Why 16 Rapid Chess Experts ignored Friday the 13th Omen in Riga?

Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone,

Legend has it that on top of the oldest Riga Churches - Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s, St. John’s and St. Jacob’s – are decorations of roosters (weathercock). According to Christian tradition, the rooster is a vigilant defender against evil, and with his morning song he can drive away all bad things.

No wonder then, 16 experts of Rapid Chess trooped in to play the ACP Rapid Chess Cup with a total prize fund of $75,000 this weekend. So, sit back and enjoy the exciting chess show this weekend.

The Gentlemen in Riga Photo: Lennart Ootes

The live coverage and live Grandmaster commentary will be relayed on the official website : www.acp-cup.com.

The ACP Cup is organised by the Association of Chess Professionals together with the Latvian Chess Federation. The venue for the tournament is provided by Rietumu Bank, which has one of the best premises in Riga for hosting exhibitions, auctions and other cultural and intellectual events. The bank is also participating in the financing of the tournament. 

The Association of Chess Professionals (ACP) is a not-for-profit organisation, whose main purpose is the protection of chess professionals’ rights and the practice and promotion of chess worldwide, in particular through the organisation of chess tournaments and other chess events.

ACP CUP WINNERS

2010 Sergey Karjakin
2009 Boris Gelfand
2008 Teimour Radjabov
2007 Peter Leko

Winners Women's ACP Cup
2012 Nana Dzagnidze
2009 Alexandra Kosteniuk

Rapid Knock Out Contestants

Alexander Grischuk  
Federation: Russia
Birth Date: October 31, 1983
Birth Place: Moscow, Russia
Residence: Moscow, Russia / Odessa, Ukraine
Title: Grandmaster since 2000
World ranking: 4
FIDE Rating: 2785
World Rapid ranking: 2
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2830

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Federation: Azerbaijan
Birth Date: April 12, 1985
Birth Place: Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Residence: Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Title: Grandmaster since 2002
World ranking: 7
FIDE Rating: 2775
World Rapid ranking: 4
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2822

Yan Nepomniachtchi
Federation: Russia
Birth Date: July 14, 1990
Birth Place: Bryansk, Russia
Residence: Moscow, Russia
Title: Grandmaster since 2007
World ranking: 29
FIDE Rating: 2717
World Rapid ranking: 6
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2804

Peter Svidler
Federation: Russia
Birth Date: June 17, 1976
Birth Place: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Residence: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Title: Grandmaster since 1994
World ranking: 15
FIDE Rating: 2746
World Rapid ranking: 10
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2761

Teimour Radjabov
Federation: Azerbaijan
Birth Date: March 12, 1987
Birth Place: Baku, Azerbaijan
Residence: Baku, Azerbaijan
Title: Grandmaster since 2001
World ranking: 21
FIDE Rating: 2733
World Rapid ranking: 11
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2760

Vladimir Malakhov
Federation: Azerbaijan
Birth Date: March 12, 1987
Birth Place: Baku, Azerbaijan
Residence: Baku, Azerbaijan
Title: Grandmaster since 2001
World ranking: 21
FIDE Rating: 2733
World Rapid ranking: 11
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2760

Alexander Morozevich
Birth Date: July 18, 1977
Birth Place: Moscow, Russia
Residence: Moscow, Russia
Title: Grandmaster since 1994
World ranking: 18
FIDE Rating: 2739
World Rapid ranking: 16
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2742

Radoslaw Wojtaszek
Federation: Poland
Birth Date: January 13, 1987
Birth Place: Elbląg, Poland
Residence: Elbląg, Poland
Title: Grandmaster since 2005
World ranking: 47
FIDE Rating: 2701
World Rapid ranking: 19
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2735

Vassily Ivanchuk
Federation: Ukraine
Birth Date: March 18, 1969
Birth Place: Kopychyntsi, Ukraine
Residence: Lviv, Ukraine
Title: Grandmaster since 1988

World ranking: 22

FIDE Rating: 2731
World Rapid ranking: 24
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2725

Ruslan Ponomariov
Federation: Ukraine
Birth Date: October 11, 1983
Birth Place: Horlivka, Ukrainian
Residence: Kiev, Ukraine
Title: Grandmaster since 1998
World ranking: 14
FIDE Rating: 2756
World Rapid ranking: 25

Pavel Eljanov
Federation: Ukraine

Birth Date: May 10, 1983
Birth Place: Kharkov, Ukraine
Residence: Kharkov, Ukraine
Title: Grandmaster since 2001
World ranking: 42
FIDE Rating: 2706
World Rapid ranking: 29
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2712

Alexei Shirov
Federation: Latvia

Birth Date: July 4, 1972
Birth Place: Riga, Latvia
Residence: Riga, Latvia
Title: Grandmaster since 1990
World ranking: 55
FIDE Rating: 2696
World Rapid ranking: 39
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2706

Laurent Fressinet
Federation: France
Birth Date: November 1, 1981
Birth Place: Dax, France
Residence: Paris, France
Title: Grandmaster since 2000
World ranking: 38
FIDE Rating: 2708
World Rapid ranking: 46
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2690

Dmitry Jakovenko
Federation: Russia
Birth Date: June 29, 1983
Birth Place: Omsk, Russia
Residence: Nizhnevartovsk and Moscow, Russia
Title: Grandmaster since 2001
World ranking: 23
FIDE Rating: 2724
World Rapid ranking: 53
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2678

Alexander Moiseenko
Federation: UkraineBirth Date: May 17, 1980
Birth Place: Severomorsk, Russia
Residence: Kharkov, Ukraine
Title: Grandmaster since 2000
World ranking: 41
FIDE Rating: 2706
World Rapid ranking: 63
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2669

Igor Kovalenko
Federation: Latvia

Birth Date: December 29, 1988
Birth Place: Novomoskovsk, Ukraine
Residence: Riga, Latvia
Title: Grandmaster since 2011
World ranking: 117
FIDE Rating: 2644
World Rapid ranking: 128
FIDE Rapid Rating: 2633

The opening ceremony of the ACP Rapid Chess Cup took place in the art gallery of the Rietumu Bank, Riga. The first round matches are split between two shifts. And so, the pairings are:

Afternoon shift (starts at 14:00 Riga time = 13:00 CET)
Mamedyarov - Kovalenko
Nepomniachtchi - Moiseenko
Malakhov - Eljanov
Wojtaczek - Ivanchuk

Night shift (starts at 18:00 Riga time = 17:00 CET)
Grischuk - Fressinet
Svidler - Jakovenko
Radjabov - Shirov
Morozevich - Ponomariov 

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel