WGP Shymkent: Goryachkina extends her winning streak
Round 6 of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix showcased players refreshed from their rest day, leading to a round packed with decisive results. Aleksandra Goryachkina claimed her fourth consecutive win, solidifying her lead with a victory over Elisabeth Paehtz after a fateful endgame blunder by the German GM. Kateryna Lagno finally struck and scored her first win, defeating Bibisara Assaubayeva, one of the better performers in the event so far. Stavroula Tsolakidou comfortably beat Humpy Koneru, while Tan Zhongyi outlasted Munguntuul Batkhuyag in a 68-move battle. The day’s only draw was between Divya Deshmukh and Nurgyul Salimova, a tense positional struggle that ended in a threefold repetition. Players took advantage of their day off in different ways—some rested while others joined a city excursion organized by the hosts, immersing themselves in local culture. Notably, three of the four winners participated in the outing, a reminder of the benefits of stepping away from intense competitive environments. With the tournament entering its final phase, a healthy mindset and a good mood are important. Today was filled with exciting games, let’s take a look: Aleksandra Goryachkina – Elisabeth Paehtz 1-0 Already leading the standings, Goryachkina continued her winning streak, prevailing over Paehtz in a game that started with a French Defense. Early exchanges led to an endgame by move 20, where Goryachkina’s bishop pair and passed pawn gave her a subtle edge. She started by taking her king for a long walk to the queenside. Black’s a-pawn was eventually captured, resulting in a position with opposite-colored bishops, which was defendable for Black. Unfortunately, Elisabeth found herself in a situation where she had to demonstrate great accuracy, which she did not manage to do. The black king should have retreated to b7 to defend against White’s passed pawns (inserting 48…Bf5, most likely, worked as well), relieving the bishop from this job. Instead, 48…e3?? was played, and soon Black could not stop White’s passers: 49.Bxe3 Kc7 50.Kf6 Bf5 51.a6 Be4 52.h4 Kc6 53.Ba7 Kc7 54.c5 Kc8 55.Bb6 Kb8 56.c6 1-0 With this victory, Goryachkina now leads the pack by a full point. Kateryna Lagno – Bibisara Assaubayeva 1-0 The first result of the day was a surprising one as Kateryna Lagno, who has had a difficult start to the tournament after losing two back-to-back games in the third and fourth rounds, beat Bibisara Assaubayeva, who entered the round in second place. Coming out of the tournament hall, both were surprisingly in good moods and discussed their game. Bibisara noted that Kateryna did not play what she had prepared, and she struggled to remember the correct theory for the opening that came on the board. In what became an unfamiliar position, Black tried to create an attack on the queenside, but White was always more comfortable. Although Kateryna initially missed an opportunity to obtain a nice advantage by creating a play on the kingside, a few moves later, she found the correct plan and regained the initiative, albeit playing too carefully at some points. Eventually, this advantage transformed into a devastating attack, as Bibisara, focusing too heavily on queenside play, left her king vulnerable. Kateryna executed the final onslaught flawlessly and brought the point home. In an interview, she said she spent her rest day walking around the city, taking her mind off the tournament games. Perhaps this “reset” will help her in the final rounds of the tournament. It undoubtedly worked in Round 6! Humpy Koneru – Stavroula Tsolakidou 0-1 Tsolakidou’s decision to take a break from chess during the rest day paid off, as she delivered a strong performance against Koneru. In another King’s Indian Defense (a popular opening choice in this event), Humpy opted for a lesser-played line, and by move 12, the opponents reached a fresh position. Black got a slight advantage after Humpy’s erroneous capturing en passant on move 13, but just several moves down the road it increased substantially as Stavroula timely sacrificed an exchange. In an interview after the game, Stavroula said she knew she was somewhat better and feeling more comfortable, but she didn’t know how much better. Black dominated the game from there – with active pieces, a solid pawn structure, and the bishop pair. Humpy eventually gave the exchange back, but it was too late. Stavroula started picking off the white pawns one by one, and with passive pieces and a material disadvantage, Humpy capitulated right after reaching time control. Divya Deshmukh – Nurgyul Salimova ½ -½ The game between two of the younger participants of the event was a long positional battle where neither side ever had a real advantage. Things did become interesting when Nurgyul entered a position in which she had double-isolated pawns: The position might seem better, or at least more comfortable for White, but there was never any way to obtain something substantial. Although Divya kept pushing, Nurgyul remained solid, and a three-fold repetition eventually secured the draw. Tan Zhongyi – Munguntuul Batkhuyag 1-0 After a tough loss to Aleksandra Goryachkina in the fifth round, Tan Zhongyi came back to claim her third overall victory of the event, this time against Munguntuul Batkhuyag. But it wasn’t an easy win, as Black, who also lost in the previous round, played aggressively, clearly also fighting for the point. Arising from the Slav Defense in what is called the “Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defence” the game became a not-so-quiet one after opposite-side-castling. Tan launched her h-pawn forward toward the black king while Munguntuul pushed her queenside pawns on the opposite wing. After queens were traded, optically, it looked scary for White as Black’s two rooks had doubled up on the a-file, staring down at the white king. But Tan remained composed, and after trading off one of the rooks, Black’s attack lost the punch it once had, and it was eventually White who had the better-placed pieces and an advantage. The evaluation bar would sway between equality and an advantage for White, until Black made a fateful error on move 55 that allowed Tan
FIDE World Championship special: Unique events for visitors of Singapore Match
FIDE and SCF have put together an exclusive program for visitors of the FIDE World Championship Match presented by Google, featuring former world champions and contenders, renowned Grandmasters, AI experts, VIP simuls, and commentary. The forthcoming FIDE World Championship match in Singapore promises not only a spectacular duel between two elite players but also an unforgettable chess festival. Visitors can look forward to exhibitions, presentations, and simultaneous matches that offer unique opportunities to meet and play with top Grandmasters and AI experts. Special guest appearances and expert commentary: Special events kick off on November 24 – one day before round one in the Match – with the first round of the National Age Group Championships, where the former Women’s World Champion, Xie Jun, will be the guest of honor. Xie Jun will later be joined by U.S. Grandmaster and renowned chess commentator Maurice Ashley, and the two will provide commentary on the first match game both in-studio and in the fan zone, allowing fans to gain insights and ask questions in person. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club | Lennart Ootes AI and chess: On November 26, Google DeepMind scientist Nenad Tomašev will deliver an exclusive presentation on the development and impact of AlphaZero, an AI program that has mastered complex games like chess. This session will shed light on the intersection of technology and chess, offering unique perspectives for enthusiasts. Simuls with chess legends: During the event, several top-world Grandmasters and former world champions and contenders will appear in Singapore as special guests. Former World Champion Challenger and celebrated Grandmaster Boris Gelfand will join live commentary on November 26 and interact with visitors in the fan zone. Photo: Stev Bonhage Gelfand, along with former Women’s World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, will also hold simultaneous exhibition matches, giving fans a chance to play against chess icons. Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to meet former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, who will offer expert match commentary and engage with attendees in the fan zone. Photo: Michal Walusza One of the most popular chess streamers WGM Nemo Zhou (akaNemsko) will also be in fan zone to interact with chess fans. Additionally, top Grandmasters such as England’s David Howell and Jovanka Houska will lead masterclasses for chess enthusiasts of all skill levels. Photo: ChessBase India Lessons from the first Asian GM: On November 30, visitors of the Match will have an opportunity to see in person and talk to one of the greatest living chess legends, Grandmaster Eugene Torre – the first Asian GM who took part in a record 23 Chess Olympiads and defeating many of the 20th century greatest players. Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club | Bryan Adams Singapore International Open: For those more interested in competitive events, the Singapore Chess Federation is throwing the Singapore International Open 2024. Featuring global chess talent, the event will take place at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre alongside the FIDE World Championship. The tournament comprises two categories: Group A for players rated 1800 and above, utilizing accelerated pairings to enhance title norm opportunities, and Group B for players rated up to 1900, following standard Swiss pairings. Plan your visit More information about the match and side events can be found on the official website: worldchampionship.fide.com. Tickets for the match and side events are available here. For an all-inclusive experience, check out the specialized travel packages here. WCC Programme (PDF) WCC Programme mobile version (PDF)
FIDE World Cadet & Youth Rapid and Blitz Championship 2025: Registration is open
All FIDE member federations are invited to participate in the FIDE World Cadet U8, U10, U12 & FIDE World Youth U14, U16, U18 Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships 2025. The competitions will take place in Rhodes, Greece from April 12 (arrival) to April 18 (departure), 2025. The gold medal winners of the 2024 World Cadet & Youth Rapid and Blitz Championships of the corresponding, or higher, age category have personal rights to participate if the age requirements, set out in the invitation letter, are met. All above-mentioned participants will be eligible for free full-board double-room accommodation. The registration deadline is February 21, 2025. All players, accompanying persons and delegation members have to be registered through their national federations. Email: wcyrb@fide.com Official website: wcyrb2025.fide.com Invitation letter and regulations (PDF)
World Youth Championship 2024: Leaders emerge at the halfway mark
The World Youth Chess Championship 2024 in Florianópolis, Brazil reached its midpoint. The competition running from October 28 to November 9 brought together 520 players, up to eighteen years old, from 62 countries. After six rounds of exciting chess, clear leaders emerged in five categories with Nho Kiet (VIE), Javier Habans Aguerrea (ESP) and Amina Kairbekova (KAZ) achieving perfect scores. In the Girls 14 tournament, three players are tied for the top position with 5.5/6. A rest day on November 4 will feature additional activities, including the inaugural World Youth Chess Solving Championship at 10 a.m. In the evening, a 9-round open blitz tournament is scheduled to start at 9 p.m., with registration available through the tournament organizers. The competition resumes with Round 7 on November 5 at 3 p.m. local time. The World Youth Chess Championships is organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in collaboration with the Brazilian Chess Federation. Elena Polovina serves as the Chief Arbiter, and Kaiser Luiz Mafra is the general organizer. Leaders after Round 6: Open 14 1. FM Nho Kiet (VIE) – 6/62. FM Patryk Cieslak (POL) – 53. Haochen Jiang (CHN) – 5 Girls 14 1. WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (GEO) – 5½2. WFM Diana Preobrazhenskaya (FIDE) – 5½3. WFM Nilufarkhon Imomkuzieva (UZB) – 5½ Open 16 1. FM Javier Habans Aguerrea (ESP) – 62. FM Daniyal Sapenov (KAZ) – 53. FM Raczek Krzysztof (POL) – 5 Girls 16 1. WIM Afruza Khamdamova (UZB) – 5½2. WFM Zarina Nurgaliyeva (KAZ) – 53. Mallick Mrittika (IND) – 5 Open 18 1. GM Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE) – 5½2. IM Aldiyar Ansat (KAZ) – 53. FM Aleks Sahakyan (ARM) – 5 Girls 18 1. WIM Amina Kairbekova (KAZ) – 62. WFM Galina Mikheeva (FIDE) – 53. WFM Olga Dm Karmanova (FIDE) – 5 Detailed results for each category are available at the following links: Open 18, Girls 18, Open 16, Girls 16, Open 14, Girls 14. The games are broadcast live on the Lichess. Photos, content, and additional resources from the Championship are available on official platforms: Official website: worldyouth2024.com/Instagram: instagram.com/worldyouth2024 Photos: flickr.com/photos/fide/albums/72177720321585911 Written by Liziane Nathália Vicenzi Photos: Vivian Passig and Laura Mayumi Hisano Shikasho
FIDE Book Awards 2024 – Call for nominations
The FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG) invites you to submit nominations for the Yuri Averbakh/Isaac Boleslavsky Book Awards 2024. Eligible are chess books published in 2023. Authors/Publishers can submit up to three books. Nomination Form must be submitted by November 21, 2024. Once confirmed, TRG will advise where copies of the books should be sent to the judges for review. The panel of judges will consist of three prominent chess personalities. The winner and two runners-up will be announced in the middle of December. The Isaac Boleslavsky FIDE Book Award was launched in 2009 for the best chess book and publications of remarkable instructional value. In 2019 the award’s name was changed to the Yuri Averbakh/Isaac Boleslavsky Award out of respect for these two giants of chess literature. Nomination Form
Goryachkina takes sole lead as fierce battles mark halfway point of WGP Shymkent
The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Shymkent reached its halfway mark in dramatic fashion, with four of five games ending decisively in Round 5. Aleksandra Goryachkina emerged as the sole leader after scoring a brilliant victory over Tan Zhongyi, her third consecutive win. In a day full of surprises, Bibisara Assaubayeva outplayed Humpy Koneru, Divya Deshmukh netted her first full point against Munguntuul Batkhuyag, and Stavroula Tsolakidou ground out a hard-fought win over Elisabeth Paehtz. Meanwhile, Nurgyul Salimova and Kateryna Lagno drew their game. Usually, the round before a rest day is one of the quieter ones, where players tend to finish quickly as they reach the first tournament milestone. But this is far from what happened today, as players gave their all, setting off sparks across the boards. We saw attacking chess, missteps that were capitalized on, and overall a sense of players fighting to win and not settle for draws. Tan Zhongyi – Aleksandra Goryachkina 0-1 The most anticipated matchup of the round was between former World Champion Tan Zhongyi and former World Champion challenger Aleksandra Goryachkina, and it was undoubtedly the most exciting game to watch. What started off as a regular Italian, quickly became extremely dynamic as Goryachkina intentionally allowed a weak pawn structure, with double-isolated pawns on the e-file. But after castling queenside, this risky game plan gave her a lot of space and opportunity to launch a kingside attack, which Tan had castled right into. As a result, Goryachkina obtained a strong early advantage and control of the game as she mobilized all of her pieces for the kingside assault. Eventually, Tan traded her two knights for a rook, hoping to alleviate pressure, but it was too late – Black’s attack was already deadly and Goryachkina played with precision to finish it off. What makes Goryachkina so scary to play against is that she takes every player out of their comfort zones, making them enter positions where logical continuations (as Tan played) are not the best, and missteps are easy. Munguntuul Batkhuyag – Divya Deshmukh 0-1 Determined to avoid the time trouble that cost her spoiling a winning position against Tan in Round 4, Divya came out with impressive speed, establishing a 50-minute lead on the clock by move 16. And this was a good approach – stemming from the Ruy Lopez, Black achieved a good position out of the opening, holding an advantage that she would keep throughout. The young Indian star said in an interview that she felt that she got lucky as her opponent blundered at a certain point. This happened on move 38 as White made consecutive bad trades when she just had to keep the position as is. But luck was not the only ingredient in Divya’s success, as her tactical eye helped her pounce at the correct moment, spotting a combination that had her win a couple of pawns, and then, the game. Nurgyul Salimova – Kateryna Lagno 1/2-1/2 The game that started with the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Tartakower Defense, saw early trades and an asymmetrical pawn structure with Black holding a 3-2 queenside majority. Lagno engineered some activity by pushing her pawns, eventually obtaining a passed pawn, and was first to obtain a slight advantage, which she increased after Salimova erred, grabbing a “poisoned” a7-pawn. It looked like Black would capitalize on this as Kateryna played all the best moves until reaching a critical position where she did not find the correct plan. Nurgyul did not miss her chance and reached a draw with an accurate play. Bibisara Assaubayeva – Humpy Koneru 1-0 Uncharacteristic of her usual aggressive style, Bibisara opted