expert commentary on the tournament website & FIDE YouTube channel. Text: Yannick PelletierPhotos: Karol Bartnik
Grand Chess Tour Finals Day 1: Two eventful draws
The semi-finals of 2019 Grand Chess Tour Finals kicked off in Hammersmith London. Magnus Carlsen and Ding Liren are competing against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian respectively in a series of classical, rapid and blitz matches to determine the two finalists. Whilst both classical games ended in a draw, there was no lack of action on the board. Tomorrow, the two pairs will meet again with the opposite colors before moving on to the rapid and blitz portion. Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave: ½ – ½ The fascinating Sicilian Najdorf ended in a hard-fought draw in 32 moves. Magnus Carlsen deviated in the opening with an unusual combination of ideas, taking the game into unknown territory from move 7. With the kings castled on the opposite sides, Carlsen was attempting to build an attack on the kingside, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was mobilizing his pieces on the queenside. During his interview with Maurice Ashley, Levon Aronian predicted that “feathers would fly” and they did when the center opened up and Vachier-Lagrave sacrificed a piece for an attack. But as is the case with all perfectly played games, this battle ended in a draw after Carlsen realized that avoiding a repetition would result in a disaster. After the game, the Frenchman promised another fighting encounter tomorrow. Levon Aronian vs Ding Liren: ½ – ½ Levon Aronian explained that he had a poor night of sleep due to jet lag following the Tata Steel Rapid and Blitz and simply wanted a quiet game. He essayed a sideline with 6.g3 in the Semi Tarrasch variation, which his opponent was well prepared for. Once Aronian spotted a tactical sequence where he sacrificed his rook for a perpetual, the game ended in a draw. Ding Liren was satisfied with the draw with Blacks, while Aronian was not disappointed wasting his white pieces, reasoning that as in the World Cup, he will get his chances. Photo: Grand Chess Tour Official site
Luzhniki welcomes King Salman Rapid & Blitz Championships
The King Salman Rapid and Blitz Championships 2019 will be held in the VIP zone of the Grand Sports Arena at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex. The Stadium and the surrounding areas were extensively renovated and upgraded with the occasion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, turning it into one of the biggest and more modern sports facilities in Europe, with a capacity of 78.360 spectators. This is the largest sports and entertainment complex in Russia, stretching over 150 hectares. It is located in one of the most picturesque areas of Moscow, at a bend in Moskva River, in front of the Sparrow Hills (“Vorobyovy Gory”) and the Neskuchny Garden. Luzhniki Stadium lies adjacent to Moscow’s Third Ring road, and it can be reached with the metro line 1 (red line), being Sportivnaya the nearest station, or alternatively Vorobyovy Gory. Both are within walking distance of the stadium. This metro line connects directly with Moscow’s city center, and the ride from either Okhotny Ryad or Biblioteka should take no more than 10 minutes. The playing venue is located in the Sector С, with the entrance from the central alley (walkway). The playing hall is a spacious and well-lit area overlooking the playing field of the main football arena. The official hotel of the King Salman Rapid & Blitz Championships is the Radisson Collection Hotel Moscow, which was historically known as “Hotel Ukraina”. This building is one of the famous “Seven Sisters” of Moscow, the seven legendary skyscrapers from the soviet times, and it served as Karpov’s headquarters during his historical match with Kasparov. The players will be provided with transportation between the official hotel and the playing venue. Online registration for the King Salman World Rapid & Blitz Championships 2019 is open: https://wrbc2019registration.fide.com/ VISA SUPPORT A participant can apply for a visa both in his home country and abroad. The main condition is to apply for a Russian visa only in official institutions such as the Consular Section of the Russian Embassy or Consulate-General. Other institutions (including an official Visa Application Center) and travel agencies offering their services will have no access to the information regarding the King Salman World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships 2019. All the embassies and consulates have been informed about the Championship by a circular letter of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are ready to assist players with applying for a visa in a time pressure situation. When applying for a Russian visa, alongside with a complete set of documents requested by the Embassy, a participant shall provide the official invitation from the Chess Federation of Russia. This invitation is the main basis for issuing a visa that substitutes for a telex/reference number. Any accredited participant, who needs a visa to enter Russia, should download the visa invitation letter through the registration system. The visa application can start on December 3.
