World Cup final: Ding Liren draws first blood
The second games of the FIDE World Cup Final and the match for the 3rd place were played on October 1. Ding Liren and Teimour Radjabov played a well-known line of the English Opening, in which White sacrifices a pawn. The Chinese grandmaster got significant compensation and launched an attack on the kingside, while the black pieces were blocked on the three back ranks. Most likely Radjabov committed the decisive mistake on the 23rd move by advancing his pawn from e6 to e5 – the white pieces flooded into the Black’s camp wreaking havoc. Ding Liren was building up pressure with precise play and forced his opponent to capitulate on the move 40. This is the first loss of the Azerbaijani player in this tournament. However, it does not seem to affect his spirits: “Psychologically I was ready for this result from the first round till the end of the tournament. Anything can happen; you can lose at any moment. I do not have any special thoughts about it. I am just playing game after game. Losses happen, it’s a part of chess life.” This victory is Ding Liren’s gift not only to himself but also to his compatriots who are celebrating a big day today – the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yu Yangyi played the Petrov’s Defense. According to the French grandmaster, who had White in this game, he was exerting a certain pressure, but then underestimated a precise reply from the opponent, who was very well prepared for this variation. After the major pieces were exchanged, a balanced position arose, and the players agreed to a draw after the 30th move. The third games of both matches will be played on October 2, once again with colors reversed. 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.
Koneru shoots up in the October rating list
FIDE October 1 rating listAll Top-100 listsAll rating lists – download Each month FIDE publishes a new official rating list. Right after the release, let’s take a look at the list and identify the most interesting developments. Since the FIDE World Cup 2019, that brought together almost all the best players, is not rated yet, the top 10 of the Open rating list remained intact with no movements inside it. In the November list, we will definitely see some changes. There are only two newcomers in top-100, namely Ray Robson and Alexey Sarana. Ray earned 17 points after his triumph in St Louis Fall A tournament and moved way up to 73rd position, whereas Alexey picked up 4 points in a small tournament in Linares and squeezed into the top-100.Ray Robson also stands out as the biggest gainer of the month, followed by Francisco Vallejo Pons and Radoslaw Wojtaszek. The Spaniard got 10 points in Linares while the Pole delivered a solid performance in Polish Extraleague netting him 9 rating points. FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in Skolkovo became the main catalyst for rating changes among women. Humpy Koneru, on her way back from two-year hiatus, won the event, picked up 17 points and edged out Alexandra Goryachkina from the 3rd place. Despite losing one position, the Russian also increased her rating by 11 points. The Women’s World Champion Ju, Wenjun, who was second in the event, and Elizabeth Paehtz earned 10 points each. In the junior’s top 10, Alexey Sarana mounted to the fifth position, while Jorden Van Foreest returned to the elite group of young players. All players can check out the new ratings in the FIDE ratings section.
Uzbekistan dominates home Central Asia Junior Championship
The International Chess Festival organized by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation with the support of RosAtom Corporation, FIDE and the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan was successfully completed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Closing Ceremony was held right after the conclusion of the most important part of the festival, the Central Asia Junior Championship which saw a double success of the host team. The ceremony was attended by Ali Malak Zad Ghulam (the President of Afghanistan Chess Federation), Vyacheslav Pak (Deputy Director of the National Agency for Project Management under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Sayfullo Akhmedov (Deputy Chairman of the Uzbekistan Trade Unions Federation), Bakhodir Umurzakov (Deputy Minister of Employment and Labor relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan), Husan Turdialiev (First Vice President of the Chess Federation of Uzbekistan), Rajai Alsusi (Executive Manager of Sharjah Chess Club) and Abasin Mohibi (General Secretary of Afghanistan Chess Federation). As part of the development program, four Central Asia national chess federations (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) received 20 chess clocks each to help organize the events in their countries. These clocks were provided by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation with the support of RosAtom Corporation, FIDE and the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan Final standings of Central Asia Junior Championship: Open category: 1. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) – 7½2. Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) – 7½3. Saidakbar Saydaliev (UZB) – 6½ Girls category: 1. Nilufar Yakubbaeva (UZB) – 82. Xeniya Balabayeva (KAZ) – 7½3. Sitora Saparov (UZB) – 6½
World Cup Final: Peaceful start
The FIDE World Cup final and the match for the 3rd place started in Khanty-Mansiysk on September 30. The first game of the final between Teimour Radjabov and Ding Liren lasted less than an hour and ended in an uneventful draw. The players opted for the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez, following their recent game in Shamkir. Only on the 27th move, Radjabov deviated from the already played line, but Ding Liren reacted accurately. Almost all the pieces were exchanged, and a draw was agreed in an equal rook ending on the 33rd move. “I prepared some line but right before the game I did not like it and decided to call it a day. Just a normal day for me,” confessed Teimour in the post-game interview. The match for the third place between Yu Yangyi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave started with an opening discussion in a sharp line of the Gruenfeld Defense. Neither player was spending much time on his moves, however, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave confessed after the game that he had needed the time he’d spared to find the most precise defense in the endgame with two minor pieces against a rook. After the Frenchman demonstrated all the right replies, the players sealed a draw on the 36th move. Both matches will continue on Tuesday, October 1 with the opponents switching colors. 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.
Equal Opportunities Workshop: Chess is for everybody
The past weekend has seen the 1st Workshop “Equal Opportunities” take place in Thessaloniki, Greece. The event was kindly supported and organized by the FIDE DIS Commission, ECU and the Hellenic Sport Association for Persons with Disabilities. The 3-day workshop saw presentations held with a specific focus on what Arbiters, Organisers, and Trainers need to be aware of when dealing with disabled players in mainstream tournaments. These prompted some great discussion and have given all participants food for thought on how they can make a difference to players with impairments. On the second day, the participants were welcomed by Voula Patoulidou (pictured below), former Greek hurdle gold medallist on behalf of the city of Thessaloniki; Thomai Thodoraki, representing the Hellenic Sport Federation for Persons with Disabilities; Zurab Azmaiparashvili, President of the ECU; and Sonja Johnson, secretary of the Planning and Development Commission. Each of them highlighted their roles and excitement at the prospect of giving people of all abilities a chance to participate in events and get the support they require.During the second half of the morning, keynote speakers gave accounts of their involvement in various projects to help raise awareness of the challenges of people with impairments in sport. Dimitrios Patatoukas spoke from a medical point of view and highlighted issues around the accessibility of playing venues for all types of sports. Thomas Luther (pictured below) and Dora Martinez spoke about the impact of the World Junior Chess Championship for the Disabled on the young participants and how the coverage of the tournament by CNN has required dedication from the organizers. They also shared details for other projects the commission has planned.The afternoon brought some interesting discussion which gave everyone a chance to reflect on what had been spoken. It also provided plenty of food for thought on how differences can be made through little changes and the engagement of individuals. This workshop has provided all participants with a much more in-depth knowledge and understanding and taken away some of the fear around the topic. Whilst there still is a lot of work to do every little step helps in raising awareness and highlights how vital it is to include everyone. At the end of the workshop, all participants were presented with a certificate by DIS Chairman GM Thomas Luther. Please contact the Commission if you are interested in this concept and would like to host this workshop.
World Cup: Ding Liren is in the final again
The second semifinal match of the FIDE World Cup between the Chinese grandmasters Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi was decided on the tie-break on September 28. Playing White in the first rapid game, Yu Yangyi sacrificed a pawn in the Nimzo-Indian Defense. The game quickly transitioned to an equal endgame. Since both grandmasters showed a deep understanding of the resulting position, a draw was a logical outcome. In the second encounter, the opponents opted for English Opening. In a very sharp and double-edged variation, Black sacrificed a pawn and then an exchange for which he got sufficient compensation. Yu Yangyi could have even claimed a certain edge, but a couple of inaccurate moves from his part under time pressure allowed White to consolidate. On the 33rd move, Black made a mistake, which led to trading the queens, and White’s extra exchange told in the subsequent play. Ding Liren celebrated a victory on the 43rd move and advanced to the final. After the game, the rating favorite of the event told that since the previous World Cup in 2017, where he had also advanced to the final but lost to Levon Aronian, his play has improved. “Now I am the top seed; also I am facing a different opponent. At least, playing for the first place is much better than playing for the third place”, said Ding Liren with a smile. As you might know, both finalists of the 2019 FIDE World Cup automatically qualify for the Candidates Tournament, which will take place in spring 2020 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. According to the Regulations, the third place finisher of the World Cup also has a chance to be among the candidates, if he is nominated by the organizers. September 29 is a rest day. The final match and the match for third place will start on Monday, September 30. Both matches consist of four classical games and, if necessary, will be concluded on tie-break. Final, game 1: Radjabov-Ding Liren Match for the 3rd place, game 1: Yu Yangyi-Vachier-Lagrave 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.
FIDE calls for urgent aid for the Bahamas
Dear members of the chess family: As you probably are aware of, the Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas during the past weeks, leaving behind widespread devastation, particularly in the northernmost islands in the archipelago. At least 53 people lost their lives during this natural disaster, and the storm left more than 70,000 people homeless. Thousands of residents of Grand Bahama and Abaco islands are without shelter, stranded by flooding and are likely to suffer shortages of food, water, and medicine that will worsen without quick action by the international community. Below you will find links to several funds set up to collect money to provide immediate disaster relief in this crisis. Your aid can make a big difference in a case like this. We appeal to the solidarity of the chess community to help our friends in the Bahamas. You can also reach the Bahamas Chess Federation at bahamaschessofficial@gmail.com (President: Elton Joseph), and inquire for additional ways to provide help. Bahamas Red Cross Global Giving Hurricane Dorian Relief Fund International Medical Corps Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation National Association of the Bahamas CNN’s “Impact Your World”
Chess in Schools program launched in Liberia
The Liberia Chess Federation, (LCF), was accredited by FIDE only in 2016. Last year this young Federation participated in its debut Chess Olympiad (Batumi) 2018. Its board #2 player (Jacob Jallah) achieved the FIDE Master (FM) title while Liberia was ranked 2nd after Nigeria after round 11 amongst all participating West African countries. “Chess is actually very new to most Liberians. The country’s population is very youthful and we see chess as a pivotal instrument to the development of young Liberians’ mind, given the bad memories of the fourteen years of the most brutal civil war in our history. In July 2019, LCF proposed to Liberia’s Ministry of Education teaching chess in various high schools in Liberia under the program “Chess in Education for National Growth and Development. The Chess in School, (CiS), is the first of its kind by our Federation in Liberia and in full compliance with FIDE’s President Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich concept of “Taking Chess out of the Woods”. The CiS program was launched on 18th September 2019 at the all-girls St. Theresa Convent Catholic School and is expected to expand exponentially with the necessary support and required funding. The CiS pilot program targets ten secondary schools for the academic year 2019/2020 (9months) with special attention to female chess development,” the press release by Liberia Chess Federation says. Chess class: all eyes and ears LCF President William T. Thompson, II, presenting on the importance of chessLearning chess notation At the recently completed 2019 African Amateur Chess Championship in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Liberia’s young chess prodigy Joel O. Ebiekuta won the U1700 category with two other Liberians Alfred J. Kollie and K. Zinnah Kengo finishing as 2nd and 3rd respectively while Charles Haji Kiadii topped all players in the U2000 category. These results qualify Joel O. Ebiekuta and Charles Haji Kiadii to represent Africa in their respective categories at the 2020 World Amateur Chess Championship in Greece. Liberian player Joel O. Ebiekuta receiving the U1700 trophy at the African Amateur Championship
World Cup: Teimour Radjabov makes it to the final
The return games of the FIDE World Cup Semifinals were played in Khanty-Mansiysk on September 27. Teimour Radjabov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave had a discussion in the English Opening. After Black rejected to exchange the queens early in the game, White launched a powerful attack on the kingside. The French grandmaster was defending resourcefully and saved his king, but lost a pawn in process, while White still had a dominating position with a strong pressure on the kingside. Black kept avoiding exchanging the queens but by the 40th move, White’s attack became decisive. Vachier-Lagrave blundered a rook in a hopeless situation and resigned on the 45th move. Teimour Radjabov has become the first finalist of the FIDE World Cup and secured a slot in the Candidates Tournament that will be held in Yekaterinburg in 2020. “He got into my preparation; I was better immediately. I did not expect him to play this way. Probably the nerves or the tiredness tell here as he mixed up the move order. After Ng5 the position is very unpleasant for Black maybe even lost…. I thought that winning by force should be there, but I will have to see how. Actually I was upset when he got into this position with Qd5. I thought that he could take on g2 and get some practical chances to save the game. The way he played I was very happy about because he got in the type of position where I could play him around with pawn up, pressuring the pawn on g7 all the time, especially when I transferred my bishop to e5. I think he had to play e5 at some point.” explained Teimour in the interview after the game. Yu Yangyi and Ding Liren played the Nimzo-Indian Defense and up to a certain point followed the earlier game between Yu Yangyi and Nikita Vitiugov. Ding Liren improved Black’s play with 18…Rd5 and solved all the problems. It’s also the computer’s first choice, as Ding Liren mentioned in the post-game interview. The game simplified, and the players agreed to a draw in an equal queen ending on the 30th move, having spent less than an hour at the board. “We played many rapid and blitz games recently,” smiled Ding Liren, when asked about his chances on the tiebreak. “Sometimes I win and sometimes he wins, the results are balanced.” Both players noted that they prefer faster time-controls, so the tiebreak promises to be an interesting battle. The tie-break between Ding Liren and Yu Yangyi will be played on September 28, with the latter having White in the first game. 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.
Russia scoops in European Senior Team Chess Championship
European Senior Team Chess Championship 2019 held in Mali Losinj, Croatia is in the books. The event was played in two age categories: 65+ (for players born in 1954 or earlier) and 50+ (for players born in 1969 or earlier). Almost thirty teams coming from 15 European federations registered for the Championship (16 teams in 50+ section and 13 teams in 65+ section). The participating teams played 9 rounds (Swiss system), with time control 90 min for 40 moves + 30 min for the rest of the game + 30 sec increment for every move played starting from the first move. The total prize fund of the event amounts to 7,000 EUR. Russia celebrated a double success, winning gold in both 50+ and 65+ categories. The Croatia 1 team was a worthy competitor in the 50+ category, scoring the equal amount of points with the winner, but had to settle for silver due to inferior tie-breaks. Evgeny Sveshnikov (RUS) and Yuri Yakovich (RUS) showed the best performance in the 65+ and 50+ categories respectively. Final standings Category 50+: 1. Russia – 172. Croatia 1 – 173. European Chess Academy Maribor (SLO) – 134. Czech Republic – 125. Croatia 2 – 96. England 1 – 97. Austria – 98. Steiermark (AUT) – 99. Spain – 710. Ireland – 511. Germany-Women – 512. Agder (NOR) – 313. England 2 – 2 Category 65+: 1. Russia – 182. Sweden 1 – 143. Germany – 144. Finland 1 – 135. Switzerland – 116. England – 107. Rochade Bielefeld Revival (GER) – 108. Roskilde-Skive (DEN) – 99. Belgium – 810. Austria – 811. Sweden 2 – 812. SK2012 (DEN) – 713. Sweden 3 – 714. Ireland – 415. CC Mursko Sredisce (CRO) – 216. Northern Moves (FIN) – 1 Official website of the event: http://european2019chess-losinj.com/