for the English today, where the game entered the Four Knights, Nimzowitsch Variation. She showed her range by first playing a good positional game – creating a queenside weakness in the form of an isolated pawn, which she kept pressure on. Black defended well, and the position was equal until Humpy made the grave mistake of unnecessarily opening the kingside. Bibisara immediately punished this decision, playing with surgical accuracy and a natural flair for attack, and ten moves later, Humpy threw in the towel. Stavroula Tsolakidou – Elisabeth Paehtz 1-0 The longest game of the day spanned five hours, which could have ended earlier as Tsolakidou actually obtained an advantage by move 16 already. But even though White was better, there was no clear-cut way forward, and soon it became equal as Black’s pieces finally came to life and joined the game. Pretty soon, Tsolakidou would regain the advantage and what would ensue was a long grind to convert it. Elisabeth attempted to create some counterplay, but with her queen being the only active piece, it was not enough. White eventually liquidated into a winning endgame and sealed the deal by move 63. After a tough loss to Goryachkina yesterday, Stavroula bounced back admirably and goes into the rest day with her second victory of the tournament. As the players head into the rest day, Goryachkina stands alone at the top, riding a three-game winning streak. The tournament remains wide open, however, with many opportunities for others to challenge her position. The rest day will offer players a chance to recharge and step away from the intensity of hotel-based tournament life. With fresh energy, they’ll return to the board on November 5th for Round 6, where new pairings promise continued excitement and shifting dynamics on the leaderboard. Moment of the Day Goryachkina’s game was an excellent one that should be seen. There was no specific moment, as she played brilliantly throughout. You can view the full game here. In terms of moments, a standout one was Bibisara’s swift response to Humpy’s blunder: Bibisara Assaubayeva – Humpy Koneru Humpy juist played 23…f5? Unnecessarily opening up the kingside. The game continued: 24.exf5 Bxe5 and suddenly 25.Nd5! Is a huge problem for Black. Now there are all kinds of threats including Ne7 and d4. 25…Bg6 26.Rb5 Qa3 27.Ne7 Kh8 28.Nxg6 hxg6. Black’s Kingside has crumbled. 29.d4 exd4 30.Qxd4 Ne5 31.c5! Although
FIDE WGP Shymkent: Koneru and Goryachkina сlose in
Another roller coaster of a day took place at the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix as, once again, the majority of games ended decisively, with Humpy Koneru and Aleksandra Goryachkina joining Tan Zhongyi as leaders of the event. Both Koneru and Goryachkina, after slow starts, are now making their presence felt with back-to-back wins, defeating Nurgyul Salimova and Stavroula Tsolakidou, respectively. Munguntuul Batkhuyag outplayed Kateryna Lagno in a surprising upset, while Elisabeth Paehtz and Bibisara Assaubayeva concluded their game with a quiet draw. Tan Zhongyi faced Divya Deshmukh in an intense battle, where Divya missed a crucial moment to take down the tournament leader. The leaderboard has now seen another shift, with new front-runners and promising matchups ahead. Tomorrow’s round will be crucial as Tan Zhongyi takes on Goryachkina, possibly reshuffling the standings once again. Let’s take a look at what happened in today’s games: Aleksandra Goryachkina – Stavroula Tsolakidou 1-0 Goryachkina has demonstrated deep preparation for the tournament, often taking her opponents into less popular sidelines. In today’s game, she played an improved version of a line we recently saw at the FIDE Olympiad in the game Cheparinov – Caruana, and by move 16, Aleksandra had a sizeable advantage. However, a few moves later, she offered a queen trade at the wrong time instead of securing a strong outpost for her knight. But she quickly corrected this error by repositioning the same knight to a3, forcing Black to make a few uncomfortable exchanges. With her back against the wall, Tsolakidou had to parry Goryachkina’s threats instead of creating her own. Eventually, Black crumbled, spending almost 20 minutes on a bad move in what was already a tough position. In the end, the black king found itself in the middle of the board, surrounded by danger, and Goryachkina sealed the game with a nice tactical finish: 44.Bxd5! 1-0 (44…Rxd4 45.cxd4+ followed by 46.Bxc6) Elisabeth Paehtz – Bibisara Assaubayeva ½-½ This quiet game featured a Sicilian Alapin, transitioning into an endgame where Paehtz’s isolated queen’s pawn became a slight liability. However, she held her ground with accurate defense, preventing Assaubayeva from gaining a substantial advantage. Black was only slightly better due to the more active rook, but White remained solid, playing accurately and not allowing her opponent to make inroads. The players eventually repeated moves, and the game concluded in a draw. Humpy Koneru – Nurgyul Salimova 1-0 In the day’s longest game, Koneru and Salimova fought in a battle spanning almost five hours. Relatively early, Humpy gained an advantage, but quickly let it slip, resulting in an imbalanced yet equal position. White had a queen, two rooks, and four pawns, versus Black’s queen, rook, two bishops, and two pawns. Typically, the bishop pair can be extremely dangerous in open positions, but unfortunately, but it was not the case as White had ample piece activity. Even though Salimova really pushed for an attack, it was to no avail, as Whit’s king was always safe and secure. White had two passed pawns that ran down the queenside, which at some point were overpushed, giving Black a chance to get back in the game, but with very little time on the clock, the best continuation (which involved rerouting pieces), was not an easy one to find. Salimova kept trying until the very end, but her attack was never enough, and eventually Humpy prevailed. This is Humpy’s second victory in a row. After drawing a completely winning position vs. Tan Zhongyi in the second round, she came back strong and now has some momentum. Lagno, Kateryna – Munguntuul, Batkhuyag Munguntuul and her Caro-Kann struck once again! White sidestepped theory early on, and neither player demonstrated accuracy in navigating the unchartered waters in the opening. In hopes of preparing some kind of attack on the kingside, Lagno swung her queen over but failed to gain ground, retreating instead, inadvertently giving Munguntuul time to build up an attack of her own. By move 22, Black was already much better, and suddenly Lagno found herself on the receiving end of a kingside attack, with Black’s two rooks and queen looming down on her king. Eventually, Lagno was forced to give up material, but her rook and knight were no match for Munguntuul’s dangerous queen. Kateryna resigned on move 41 as her position collapsed. Divya, Deshmukh – Tan, Zhongyi Tan opted for a less popular variation of the King’s Indian Defense, and by move 12, Divya sacrificed a pawn for piece activity, a move tested in two games in 2016. After a few exchanges, including of the queens, Divya had two powerful bishops which Tan neutralized by first returning the pawn, followed by trading dark-squared bishops. The position became very imbalanced, with White having bad double-isolated pawns on the kingside, and a passed pawn on the queenside, along with two rooks and a bishop, against Black’s secure three kingside pawns, two rooks, and knights. Although the computer evaluated this as marginally better for Black, it was challenging for both sides. On move 34, Tan erred massively weakening her seventh rank, and Divya had her chance to take control by shielding her passed pawn from one of Black’s rooks, essentially locking it out of the defense. Playing quickly under time pressure, she missed this opportunity and blitzed out the incorrect move in seconds. Tan did not give her young opponent any more winning chances, and soon after reaching time control, they agreed on a draw. Moment of the Day Although there were a few decisive outcomes in Round 4, the moment of the day is the position in which the young Divya Deshmukh had the opportunity to take down tournament leader Tan Zhongyi. Divya Deshmukh – Tan Zhongyi In the game, White played 35. Rb5? instead of the much stronger 35.Bb5! blocking the black rook out, preparing the crushing Ra7. If Black tries something like 35…Rf7, then the other rook can join the party on the 7th rank via 36. Rc6. White would still have to be accurate, which might
World Amateur Championship 2024 reaches midpoint
