FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss officially opened on the Isle of Man
The quest for the next challenger to take on Carlsen The inaugural FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss was officially opened at the Comis Hotel near the Isle of Man capital, Douglas. Altogether 154 top world chess players, from 42 countries, are taking part in a competition which will decide the final qualifier for the Candidates tournament determining the challenger for the title of the World Champion Delivering the initial speech at the opening ceremony, tournament director Alan Ormsby pointed out that the traditional Isle of Man tournament was ‘a natural fit’ for the Grand Swiss, and that it made sense for it to become part of the official world championship cycle. “Discussions with Emil Sutovsky, FIDE Director General, commenced 10 months ago and it soon became clear that the Isle of Man tournament was a natural fit for the Grand Swiss and that we should make a bid to host the event”, Ormsby said. He also emphasized the importance of a great number of wild-cards given to the organizers, as they helped increase the number of women participants at the event. “It seems amazing to me that in the space of 5 years, our event has gone from a small open Tournament with a budget of £50,000, to the one that is now part of the World Championship Cycle with a budget of well over $1m with a seat into the Candidates”, Ormsby added. He also thanked the Scheinberg family for their continuous support of the event over the years. In his address at the opening ceremony, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich stated the importance of this tournament for the global chess community and complimented the organizers, who have now partnered with FIDE to make this event a part of the official world championship cycle. “We are taking our risks with this first tournament based on the Swiss System and that will identify the player who will play in the candidates’ tournament. We truly believe that the combination of events played according to different systems provides a framework for identifying those who will challenge the World Champion… It is very unusual that the World Champion and the runner up are participating in the qualifying event, but it makes this event even more interesting”, Dvorkovich said. The FIDE president also emphasized the importance of giving a chance to more women players to play at the event, arguing that this “shows a truly open nature of our approach”. He also thanked the Isle of Man government for their involvement, adding that the whole chess community will be focused on this important event. Dvorkovich: A new approach to organizing chess events FIDE President Dvorkovich, who has just reached his first anniversary as the head of the organization, announced a new approach to organising chess events: “With the help of platforms such as Chess.com and others, we will be able to provide access to more people to chess from all around the world.” Dvorkovich said that “at some point, we will have qualification events based on online systems” and that this event supported by Chess.com is “one of the examples of going in the right direction”. Why more politicians should take up chess Stating that he has been “a personal supporter of the island’s chess tournament for a number of years”, The Isle of Man Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said that it has been “a joy to watch the event grow” and reach a stage where it’s rightly to be the strongest tournament of its type ever held. The Chief Minister stressed that the Isle of Man has the oldest continuous parliament in the world, and expressed hope that it will also have stronger chess players: “We may not have the world’s yet greatest chess champions, but who knows, they might climb up the ranks”. During his speech, the minister quoted the English chess player and journalist Bill Hartston who said: ‘Chess doesn’t drive people mad, it keeps mad people sane’. “And that’s why I encourage so many of my political colleagues to take up the game”, Howard Quayle said. He had also invited the players to explore the island, pointing out that the Isle of Man it “the only entire nation in the world to have been awarded the UNESCO biosphere status, not just for our land but also all our territorial waters, acknowledging the unique balance of man and our stunning natural environment”. The players and the games In the next 12 days (from the 10 to 21 October), the Isle of Man will be at the center of attention of the chess world, where over 150 top-rated players will be competing for the last remaining place for the Candidates’ Tournament. With an average player rating of 2637, this is likely to be one of the strongest chess events ever held. Interestingly, both the World Champion Magnus Carlsen, as well as world No 