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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
US Chess Scoop Video from Las Vegas with GM Gata Kamsky
Hello chess friends, another cool chess video from our favourite channel, the US Chess Scoop. They spoke to US Chess Champion Gata Kamsky about his clear victory at the National Open in Las Vegas. The video includes cameos by G/10 co-champ Alejandro Ramirez and US Women's Chess Champion Irina Krush.
Gata Kamsky wins Las Vegas International Chess Festival 2014
Hello chess blog friends, here is some tournament chess news update via FIDE - US Chess Champion Gata Kamsky has won the Las Vegas Chess Festival 2014. The Las Vegas International Chess Festival – National Open Championship – was held 12-15th June at the Riviera Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas, USA.
The Festival had eight sections: Championship, Under 2200, Under 2000, Under 1800, Under 1600, Under 1400, Under 1200 and Unrated. The playing format was 6-rounds Swiss and the total prize fund was 80,000 USD.
Gata Kamsky took a clear first place with 5,0/6 points to claim the top prize of 6500 USD. A group of 13 players remained half a point behind the winner.
Final standings: 1. GM Kamsky Gata NY 2791 – 5,0 2-14. GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro CUB 2744, GM Gareev Timur CA 2732, GM Quesada Perez Yuniesky CUB 2727, GM Lenderman Aleksandr NY 2717, GM Kacheishvili Giorgi GEO 2667, GM Khachiyan Melikset CA 2642, GM Margvelashvili Giorgi GEO 2624, GM Finegold Benjamin P MO 2601, GM Matamoros Carlos ECU 2571, GM Gurevich Dmitry IL 2545, GM Sevillano Enrico CA 2533, FM Banawa Joel AZ 2438 and FM Landaw Julian W CA 2412 – 4.5 15-21. GM Ramirez Alejandro TX 2668, GM Chirila Ioan Cristian ROU 2631, IM Yankovsky Roman CA 2531, IM Vigorito David MA 2508, IM Bryant John Daniel CA 2489, IM Bradford Joseph TX 2451 and FM Raptis Nick-RE OR 2411 – 4,0 etc From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
US Chess Championships 2014 Begin Today; World Chess Hall of Famers Inducted
Hello Chess Blog friends, US chess history is set for new action with the national championships beginning today. Here is the press update by Brian Jerauld from the Saint Louis World Chess Hall of Fame and the venue of the US National Chess Championships 2014. Get, set, stay tuned...
SAINT LOUIS (May 7, 2014) -- Grandmasters Gata Kamsky and Irina Krush: Please return your crowns.
Time expired on both champions’ reign over the nation Wednesday night in Saint Louis, with the opening ceremonies of the 2014 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship ringing the bell for a new round of challengers to the national title.
GM Irina Krush, the reigning U.S. Women's Champion, is interviewed by a local news crew.
To earn his crown back - and the lion’s share of $172,000 in prizes - Kamsky will need to beat out 11 of America’s top grandmasters, including U.S. Open winner Josh Friedel and wildcard Mackenzie Molner; while Krush will be up against nine of the nation’s best females, including 13-year-old Ashritha Eswaran, for the U.S Women’s Championship. Rounds begin daily at 1 p.m. local time through May 20, with full coverage of the event on www.uschesschamps.com.
Wednesday’s opening ceremonies were held at the World Chess Hall of Fame, which sits directly across the street from the venue for the tournaments, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. The event featured the drawing of lots to determine pairings and colors for both round-robin tournaments. Here are the pairings for Wednesday’s first round, highlighted by an instant clash between top-seeded Kamsky and two-seed Timur Gareev.
In the U.S. Women’s Championship, the reigning champion Krush takes on WGM Katerina Nemcova, a University of Texas - Brownsville student who is a newcomer to the U.S. Women’s Championship.
The 2014 opening ceremonies also featured the induction of two new selections into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, as well as two selections into the World Chess Hall of Fame, which are both housed in the same building. The U.S. Chess Trust added Abraham Kupchik, the 13-time winner of the Manhattan Chess Club Championship; as well as Jacqueline Piatigorsky, initiator of the U.S. Junior Closed Championships and organizer of two of the strongest American tournaments in history, the Piatigorsky Cups.