Monaco hosts the second leg of FIDE Women’s Grand Prix
Monaco is ready to take on the role of the world’s chess capital for the next 17 days. On November 30th, the European Chess Union stages its first European Chess Awards Ceremony with a gala that took place at the prestigious Hotel de Paris. Many famous guests including FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and chess legends Garry Kasparov and Nona Gaprindashvili attended the event. From November 29 to December 1, Monaco also hosted the European Women’s Blitz and Rapid Championships in the Novotel Hotel. The blitz event, a 13-round Swiss tournament brought together 88 players from 21 countries. Despite losing her last round game, Alexandra Kosteniuk scored 10 out of 13 and won the title. Antoaneta Stefanova and Valentina Gunina tied for the second with three other participants but received silver and bronze respectively thanks to better tiebreaks. Final standings of the European Women’s Blitz Championship 1. Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) – 102. Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) – 9½3. Valentina Gunina (RUS) – 9½4. Marie Sebag (FRA) – 9½5. Natalia Zhukova (UKR) – 9½6. Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) – 9½7. Anna Muzychuk (UKR) – 98. Irina Bulmaga (ROU) – 99. Lilit Mkrtchian (ARM) – 910. Marta Michna (GER) – 8½ (Photo: David Llada) The second competition, an 11-round Swiss tournament saw Alexandra Kosteniuk celebrate double success. The Russian GM tied for the first with her compatriot Olga Girya but took her second title over the course of days this time due to better tiebreak (she beat her rival in the penultimate round). Final standings of the European Women’s Rapid Chess Championship: 1. Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS) – 9 2. Olga Girya (RUS) – 93. Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) – 84. Nino Batsiashvili (GEO) – 85. Valentina Gunina (RUS) – 86. Alina Kashlinskaya (RUS) – 87. Pia Cramling (SWE) – 88. Elisabeth Paehtz (GER) – 89. Natalia Zhukova (UKR) – 7½10. Inna Gaponenko (UKR) – 7½ These events are followed by the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, which runs December 2-15 at the Yacht Club de Monaco, under the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II. This is the second leg of the 4-tournament Series of the World Championship Qualifying cycle for the Women World Championship 2019-2021. The competition is a 12-participant round-robin tournament with most of the strongest female players in the world taking part. Humpy Koneru is the current leader of the Grand Prix Series, as she won the first leg in Skolkovo. The Indian is currently 3rd of the World Ranking and the highest-rated participant in Monaco. Among the stars, one should note the presence of former World Champions Alexandra Kosteniuk from Russia and Maryia Muzychuk from Ukraine, as well as living legend Pia Cramling. The Swede was already one of the best players in the world when none of her Monaco opponents had been even born yet! List of participants: 1. Humpy Koneru 2. Alexandra Goryachkina 3. Kateryna Lagno 4. Elisabeth Paehtz 5. Valentina Gunina 6. Harika Dronavalli 7. Alexandra Kosteniuk 8. Pia Cramling 9. Anna Muzychuk 10. Mariya Muzychuk 11. Nana Dzaganidze 12. Xue Zhao The opening ceremony takes place on December 2nd at 8 pm in the beautiful Yacht Club de Monaco. Many honored guests from the diplomatic world are expected to attend the act, as well as FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. The first round will be played on December 3rd. The drawing of lots has already been made at the end of October and the full pairings for all rounds can be found at the official website. Play starts at 3 pm for all rounds days except the last one on December 14th (1 pm). December 9th is a day-off. The games will be broadcasted live with commentaries on the tournament website: https://wgp2019.fide.com Press Officer for the event: Yannick Pelletier Contact: press@fide.com
December rating list: Grischuk is back in the top 5
(Photo: Valeria Gordienko) FIDE December 1 rating listAll Top-100 listsAll rating lists – download November of 2019 was rich with both individual and team events which greatly influenced the December rating list. Since Carlsen, Caruana and Ding Liren were not very active in classical chess whereas their closest pursuers did not accumulate many rating points in November, Alexander Grischuk became a real action-maker in top-10. The winner of FIDE Grand Prix Hamburg not only picked up 13 rating points but also returned into the top 5 for the first time since April 2015. Top-10 December rating 1. Carlsen, Magnus (2872; +2)2. Caruana, Fabiano (2822; +0)3. Ding, Liren (2801; +0)4. Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2780; +3)5. Grischuk, Alexander (2777; +13)6. Aronian, Levon (2775; +3)7. Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (2772; 0)8. Giri, Anish (2769; -7)9. Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2767; -6)10. Radjabov, Teimour (2765; -2) Incidentally, Alexander’s opponent in the final Jan-Krzysztof Duda notched 10 points and reached his career-high (12th position in the rating list). (Photo: Niki Riga) Biggest gains 1. Jones, Gawain (2683, +20)2-3. Shirov, Alexei (2684, +18)2-3. Edouard, Romain (2653, +18)4. Kuzubov, Yuriy (2667, +15)5. Dubov, Daniil (2690, +14)6. Grischuk, Alexander (2777, +13)7. Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter (2668, +12)8. Ivanchuk, Vassily (2690, +11)9. Mamedov, Rauf (2659, +11)10-11. Duda, Jan-Krzysztof (2758, +10)10-11. Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2704, +10) The leaders in this nomination distinguished themselves in two team events – European Team Championship and Euro Club Cup. Gawain Jones ran rampant on the fourth board in the Team England at the European Team Championship in Batumi and then scored 5 out of 6 points in Budva, playing for the team-champion Obiettivo Risarcimento Padova. These excellent results translated into 20 rating points and the top position in this nomination. (Photo: Andreas Kontokanis) Alexei Shirov, Yuriy Kuzubov, Daniil Dubov, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, Vassily Ivanchuk, Rauf Mamedov, and Francisco Vallejo also did very well in Batumi where they earned many rating points. At the end of November Alexei and Francisco along with five other GMs tied for first in a very strong Spanish Championship and improved their rating tally even more. Welcome to top 100 Mamedov, Rauf (2659)Berkes, Ferenc (2656)Edouard, Romain (2653)Saric, Ivan (2651) We have just four newcomers this month. Romain Edouard has been hovering around the top 100 lately. This November was particularly good for the Frenchman as he turned in a very solid performance in Batumi and Budva, picked up 18 points along the way and got back in the top 100 for the first time since March. (Photo: Przemysław Jahr) This November was marked by two Grand Chess Tour rapid & blitz events in Bucharest in Kolkatta. Since Maxime Vachier-Lagrave did not participate in any of them, Magnus Carlsen had a chance to win back the top position in the rapid list. As we all know, the Norwegian crushed his opponents in India earned 27 rating points and triumphantly regained the top spot (2886). Women’s top echelon remains pretty much the same with just one change. Thanks to her excellent results in both above-mentioned team events Nana Dzagnidze netted 18 points and overtook Valentina Gunina in the top 10.