2, Fabiano Caruana (who has already qualified for the Candidates) are competing, but their goal is the 1st prize of $70,000. The event has an impressive overall prize fund of $433,000. Those competing for the place in the Candidates’ are led by Welsey So, Viswanathan Anand, Yu Yangyi and Sergey Karjakin who are at the top of the list of over 150 top world-class GMs. The games will be played every day save the 16th, from 3 PM at the Comis Hotel near the Isle of Man capital, Douglas. The last round will be played on the 21st of October from 11.30. Round 1 Pairings (top boards): 1 Carlsen Magnus 2876 Kuzubov Yuriy 2636 2 Zhang Zhong 2636 Caruana Fabiano 2812 3 So Wesley 2767 Moiseenko Alexander 2635 4 Najer Evgeniy 2635 Anand Viswanathan 2765 5 Yu Yangyi 2763 Mareco Sandro 2634 6 Abasov Nijat 2632 Karjakin
FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss starts on the Isle of Man
From the 10 to 21 October, the Isle of Man will host one of the most important events in the FIDE World Championship cycle – the ‘FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss’. With 160 participants, including the World Champion Magnus Carlsen and many of the top-ranked world players taking part, the Grand Swiss is expected to be one of the strongest Swiss-system tournaments ever played. The 11-round tournament is part of the 2019-2020 FIDE World Championship cycle. The winner will qualify for next year’s eight-player Candidates’ Tournament, which will produce the challenger for the title of World Champion. In addition to qualifying for the Candidates’ Tournament, the winner will also take home $70,000, while the total prize fund is $433,000. The opening ceremony is scheduled for the 9 October at the COMIS Hotel and Golf Resort near the Isle of Man’s capital, Douglas. The event will be opened by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, Howard Quayle MHK. FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich: “This is going to be one of the most important and exciting chess events of the year and I’m very much looking forward to the games. Before it became part of the official FIDE chess cycle, the Isle of Man chess tournament had already made a great impact on the chess world and helped to promote the game. It is a pleasure to join efforts with the team who started this tradition, and we are delighted it is being held at such a beautiful place as the Isle of Man.” The tournament director is Alan Ormsby (Isle of Man), the chief arbiter IA Alex Holowczak (England), the Fair Play officer is IA Andrew Howie (Scotland). The FIDE Press Officer for the event is Milan Dinic. The games will be broadcast live on www.Chess.com, with their team of experts providing commentary for the audience. The time control for each game is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. The games cannot be drawn by agreement before Black’s 30th move. Next to the Grand Swiss, there will also be Major and Minor tournaments, with local and international players of all levels taking part. Official website IOM International Chess Limited:Tournament Director Alan Ormsbymasters@iominternationalchess.com +44 7624 453200 Chess.com:Director of Esports and Events Nick Barton nick@chess.com +1 8326223010 FIDE:Chief Communications Officer David Llada press@fide.com +34 680312625
World Youth Championship underway in Mumbai
Six world crowns are at stake in the World Youth Chess Championship that is in full swing at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel in Mumbai, India. Youngsters from 66 countries are competing in the Girls U14, Open U14, Girls U16, Open U16, Girls U18, and Open U18 categories. “This is a great honor for India,” Pravin Jain, chairman of the organizing committee, said in presence of other top officials. “We hope to take the love for chess in India to the next level through the WYCC. I am positive that our young boys and girls will take it up in a big way after this,” he added. The defending U18 Open champion Victor Gazik from Slovakia took a slow start and after 7 rounds he is a full point behind the leader, the Iranian Aryan Gholami . Fourteen-year-old prodigy Praggnanandhaa, who opted to play in this category, is sharing the second position with his compatriot Mitrabha Guha. In contrast, the reigning U18 Girls champion Polina Shuvalova from Russia has been doing an excellent job defending her title so far. After seven rounds the Russian is a half-point ahead of her closest competitors Vantika Agrawal and Lara Schulze. Polina finished the 7th round game with her compatriot Anna Afonasieva in a spectacular fashion: 31. Rxg7! Bxg7 32. Qxh7+! Kxh7 33. f6+ Kh6 34. Be3+ Kh5 35. Bf3+ Kh4 36. Bf2+ 1-0 In a closely contested U16 Open category four players tying for the second position are in the chase for the leader Hans Moke Niemann from the USA. In the U14 Open category, a low-rated (1830) home