Added to the World hall was Maya Chiburdanidze, women’s world chess champion from 1978-1991 and only the second woman to earn the grandmaster title. Also honored was Paul Keres, the “crown prince of chess” who was seven times a World Championship candidate, yet never a winner.
The ceremonies also received remarks from International Arbiter Carol Jarecki, CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich, Jeff Rainford (Chief of Staff to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay), as well as U.S. Championship sponsors Rex and Jeanne Sinquefield. Much attention and applause was spent on St. Louis’ recent designation by Congress as the U.S. capital of chess.
The 2014 U.S. Championship will offer a $64,000 “Fischer prize” to any player in the U.S. Championship who runs the table with all victories. The prize honors the 50th anniversary of the American legend accomplishing such a feat with a 11-0 score in the 1963-64 U.S. Championship. It has never been repeated.
Both tournaments begin Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m., with every move broadcast live and discussed by the powerful commentary team of GMs Yasser Seirawan, Maurice Ashley and WGM Jennifer Shahade on www.uschesschamps.com. Local viewers may enjoy live commentary by GMs Ben Finegold and Robert Hess. Entry to the event is free for annual members of the Chess Club but costs just $10 per day for non-members.
U.S. Chess Championships 2014 May 7-20: $250,000 at Stake in St Louis
Hello everyone,
For the sixth consecutive year, the best chess players in the U.S. will gather in Saint Louis to fight for the title of U.S. Champion and U.S. Women’s Champion.
GM Gata Kamsky will defend his title at the 2014 U.S. Championship while recently anointed Grandmaster Irina Krush will look for her sixth title at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Championship. The events will be held simultaneously May 7 through May 20 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL).
Ashritha Eswaran, 13, received the final wildcard invitation to the U.S. Women’s Championship to round out the fields.
This marks the sixth consecutive year that each of these prestigious events will be held in Saint Louis. The opening ceremony takes place on May 7, and the first round for both events will kick off at 1 p.m. Central on May 8.
The 2014 U.S. Championship will feature a 12-player round robin and a guaranteed prize fund of $172,000. In addition, the CCSCSL again will sponsor the “$64K Fischer Prize,” to be awarded to anyone that scores a perfect 11-0 in the U.S. Championship, in honor of Bobby Fischer’s result at the 1963-64 U.S. Championship.
GM Hikaru Nakamura declined his invitation to play in this year’s event, citing his desire to prepare for and compete against the world’s elite as he prepares for a run at the next Candidate’s cycle.
Tony Rich, executive director of the CCSCSL, said the competition will be fierce.
“Any one of these players has a shot at the title this year,” Rich said.
The complete list of players, and their current USCF ratings, for the 2014 U.S. Championship is as follows:
GM Gata Kamsky (2778) GM Timur Gareev (2751) GM Alex Onischuk (2751) GM Varuzhan Akobian (2732) GM Sergey Erenburg (2717) GM Ray Robson (2714) GM Sam Shankland (2698) GM Alex Lenderman (2693) GM Alejandro Ramirez (2679) GM Mac Molner (2634) GM Daniel Naroditsky (2632) GM Josh Friedel (2599)
The 2014 U.S. Women’s Championship will feature 10 players and a guaranteed prize fund of $72,000. IM Irina Krush looks to defend her U.S. Women’s Championship crown. The field for the 2014 U.S. Women’s Championship is as follows:
GM Irina Krush (2548) IM Anna Zatonskih (2526) WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2475) WGM Camilla Baginskaite (2358) WIM Iryna Zenyuk (2352) WGM Sabina Foisor (2303) WIM Viktorija Ni (2302) WGM Katerina Nemcova (2297) FM Alisa Melekhina (2251) NM Ashritha Eswaran (2231)
“The U.S. Women’s Championship features seasoned veterans along with some exciting new faces as well,” Rich said. “I’m excited the Chess Club gets to showcase so many inspiring role models for Saint Louis area students.”