Grand Chess Tour finals highlight London Chess Classic festival
The $350,000 Grand Chess Tour Finals at the London Chess Classic are starting on Monday, December 2 at Olympia. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave squeezed into the fourth qualifying place after the dramatic elimination of Vishy Anand. Anand narrowly lost out on his ticket to London after going down in the penultimate blitz game against Magnus Carlsen at the Tata Steel India Rapid & Blitz in Kolkata. Missing a one-move opportunity for a brilliant rook sacrifice (48…Rh6+!!) meant that the Indian former World Champion, playing in front of a heartbroken home crowd, was not going to the Grand Chess Tour Finals. MVL, who was not playing in India due to already having played in his allotted five GCT qualifying events, thus squeaked through – setting up a semifinal clash with the Norwegian World Champion in London. The timing is problematic for the Frenchman, however, who must now play two tough matches in London on December 2-4 and December 6-8, just two days before starting his challenge at the final FIDE Grand Prix event in Jerusalem. At that knockout tournament, which runs from December 10-24, Maxime is bidding to qualify for the first time for the World Championship Candidates tournament. Magnus Carlsen will be most pundits’ strong favorite to win the Grand Chess Tour first prize of $150,000 in London after an impressive victory in Kolkata. After four days of dominating the super-strong field, Magnus was laid low by a stomach bug early on the fifth and final day and was forced into taking some unprecedented quick draws before recovering and winning the Rapid & Blitz a full 4 points ahead of the second-placed player, American Hikaru Nakamura. Ding Liren, while not challenging for first place in Kolkata, had the distinction of beating Carlsen twice in blitz there – setting up the mouth-watering prospect of a possible Ding-Carlsen final in London. The Chinese star became the first player to beat Carlsen in a playoff for a dozen years this summer at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis in August, so a final between the two at London Olympia would promise a brilliant end to the 2019 Grand Chess Tour – and be a foretaste of a potential challenge by Ding Liren for the World title next year. Levon Aronian, the ever-popular Armenian, qualified for the London GCT Finals by dint of his overall 3rd place finish in the Tour events, but he will be desperate to recover his form after finishing last in Kolkata. Whoever gets to lift the Grand Chess Tour trophy in London on Sunday 8th December, chess fans can be assured of a brilliant and fitting climax to the biggest Grand Chess Tour to date, thanks to its expanded roster of tournaments in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Alongside the Grand Chess Tour Finals, the London Classic will also play host to the British Knockout Championship Semi-Finals and Final, which take place simultaneously with the GCT Finals. A strong line-up includes England Open Team members Mickey Adams, Luke McShane, David Howell, and Gawain Jones.
Radjabov and Aronian withdrew from Grand Prix Jerusalem
Grandmasters Radjabov and Aronian will be replaced at the 4th stage of the Grand Prix for medical reasons. GMs Teimour Radjabov and Levon Aronian were forced to withdraw from the 4th stage of the Grand Prix in Israel for medical reasons.”After thoughtful consideration and with the permission of FIDE president Mr. Dvorkovich, I regretfully have to withdraw from the FIDE Grand Prix in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the dates clash with the treatment of my exhausting and troublesome breathing problems related to previous (and multiple) nasal surgeries which have not resolved the original issues,” wrote GM Aronian on Twitter. FIDE confirms that it conducted a necessary study of the medical causes of GMs Radjabov and Aronian and confirms their validity. Out of respect for privacy, FIDE will not comment further on these reasons. Their replacements will be announced shortly.