player Abinandhan R is causing a real stir – after 7 rounds the 55-seeded found himself in the top position together with his compatriot Srihari L R and the rating favorite Aydin Suleymanli from Azerbaidjan. With four rounds to go, it is still wide open in all six categories. The champions will be crowned on Saturday, October 12. Official site Standings after 7 rounds: Open U18 1. Aryan Gholami (IRI) – 62. Praggnanandhaa R (IND) – 5½3. Mitrabha Guha (IND) – 5½4. Iniyan P (IND) – 55. Shant Sargsyan (ARM) – 5 Girls U18 1. Polina Shuvalova (RUS) – 62. Vantika Agrawal (IND) – 5½3. Lara Schulze (GER) – 5½4. Assel Serikbay (KAZ) – 55. Alicja Sliwicka (POL) – 5 Open U16 1. Hans Moke Niemann (USA) – 62. Rudik Makarian (RUS) – 5½3. Ghosh Aronyak (IND) – 5½4. Olexiy Bilych (UKR) – 5½5. Miguel Angel Soto – (COL) – 5½ Girls Under 16 1. Nazerke Nurgali (KAZ) – 62. Leya Garifullina (RUS) – 63. Anousha Mahdian (IRI) – 5½4. Alessia-Mihaela Ciolacu (ROU) – 5½5. Mounika Akshaya Bommini (IND) – 5 Open U14 1. Suleymanli Aydin (AZE) – 62. Srihari L R (IND) – 63. Abinandhan R (IND) – 64. Sreeshwan Maralakshikari (IND) – 5½5. Marc Morgunov (AUT) – 5½ Girls U14 1. Ekaterina Nasyrova (RUS) – 62. Eline Roebers (NED) – 63. Rakshitta Ravi (IND) – 64. Astghik Hakobyan (ARM) – 5½5. Divya Deshmukh (IND) – 5½
Magic Extremadura wins Spanish Team Championship
From September 30 to October 6 Hotel TRYP Melilla Puerto in Melilla hosted the highest division of the Spanish Team Championship (Campeonato de España por Equipos de Club de División de Honor). Eight teams with six boards in each (one woman) played in the round-robin format. Magic Extremadura with GM Ivan Cheparinov and Alexandr Predke on top boards did not concede the opponents even a single team point and after winning all seven matches scored a well-deserved victory. Despite two defeats along the way, Gros Xake Taldea came second with 10 points. The Ukraine-powered CAC Beniajan Duoschess, with GMs Vassily Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov in its line-up, rounds out top-3 with 9 points. Final standings: 1. Magic Extremadura – 142. Gros Xake Taldea – 103. CAC Beniajan Duoschess – 94. C. A. Solvay A – 75. Escola Escacs Barcelona – 66. Jaime Casas Monzon – 47-8. CA GranDama Santa Lucia – 37-8. CA Collado Villalba – 3
Teimour Radjabov wins FIDE World Cup
Tie-breaks of the FIDE World Cup Final and 3rd place match were played on October 4 in Khanty-Mansiysk. Teimour Radjabov had White in the first rapid game. The advantage passed from one player to another a few times, yet the game ended in a draw. The second encounter took a calmer course and quickly reached the peaceful outcome. In the first 10-minute game Radjabov got an advantage as Black in the English Opening, but Ding Liren managed to survive. In the second 10-minute game the opponents also preferred not to break lances and shook hands on the 30th move. In the first blitz game, Radjabov outplayed his opponent in a minor piece ending with Black, although Ding Liren did not fully exploit the defensive potential of his position. In the return game, the Chinese grandmaster tried to mount a comeback but was eventually defeated as well. Thus, the score in the Final is 6:4 in favor of Teimour Radjabov, who becomes the winner of the 2019 FIDE World Cup. “I can’t even feel anything at the moment. It is extreme exhaustion. I am just happy with the last two games in which I was able to outplay him in the fast part, where the hands were moving,” told Teimour after the victory. In the 3rd place match, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave celebrated a convincing victory in the first game, playing White. Yu Yangyi was unable to alter the course of the match in the second game, losing as White in 24 moves. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins the bronze of the World Cup.In an interview afterward, the Frenchman said he is very happy about his play in the rapid games. He is planning have some drinks with his friends, get some rest and then start his preparation for the 3rd leg of the FIDE Grand Prix in November. Both finalists of the World Cup secured spots in the Candidates Tournament, which will take place in the spring of 2020 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. According to the regulations, the 3rd place finisher of the World Cup can also be included in the Candidates Tournament, if nominated by the organizer. Total prize fund of the FIDE World Cup is $1,600,000. The winner received $110,000, the runner-up got $80,000. The closing ceremony of the FIDE World Cup began with performances of local artists, who developed the theme of opposition of white and black kings, introduced at the opening ceremony. Svyatoslav Pastukhov, drummer, composer, laureate of all-Russian music competitions, Black and White vocal duo, and artists of the Otdykhai theatre