The well-established commentary team of GM Maurice Ashley, GM Yasser Seirawan and WGM Jennifer Shahade will once again offer Internet viewers live play-by-play and analysis for each round of the event. GM Robert Hess will join GM Ben Finegold to provide commentary for the live audience in Saint Louis.
Carol Jarecki will serve as the chief arbiter for both events.
Check www.uschesschamps.com for the latest updates, full player bios, info about past U.S. Championships and news about the top players in the U.S.
GM Gata Kamsky has won the 8th Annual Philadelphia Chess Open that was held over the Easter week from April 16-20, 2014, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. GM Gata Kamsky finished clear 1st in the Open Section, finishing with 7.5 points, a half-point ahead of his nearest rival, GM Josh Friedel. Kamsky collected $6,581 for his efforts while Friedel collected $3,656. David Hua scored an International Master norm as well as finishing as the top player rated under 2400.
The final standings and prizes are now posted for all sections at the official website. From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Sinquefield Chess Cup: Carlsen wins with a No-Draw Flourish
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (September 16, 2013) -- World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen brought home a $70,000 souvenir after his first visit to the United States: The country’s finest prize in chess, the Sinquefield Cup. But he left America with an encore that made every last penny count.
With the showdown between U.S. No. 1 Hikaru Nakamura and reigning U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky already adjourned in a draw, Carlsen sat just a half-point away from the tournament’s top prize – and in front of a deadlocked board opposite World No. 2 Levon Aronian.
Aronian, trailing by a point, would earn third place and $30,000 regardless of a loss or draw – though a win promised playoffs. So he decided to probe the impossible-looking position while Carlsen, his own pieces frozen in tension, seemed content to wait the Armenian out. The white king moved idly back and forth on the back rank, waiting for Aronian to look the other way.
And he did – just the slightest. Aronian’s pressing, through a series of weakening king moves, tipped Carlsen just the smallest of advantages. And when Aronian decided he could find no way into the white camp, he offered a draw – and to everyone’s shock, Carlsen denied it. The half-point would have earned first place outright, $70,000 and the inaugural Cup, but Carlsen had found something much more valuable: the path to victory.
The win padded his lead to a full point (4.5/6), closing the strongest tournament on American soil with a dazzler. Nakamura (3.5/6) was forced to settle for the second place prize of $50,000 after his draw with Kamsky (1.5/6) on Sunday afternoon added no pressure to Carlsen.
“The final margin of victory was a little flattering,” Carlsen said. (Read the full report on the official website.)
The last round was an absolute sitter with the fantastic game between Carlsen and Aronian. You can replay the game with Chess King that includes Grandmaster Akobian Varuzhan's annotations.
Sinquefield Chess Cup Round 3: Nakamura in Lead at Halfway Point
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura is in lead after three rounds at the Sinquefield Chess Cup. Here is the report by Brian Jerauld.
SAINT LOUIS (September 12, 2013) -- At the 1959 Candidates Tournament, Hungarian GM Pal Benko, desperate to refute the “hypnotic stare” of the legendary Mikhail Tal, pulled from his pocket a defense never tried before: Reflective sunglasses. Tal had decisively won every match of their career to that point.
In the third round of the Sinquefield Cup, GM Hikaru Nakamura decided to try out "Benko’s variation".
The eccentric American No. 1 strolled into the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis on Wednesday, donning a pair of shades for his game against Norway’s Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen, perhaps through hypnotism, decisively held the lifetime series between the two at 7-0 with 13 draws.
“For the first time in his life, Carlsen has to look at his opponent and see himself," quipped GM Ian Rogers, who was offering live commentary to a crowd at Lester's restaurant nearby the Chess Club. "That will be scary.”
The plan didn’t work out so well for Benko, who was wiped off the board in 20 moves. Tal eventually threw him a bone by allowing perpetual check saying: “When I want to win against Benko, I win; when I want to draw, I draw.”
Nakamura’s version of the defense was good enough for a legitimate draw against Carlsen, maintaining the standings at the tournament’s halfway point.
Heading into the rest day, Nakamura stands as the front-runner with 2.5/3 points, while Carlsen trails just a half-point behind in second place. Armenia’s Levon Aronian sits in third with 1/3 after battling to a draw with reigning U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky, who earned his first half-point of the tournament.