The World Amateur Chess Championship in Rhodes has reached an electrifying midpoint, with players displaying tenacity and skill. The event, held under the auspices of FIDE, has drawn an impressive field of amateur players from around the globe, each vying for a place in chess history on this storied island. In the U2300 and W1700 we have sole leadership by CM A Kumaresh from India, scoring 4.5 out of 5 (2048 rating, 2470 performance rating – No22 of the U2300 starting list) and AIM Anastasiia Osadchuk from Ukraine, netting 5 out of 5 (0 rating, 2180 performance rating – No 16 of the W1700 starting list). In the U 2000 section Ganbat Danzanjunai, Nurasyl Zhumabek & Tsogtsaikhan Saikhanchimeg from Mongolia, CM Pankaj Sharma from India & Daniel Perez Gonzalez from Spain co-lead with 4.5 points out of 5. Victor Gnevyshev and Lkhagvagaram Sumiya jointly lead U 1700 section with the perfect score of 5/5. Detailed results for each category are available at the following links: U2300, U2000, U1700, W1700 Many games have stretched to the final seconds, highlighting the dedication and stamina of the players. With only a few rounds remaining, the pressure is mounting as each move becomes critical in determining who will take home the title in their category. The games are broadcast live on the Lichess platform at these links: U2300, U2000, U1700, W1700 The World Amateur Championship is an official event of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), co-organized by the Rhodes Chess Club “Ippotis,” the South Aegean Region, the Municipality of Rhodes, and the Hellenic Chess Federation (ESO). Our gratitude goes to the South Aegean Region, Governor George Hatzimarkos & Deputy Governor for Sports Akis Delaporta, RODOS PALACE Hotel 5*, Antonis Kampourakis of Xenakis Mobility, Melissokomiki Dodecanese, J@D Rent a Car, At Holidays, the accounting firm “Papadimitriou & Partners,” and Ilektrodome S.A. for their unwavering support. Photos, content, and additional materials from the Championship can be found on the social media pages of the Rhodes Chess Club “Ippotis.” Website: ippotis.comFacebook: facebook.com/rhodeschessevents/Instagram: instagram.com/rhodes_chess_events/YouTube: youtube.com/@rhodes_chess_events Photos: Jim Laga
FIDE Trainer Awards 2024 – Call for nominations
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the FIDE Trainers’ Commission (TRG) are pleased to announce the 16th FIDE Trainer Awards 2024. These awards aim to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the chess training community. Mikhail Botvinnik Award for the best achievement by trainer(s) in open-section competitions Vakhtang Karseladze Award for the best achievement by trainer(s) in women’s and/or girl’s competitions Mark Dvoretsky Award for the best achievement by trainer(s) in junior competitions Trainer Nominations The awards must be granted for achievements in the year 2023. Only licensed trainers are eligible. The following are eligible to make nominations: a) FIDE Council Membersb) Continental & National Chess Federationsc) TRG Commission Membersd) Principals of FIDE Academiese) FIDE Senior Trainersf) Former Winners No nominator can nominate the same individual in more than one category. All nominations must be sent to TRG by November 21, 2024 Nomination Form
FIDE WGP Shymkent: Tan Zhongyi takes the lead after Round 3
Round 3 of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix saw intense battles across the boards, with three of the five games ending decisively. Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru each scored their first wins, prevailing over Divya Deshmukh and Munguntuul Batkhuyag, respectively. Tan Zhongyi seized the tournament lead, capitalizing on Kateryna Lagno’s missteps in a convincing victory that showcased her calculated precision. While still early in the tournament, Round 3 was a critical turning point for many players as they pushed to solidify positions on the leaderboard. Joint leaders Bibisara Assaubayeva and Stavroula Tsolakidou played a nail-biting game, ultimately drawing after a hard-fought tactical battle. Tan Zhongyi, the third co-leader entering the round, emerged victorious over Lagno, who misplayed early in the opening. On the other boards, Aleksandra Goryachkina outplayed Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru punished Munguntuul Batkhuyag’s blunder, and Nurgyul Salimova and Elisabeth Paehtz drew without too much commotion. Bibisara Assaubayeva – Stavroula Tsolakidou ½ – ½ This was definitely the game of the round to watch, and it was a great battle from the start, so much so that our commentators remarked that it showed the highest level of chess in this event so far. In a King’s Indian, Bibisara sacrificed a pawn early to unlock her kingside attack, castling queenside ensuring a dynamic game – something we have seen before. The game became extremely tactical, with both players setting up minefields for each other, giving up pawns