studio performed on stage for the participants and tournament guests. Before the main prize-giving ceremony, Mark Glukhovsky, Executive Director of the Chess Federation of Russia, announced the winner of the Brilliancy Prize, provided by the Russian Chess Federation in cooperation with AB InBev Efes. We remind you that a jury led by Maxim Notkin, Chief Editor of 64-Chess Review, made shortlists of 4-5 most exciting games after the rounds 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. After that, an online poll was created and announced on the official site of the event and social media. The candidate games of the main and consolation finals were nominated by the jury. The final shortlist consisted of four games: Firouzja – Dubov, Xiong – Duda, Radjabov – Vachier-Lagrave, and Ding Liren – Radjabov. The experts awarded the Brilliancy Prize to Ding Liren for his victory vs. Radjabov. The Chinese grandmaster received an elegant trophy.The award ceremony was attended by Alexander Tirtoka, Deputy Governor of Ugra, and Mair Mammedov, FIDE Vice-President. Alexander Tirtoka, Deputy Governor of Ugra: “During this month the land of Ugra became home for the participants of the event. We saw fierce sporting competition. All players demonstrated their desire to win, but the strongest prevailed. However, I think a true winner of this competition is chess, one of the most intelligent and elegant sports.” Mair Mammedov, FIDE Vice-President: “On behalf of the International Chess Federation and FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, I greet you all here. What we have seen in Khanty-Mansiysk was a true fest of chess. A year ago, on October 3, 2018, Arkady Dvorkovich from Russia was elected a new FIDE President. I was on his team during the race. I am a Vice-President of FIDE now, and I must say we’ve done a lot during this year. And we are happy that one of the longest tournaments in our chess calendar was organized here, in Khanty-Mansiysk. It is great to see such a passion for chess from Natalya Komarova, the Governor of Ugra. Khanty-Mansiysk hosted the World Cup for the fifth time! There was a fierce and exciting competition, and I am proud to say that Khanty-Mansiysk has always been a lucky place for the players from Azerbaijan. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov won the World Rapid Championship here, and now we see a great triumph of Teimour Radjabov. I am thankful to the organizers and partners, I congratulate the finalists and the players who competed for third place.” Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC.Official airline – Utair.Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft.FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”.General media partner – News Agency TASS.Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
World Cup: Champion to be determined on tiebreak
The fourth games of the Final and the 3rd place match of the FIDE World Cup were played on October 3 in Khanty-Mansiysk. The playing venue was visited by Yury Yuzhakov and Alexander Tirtoka, Deputy Governors of Ugra, and FIDE Vice-President Mahir Mammedov. Ding Liren and Teimour Radjabov played a variation of the English Opening, in which Black sacrifices a pawn, but obtains certain compensation in the form of insecure position of the white king. The game quickly transposed to an endgame, where White’s ruined pawn structure left him little chance of converting his extra material. According to Ding Liren, he was not prepared for 11… Bg2. Black regained a pawn in a rook ending and fully equalized the position. A draw was agreed on the 31st move. “Although he was slightly worse, I think we played a correct game, and none of us made mistakes so a draw is a very normal result,” commented Ding Liren after the game. “I really don’t know what games are suitable for us. Maybe we will play one hundred bullets or Fischer Random – ten games would be fine and fun as well. Generally, we will try to rest and play the match tomorrow,” Teimour quipped when asked about his expectations of the tiebreak. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yu Yangyi once again played the Petrov’s Defense. According to the Frenchman, his position was better, however, he was unable to increase this advantage, and after multiple exchanges, the position equalized. The opponents agreed to a draw in a queen ending. Since the classical parts of both matches ended in a 2-2 tie, the winners will be determined on tiebreaks on Friday, October 4. In the first rapid game, Teimour Radjabov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will have White against Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi respectively. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC.Official airline – Utair.Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft.FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”.General media partner – News Agency TASS.Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Dvorkovich and Chiburdanidze open FIDE School in Minsk