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
GM Hikaru Nakamura took advantage of a late blunder by World No. 2 GM Levon Aronian to defend his home turf in the first round of the 2013 Sinquefield Cup. Here is the report by Brian Jerauld and game annotations by GM Ronen Har-Zvi and GM Varuzhan Akobian.
SAINT LOUIS, September 9, 2013 -- Welcome to the Sinquefield Cup. Please check your cell phones, your tablets – and all expectations – at the door.
Anyone visiting Saint Louis hoping to witness something they have never seen before just got their wish. For a moment, time stood still during Monday’s first round of the Sinquefield Cup, where Armenia’s Levon Aronian – the world No. 2 – offered up something nobody expected to see: A blatant blunder.
Round 1 of the strongest chess tournament in American history, showcasing four of the world’s top-20 players, is in the books with the first two games complete – and two full points already awarded. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen put a slow squeeze on U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky, while the U.S. No. 1-by-rating Hikaru Nakamura was quick to attack a fatal misstep by Aronian.
GM Hikaru Nakamura beats World No. 2 Levon Aronian
Despite the Ruy Lopez being one of Aronian’s main and productive lines, Nakamura showed no fear of familiarity by speeding quickly through the opening. Even as Aronian took the game into new territory with the first novelty of the tournament in 11. … Nfd7, Nakamura pushed 12. Nd4 with a nearly instant response, continuing with his own agenda. But Aronian’s response with an aggressive 12. … c5 sent Nakamura into his first deep think of the game, nearly 30 minutes before moving the seemingly natural 13. Nf5.
“I knew Nd7 was a novelty,” Nakamura said. “But after Nf5 and the correct response of Nf6, while I knew I could trade with Ne7, I had a feeling he was planning d5.”
Indeed, after Nakamura dropped Ne3 to bolster the pivotal square, Aronian challenged it just three moves later, eventually opening up the board to several avenues of attack for both sides. With the white queen open to attack, Aronian was able to equalize with 25. .. Nf4, ushering a trade of several minor pieces that had Nakamura admittedly ready to offer a draw.
But the move heard round the world was 30. … Qb5??, a severe blunder that ushered a trade-off of queens and Nakamura’s instant response of 32. Nd7 – winning an exchange and a slight smirk from the American. It left the world No. 2 visibly rattled, and the game was quickly liquidated into a full point for Nakamura.
“I prefer not to lose in such a way,” Aronian said. “But that’s something about the game of chess: It’s very humbling to lose after such a blunder.”
On the other board, Kamsky was tenacious with a bend-but-don’t-break attitude, but Carlsen’s grip with the white pieces turned into a slow strangulation of submission for the reigning U.S. Champion.
Perhaps bait to pull Kamsky into one of his most-familiar Slav lines, Carlsen showed little interest in finding an advantage in the opening and let the middle game decide fate. Standard lines continued until Kamsky offered an unprovoked 9. … Bxc3, providing Carlsen the lone bishop on the board.
The game’s pivotal move came with Kamsky’s 14. … h5 – the penultimate risk-reward that brought Kamsky his first taste of counterplay, but eventually served as his demise. Despite equal material, Carlsen’s white pieces proved incredibly active, owning the c-file with a rook battery and eventually placing two major pieces on Kamsky’s back rank – surrounding his desperately exposed king.
That said, Kamsky’s play in the weakened position was sharp and precise down the stretch, forcing Carlsen to be even more accurate. Claiming the full point was not a walk in the park for the World No. 1, several times being forced into finding the only correct move.
“I didn’t think h5 was a good move; it left his pawn a bit weak there,” Carlsen said. “But it did confuse me into making some stupid moves.”
GM Magnus Carlsen had to play with extreme accuracy to knock of the reigning U.S. Champion, GM Gata Kmasky, in round 1 of the Sinquefield Cup.
