Andorra Chess Open 2013: Andrey Vovk Wins Title

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

Hi everyone, 

Ukrainian Grandmaster Andrey Vovk is the new champion of the Andorra open. He finished in sole first place with 7.5 points. The event took place on 20-28th July at the Sant Gothard Hotel in Erts (La Massana). Vovk was the only player with 6.5 points that won his last round game, against the young Frenchman Eric Gaudineau. The game was a Ruy Lopez where white won a clear positional advantage. However, the Frenchman created complications on the kingside, which forced white to play accurately. The Ukrainian player did not falter and simplified the position to reach a rook endgame that he converted easily. Seven players tied on 7 points.

Players with 6.5 points, Eduardo Iturrizaga and Renier Vazquez, were the first to arrive at this score after drawing their game in just 10 moves, thus resigning chances to win the tournament. However, the game played on the third board between Grandmasters Marc Narciso and Maxim Rodshtein was very disputed. The Catalan player was able to win a pawn in the middlegame, but the truth is that his rival achieved a more than reasonable counterplay and finally the position was simplified to a theoretical opposite-colored bishops endgame that was completely drawn.

Finally, the exact order defined by the tiebreaker criteria was: 2. Maxim Rodshtein (ISR), 3. Renier Vazquez (ESP), 4. Eduardo Iturrizaga (SOLD) 5th. David Norwood (AND), 6th. Marc Narciso (ESP), 7th. Yannick Gozzoli (FRA) and 8th. Vladimir Hamitevici (MDA).

The prize for the best game went to International Master Lawrence Trent, thanks to his victory over Icelandic grandmaster Heddin Steingrimsson. (www.chessdom.com)

Rating categories winners:
Second place – 1849: Louis Pignataro (FRA)
First place – 1849: Bárbara Sánchez (ESP)
Second place 1850-1999: Isabelle Abello (FRA)
First place 1850-1999: Oriol Sánchez Urpí (ESP)
Second place 2000-2149: José Manuel Nieves (ESP)
First place 2000-2149: Jonathan Edwards (SCO)
Second place 2150-2299: Daniel Laclau (FRA)
First place 2150-2299: Bryan Macias (ECU)

Lawrence Trent obtained the best game prize

Andorran Chess Federation

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Gonzalez Chess Memorial in Madrid: GM Holden Hernández Gets Clear First

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

GM Holden Hernández has won the third edition of the third edition of the Óliver González Chess Memorial that concluded in Madrid last Sunday, according to the latest chess news via Fide. This chess festival is held every year in memoriam of the young FIDE Master from Madrid Óliver González who passed away in 2009.

Cuban GM Holden Hernández obtained a clear first with 7.5 points. Ukrainian Grandmasters Martyn Kravtsiv and Andrey Vovk, came in second as both were unbeaten with 7 points each. Fourth was top seed GM Sergey Fedorchuk followed by local player, the young IM Ángel Arribas.

GM Holden Hernández

Junior chess players from Madrid, Madrid Adrián Vázquez (9th) and IM David Antón (10th), who was about to get his third GM norm the last day, did well in the tournament.

Simultaneously to A Tournament, the B Tournament for players rated under 2100 was also held. The tournament victory went to 14-years-old Rubén Fernández Gil. In total, 242 players took part in the 3rd Óliver González Chess Memorial, 43 of them title holders, with 17 different nationalities.

Besides, a good number of side events run parallel to the chess tournament, such as a football match (A Tournament’s team vs B Tournament’s team), Children’s Cup, Simuls, a magic show, night Blitz tournaments, Blitz open, karaoke, etc. So definitely players didn’t get bored during their stay in Madrid.

3rd Óliver González Chess Memorial has been organized by “Virgen de Atocha” Chess Club with the main sponsorship of “Vázquez y Torres Ingeniería”. The City of Madrid provided a fantastic playing venue and the “Irish City Sports Bar” hosted many of the side events.

Other important collaborators in the success of the Memorial have been “Limpiezas LM2″, CDV Chess Club, Móstoles Chess Club, Tajamar Chess Club, Chess Federation of Madrid, and more. (The report was by Daniel Rodriguez via the official website.)

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Sommer Chess Open: GM Andrey Vovk Wins Clear First

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

The latest chess news via Chessdom is that GM Andrey Vovk has won a clear first at the Sommer Chess Open 2012 that was held from August 6-10 at the Crystal Hall of Chess Center LA8, Lichtentaler Allee 8, D-76530 Baden-Baden, Germany.

GM Andrey Vovk

The Open A was for all players while Open B was reserved for the players rated U1700 DWZ. The playing system in both groups was 7 round Swiss, with time control 40 moves/120min + 30 min/rest. Ukrainian Grandmaster Andrey Vovk scored a key last round victory against the top seeded GM Rainer Buhmann to take a clear first place with 6.5/7 points. GM Vadim Malakhatko and the 15-years old local hope FM Dennis Wagner shared the 2nd place with 6 points each. Reinhold Becker and Klaus Künitz are the joint winners of Open B, both finishing with 6/7 points. Prize fund: About 4,000 EUR (A-Open approx. 2,500 EUR, B-Open approx. 1,600 EUR). You can access the official website for more details.

Top standings
1 GM Vovk Andrey UKR 2543 – 6.5
2 GM Malakhatko Vadim BEL 2528 – 6
3 FM Wagner Dennis GER 2439 – 6
4 GM Levin Felix GER 2510 – 5.5
5 Carow Johannes GER 2216 – 5.5
6 IM Fernandez Daniel Howard SIN 2370 – 5.5
7 GM Buhmann Rainer GER 2571 – 5
8 IM Zeller Frank GER 2400 – 5
9 FM Volodin Ivan RUS 2257 – 5
10 FM Kunz Konstantin GER 2303 – 5
11 Bohnert Dominik GER 1891 – 5
12 FM Wiley Tom E ENG 2283 – 5
13 Tennert Simon GER 2075 – 5
14 Schott Reimund FRA 1946 – 5
15 Arnold Max GER 2090 – 4.5
16 FM Mühlenhaus Sven GER 2209 – 4.5
17 Braun Georg GER 2204 – 4.5
18 Fichter Fabian GER 2044 – 4.5
19 Naundorf Maik GER 2118 – 4.5
20 Wenninger Philipp GER 2208 – 4.5
21 Doskocil Klaus AUT 2274 – 4.5
22 Wilen Eero FIN 2056 – 4.5
23 Privitera Franco ITA 2088 – 4.5
24 Gibicar Danijel GER 2085 – 4.5
25 Mager Denis GER 1950 – 4.5
26 WFM Kirsanova Ekaterina RUS 2168 – 4.5
27 Cofman Veaceslav GER 2052 – 4.5
28 Graf Andreas GER 2064 – 4.5
29 Becker Matthias GER 2018 – 4.5
30 Bauer Björn-Benny GER 1992 – 4.5
31 Grunau Christoph GER 1953 – 4.5
32 Clancy Jonathan GER 1608 – 4.5
33 Maedler Thomas GER 2225 – 4.5
34 Ahmad Momin GER 1916 – 4.5

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com