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich made an official visit to Minsk where he had a brief but intense agenda. First, Mr. Dvorkovich had a working meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus and the chairman of the organizing committee for the 45th World Chess Olympiad Igor Petrishenko.Together with the 6th women’s world champion Maia Chiburdanidze, Arkady Dvorkovich also participated in the opening ceremony for the renovated FIDE Chess School in Minsk on October 2. A true legend of women’s chess, nine-time winner of Chess Olympiads, Maia Chiburdanidze became the Goodwill Ambassador of the 45th World Chess Olympiad 2022 in Minsk. FIDE Chess School is the only chess school accredited by FIDE in Belarus. In his speech on the occasion, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich stressed that FIDE would continue supporting chess schools and academies around the world. The ribbon was cut by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and FIDE Vice President, President of Belarus Chess Federation Anastasia Sorokina.
First year in office
Time flies fast – just mere 365 working days, and the first year of my tenure as a FIDE President becomes a history. A history full of major decisions, vitally important new projects and steady improvement of the situation in the chess world. I and my team are as enthusiastic about making the chess world a better place as we were last year. But we kept not only our enthusiasm – we kept our promises – and we will keep delivering. First year laid a very good foundation, and soon we expect a real breakthrough – working for you and together with you, my fellow chess friends. Thanks for your support, and have my word – we are going to bring a major change. Because we can. Because we care. Because it is our and my personal responsibility. Yours,Arkady Dvorkovich
World Cup final: Radjabov strikes back
The third games of the FIDE World Cup Final and the 3rd place match were played in the Ugra Chess Academy on October 2. Following their first game of the match, Teimour Radjabov and Ding Liren continued the discussion in the Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez. However, this time Teimour opted for a different line, that he actually had prepared for the first game. The grandmaster from Azerbaijan demonstrated a better knowledge in the arising position and put a grip on his opponent right in the opening. After the queens were swapped, Radjabov came up with an interesting tactical trick, won a pawn and transposed into an ending with rooks and bishops of the same color. White was gradually increasing pressure, making Black’s task more and more difficult. Eventually, Radjabov achieved a winning position, and Black resigned on the 45th move. Teimour Radjabov equalized the score, which is now 1.5:1.5. “I have a lot of lines in general, that I can play. Sometimes during the preparation on a professional level, there is some kind of hesitation before the game: “Should I try this line or that one?”. Something seems risky at the last moment. Especially with all these nerves, pressure and so on you are just not sure what line to play. To be honest I decided, that if he finds it, OK, bye-bye and that’s it. But if he doesn’t there is some play. Eventually, it went my way, and that’s nice,” Radjabov explained his opening choice in the post-game interview. In the match for third place Maxime Vachier-Lagrave once again took a stand in the Gruenfeld Defense. According to the Frenchman, he underestimated one of the replies from his opponent and ended up in an inferior position. Black seemed unable to protect all his weaknesses, however, Yu Yangyi made an inaccuracy on the 25th move, and the position became equal. Seven moves down the road the opponents shook hands. The score in this match is 1.5-1.5. The concluding games with the classical time control will be played on Thursday, October 3. If the score remains equal, the tie-breaks will follow on October 4. Photo Video The competition is organized by the Government of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra, International Chess Federation (FIDE), Ugra Chess Federation, and Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. Official website: https://khantymansiysk2019.fide.com/en/ General partner – Gazpromneft-Khantos LCC. Official airline – Utair. Official partners of the competition: OJSC Rostelecom, Ugra Chess Academy, Russian Chess Federation, AB InBev Efes, and PJSC Rosneft. FIDE official partner – JSCo “RZD”. General media partner – News Agency TASS. Media partners – Match TV, World of Chess social network, OTRC “Ugra”, Ugra-news.ru News of Ugra regional newspaper, AIF-Ugra newspaper.