Pairings for Round 2 1 Aronian, Levon 2813 - Carlsen, Magnus 2862 2 Nakamura, Hikaru 2772 - Kamsky, Gata 2741 From Alexandra Kosteniuk's www.chessblog.com Also see her personal chess blog at www.chessqueen.com Don't miss Chess Queen™ YouTube Channel
Sinquefield Chess Cup: Jennifer Shahade on Reaching St Louis for power-packed Commentary
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone,
Guess where's former American Women's Chess Champion, writer, commentator and poker player Jennifer Shahade? She's in Saint Louis where America's most high-powered chess event yet is set to take place from today! She is at the Sinquefield Chess Cup waiting for the games to start and her commentary. Here is her update from Chess Life Online of which she is the editor:
"I just arrived in Saint Louis for one of the most exciting events in US chess history, the Sinquefield Cup. The fun here kicked off Saturday with a drawing of the lots, where each player picked a custom designed DGT enabled House of Staunton set to determine pairings. In round one, Hikaru Nakamura (white) plays Levon Aronian while Magnus Carlsen (white) faces Gata Kamsky.On Sunday, the players hosted a Meet and Greet for photos and autographs at the Chess Club, which was naturally packed. Afterwards, all four players went to the Rams game.
It was Magnus Carlsen's first American football game, so GM Maurice Ashley kindly explained the rules to him and concluded, "He catches on quick." No doubt! At the end of the exciting game, the Saint Louis Rams edged out the Arizona Cardinals 27-24. Aronian and Carlsen were both high-fiving and cheering, clearly getting into the Saint Louis spirit. As an organizer and commentator, I predict that game is a premonition of how thrilling the tournament will be! Be sure to tune into my commentary at http://uschesschamps.com/live with GMs Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan--between Maurice's energy and "Yaz's" eloquence, you're in for a treat! The coverage begins Monday at 1 local time/2 EST.
Meet the Chess Superstars of the Sinquefield Chess Cup Tournament beginning Sept 9
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (August 12, 2013) -- The 2013 Sinquefield Cup features GMs Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian (top two in the World) and GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky (top two in the U.S.). The tournament takes place September 9-15 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL).
There also will be a special meet-and-greet autograph session on Sunday, September 8, from Noon to 1:30 p.m., where spectators will have the opportunity to get autographs from and take pictures with the players. This event is free, and fans will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Round one of the tournament begins at 1 p.m. CT on September 9.
Three different grandmaster commentary teams will be on site to offer live play-by-play and analysis of each round of this historic tournament.
Following their groundbreaking live commentary of the 2013 U.S. Championships, GMs Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley will once again join WGM Jennifer Shahade on a closed set that will broadcast to thousands of viewers online via www.uschesschamps.com.
The Participants
Magnus Carlsen has transcended chess superstardom to become a world icon. He will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Championship title in November.
Hikaru Nakamura's playing style is brilliant and attacking, making him one of the most exciting players on the planet.
Grandmaster Levon Aronian of Armenia is currently ranked No. 2 in the world and holds a plus score agaisnt both of the U.S. competitors, Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky.
Grandmaster Gata Kamsky, the reigning U.S. Champion, will take on three of the world's best at the Sinquefield Cup.
Top 2 in World, Top 2 in U.S. to Battle for Sinquefield Chess Cup
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS (June 17, 2013) -- For the first time ever, World Championship challenger GM Magnus Carlsen will play a high-profile tournament in the United States. The World’s No. 1 ranked player will take on three other top-ten players in Saint Louis this September when he joins GMs Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky for the Sinquefield Cup, a four-player, double round robin scheduled to be held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) September 9-15. In November, Carlsen will challenge GM Viswanathan Anand of India for the World Championship title. CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich said this event marks an important milestone for U.S. chess. “We are honored to bring the world’s best to Saint Louis this September,” Rich said. “Hosting an event of this magnitude is yet another sign that the U.S. is becoming a major player in the world chess scene.” Carlsen and Aronian currently sit atop the world rankings at No. 1 and 2, respectively, while Nakamura and Kamsky hold the No. 1 and 2 spots in the U.S. Nakamura is coming off one of the most successful three-game runs of his career having recently defeated GMs Vladimir Kramnik, Sergey Karjakin and Fabiano Caruana at the Tal Memorial, which has vaulted him back into fifth place in the world rankings. Kamsky also is coming off one of his most successful tournament performances in recent years with a second-place finish at the FIDE Grand Prix that recently concluded in Thessaloniki, Greece. Kamsky, who recently won his fourth U.S. Championship title, climbed back into the world’s top 10 for the first time since September 2011. The average FIDE rating for the field is over 2800, making it the strongest tournament in the history of the U.S. The opening ceremony will take place on September 8, and round 1 will begin at 1 p.m. CT on Monday, September 9. The Sinquefield Cup, which will feature a prize fund of $170,000, is named after the founders of the CCSCSL, Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield. The Sinquefields were each honored by the U.S. Chess Federation with a Gold Koltanowski award in 2012, with Rex also earning the distinction in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The award is given to the person or persons who have done the most to promote chess in the U.S. each year. For more information, visit www.uschesschamps.com.