and pieces left, right, and center, and playing with precision. That is until move 27, when Bibisara perhaps overlooked Stavroula’s intermediate moves before trading queens, leading to an endgame where Black had an extra passed pawn. It was a complicated endgame, and even though Stavroula was better, it was not easy to advance. The tense game ultimately settled into a draw, leaving both players with a hard-earned half-point. Divya, Deshmukh – Goryachkina, Aleksandra 0-1 In a classic experience vs. youth match, Goryachkina demonstrated why she’s a seasoned contender on the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix circuit. It started off calmly, with Goryachkina remarking that it seemed as if her opponent was playing for a draw. But experience was perhaps a key factor here, as Goryachkina slowly kept improving her position, refusing the trade of queens, and bringing all of her pieces to the optimal squares. Eventually, the white queen found itself locked out of the game, with her pieces just not working together very well, and eventually, she just crumbled. Black’s knight had a wonderful world tour around the board, with all the other pieces also optimally placed, coming in to execute a lethal attack along the dark squares. Under pressure and facing time trouble, Divya struggled to defend her position, but her efforts were enough only to reach time control when she resigned. Tan, Zhongyi – Lagno, Kateryna 1-0 The game started out as a London System, with Black avoiding all main lines. Lagno traded off White’s key bishop on f4 but ended up in a dubious position, giving up a pawn she couldn’t reclaim. Things went from bad to worse as White completely dominated the game with principled play, eventually finding a wonderful Knight sacrifice on move 23, which she spent over 20 minutes on. 21.Nxe6! With a +3 advantage, it was hopeless for Lagno very soon, but Kateryna made her opponent work for the point, setting up drawing traps along the way. But Tan clung to the advantage, sidestepping the tricks and traps, and drove the victory home. This win has placed Tan as the sole leader of the pack, as she leads by half a point. Her record has proven her to hold such leads quite well, and it will be interesting to see if she keeps it up. Munguntuul, Batkhuyag – Koneru, Humpy 0-1 Munguntuul was round two’s only victor, but today she lost her game after what Humpy noted as “following the incorrect plan” in the Ruy Lopez, failing to find the best squares for her pieces. By move 19, Black had a significant advantage, and Humpy fully capitalized on her opponent’s mistake, playing flawlessly all the way up to move 32 when Munguuntul accepted her fate and resigned. This bounce-back victory was critical for Koneru, who was determined to recover from a missed opportunity in her prior game against Tan. She remarked that the game kept her up last night as she was so upset with herself (sometimes drawing a winning position hurts more than a loss), but she was able to maintain composure and secure this important win. Salimova, Nurgyul – Paehtz, Elisabeth 1/2-1/2 Another clash of generations, the game between Salimova and Paehtz was smooth sailing for both sides. With a few early piece trades, neither player launched any aggressive attack but rather maneuvered their pieces well, where the positional nature of the game led to a natural draw. This is Paehtz’s first half-point on the scoreboard, after her difficult round one and two losses against Tan and Munguuntul. Despite these setbacks, she seemed to still enter her third round in a good mood. It is perhaps this quality that enabled her to achieve the Grandmaster title in 2022 at the age of 37, making her the first German woman to do so. Nurgyul also had a rough start after losing to Bibisara in round one and missing some chances against Stavroula in round two, but in an interview, she said that she is focusing on steady improvement and taking it game by game. All players now have points on the leaderboard, with Tan Zhongyi as the sole leader with 2.5 points. Trailing just a half-point behind here are Assaubayeva, Koneru, Tsolakidou, and Goryachkina with 2 points each. Moment of the Day There were many great moments today, with instructive tactics here and there, but a particular position stands out because of the accuracy with which both players handled it: Assaubayeva – Tsolakidou White has just played 23.f4, and after thinking for 24 minutes, Stavroula responded with the only move 23…cxd5! Giving up the knight on g5, and