Fischer Random Championship: So, Caruana, Nepomniachtchi advanced to the semis
Update Quarterfinals, Day 1 Results: Wesley So – Hikaru Nakamura 3:9Vladimir Fedoseev – Vidit Gujrathi 8:4Peter Svidler – Fabiano Caruana 5:7Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja 7:6 (Nepomniachtchi won Armageddon game with Black) Winners (in bold) qualify for Quarterfinals, Day 3 directly. Losers’ bracket (Day 2, Saturday): Vidit Gujrathi – Alireza Firouzja 4.5 : 7.5Wesley So – Peter Svidler 6.5:5.5Vidit Gujrathi & Peter Svidler are eliminated Quarterfinals, Day 3 Results: Vladimir Fedoseev – Wesley So 5:7Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana 1.5:6.5Ian Nepomniachtchi – Alireza Firouzja 6.5:3.5 So, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi qualified for the live semifinals in Oslo The first official FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship is nearing its climax. The event, officialized by FIDE for the first time in history, is a joint effort of Dund (the organizer of the unofficial Fischer Random match between Classical chess champion Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura in 2009) and Chess.com. The semifinals and the finals of the event will be held at the end of October in Norway, at the Henie Onstad Art Center located just outside Oslo. After the massive qualifying open tournaments that run from April to August, the Championship reached the elimination phase during which 84 qualifiers + 12 invited players squared off in six knockout brackets (16 players each), in 2 games mini-matches with a time control of 15+2. Six winners of those brackets will join Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana in the 3-day quarterfinal stage, scheduled for 4-6 of October with a guaranteed prize fund of $10,000. Ian Nepomniachtchi became the first quarterfinalist after crushing his opponents in great fashion. Suffice it to say that the Russian GM scored 7 out of 8 and went through the tournament distance without playing a single tiebreak. The same night, 16-year old Iranian chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja progressed to the quarterfinals, beating along the way Nicolai Getz, Ivan Salgado, Maxim Matlakov and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The winner humbly admitted that in the semifinal and final matches luck was on his side, but it does not belittle the achievement of the young Iranian.Another young Grandmaster, Vidit Gujrathi, came on top in a very strong bracket, which included Le Quang Liem, Jeffery Xiong, and the former World Championship challenger Sergey Karjakin. Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk, who were considered the main favorites of the fourth bracket, lived up to their reputation reaching the final. A virtually unknown Siberian IM Oleg Badmatsyrenov made a big splash in this bracket, dispatching Alexey Dreev and Paco Vallejo and only succumbing to Grischuk in the Armageddon game. In the final Svidler got the better of his old friend and punched his ticket into the quarterfinals. Vladimir Fedoseev and Grigory Oparin, number three and four of the fifth bracket respectively, locked horns in the final match to fight for the slot in the quarterfinals. Both 15-min games were drawn, but in the 10-min encounters, it was Fedoseev who booked his spot in the October matches. The last ticket to the quarterfinals was at stake in the match between two worthy opponents: top-seeded Wesley So and Russian GM Evgeny Tomashevski. Once again the rating favorite celebrated the victory, proving that top players are extremely strong in all chess variants.Thus, on October 4 we will see four quarterfinal matches played, with the winners going directly into Day 3. The next day the losers will be given a second chance to make it to Day 3, but two players will be eliminated in the process. Finally, on October 6, six players will compete for three slots in the semifinals. Magnus Carlsen will enter the competition at the semifinal stage joining three best players of the quarterfinals. The semifinalists will meet over the board in Norway at the end of October; the winner will be crowned on November 2. Official site