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013: Leinier Dominguez Wins Title with Last-Round Win
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Leinier Dominguez outplayed Veselin Topalov in the longest game of the day to overtake Gata Kamsky and claim a clear first place in the Thessaloniki Grand Prix. The Cuban finished the tournament with 8/11 points. In the other key encounter Fabiano Caruana made a good favour for Dominguez by defeating the overnight leader Kamsky to finally catch him on the shared second place.
Hikaru Nakamura won against Peter Svidler to finish the tournament in good mood, while Vassily Ivanchuk scored his first victory in the game against Etienne Bacrot. Results, standings and photo gallery are updated.
Kasimdzhanov - GrischukWhite employed the English Attack in the Naidorf Sicilian and the play followed an earlier encounter between Leko and Grischuk in London Grand Prix. At one point Kasimdzhanov deviated from Leko's game with the more ambitious 18.Rh8. However, two moves later he refrained from the consistent 20.fxe4 and played the safer 20.Qxe4. Kasimdzhanov said that this has been a very difficult tournament and he was not very ambitious today. Grischuk added that he had to go down the forced line after 10...b4 because otherwise he would simply be worse. Kasimdzhanov concluded that the tournament was very nice, his result is okay, but he wasn't happy about the two games with white pieces that he lost (to Dominguez and Kamsky).
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013 Round 10: Kamsky defeats Morozevich, Leads before Last Round
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone,
The penultimate round of the Thessaloniki Grand Prix has set the stage for exciting final round on Monday 12:00 local time. Gata Kamsky celebrated his birthday with a quick and convincing victory against Alexander Morozevich, who suffered fourth consecutive loss. Leinier Dominguez survived Alexander Grischuk's assault to stay in the contention for the first place. Fabiano Caruana bounced back after yesterday's loss by defeating Veselin Topalov in a wild game. Ruslan Ponomariov scored a nice victory against Etienne Bacrot. The closing ceremony will be broadcast live in the video section from Monday 19:00 local time. Results, pairings, standings and photo gallery are updated. Kamsky - Morozevich This was a rare occasion that Kamsky didn't shy away from the explored theoretical position. In the Chigorin variation of Ruy Lopez black played the rare plan of trading on d4 twice and then 13...Re8. This was not new for Morozevich, who already used the same setup against Peter Leko back in 2002. White's 14.Nc3 (also played by Ivanchuk once) looks more natural than Leko's 14.Bg5. Kamsky didn't remember exact theory but he believed that Knight on f5 would create some threats. After one risky pawn grab by black Kamsky missed the chance for brutal assault that starts with 18.Nd5 Bxd5 19.exd5 Rxc2 20.Rxe7 and if Rxe7 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qxf6 Re1+ 23. Rxe1 Qxf6 24. Re8 is checkmate. He was calculating this line but he missed the final Re8. Nevertheless, his plan of lifting the Rook to g3 also posed serious problems for black. The last chance for black to defend was to harass the Rook with 20...Ne5 21.Rg3 Nh5, trading a couple of pieces in the process. Kamsky didn't waste the second chance and fine tactical shot 21.Nxg7 shattered Morozevich's hopes. American champion pointed that it was important that 21...Bb6 doesn't work for black. The Russian soon resigned. Svidler - Kasimdzhanov This time Svidler started with 1.e4 but Kasimdzhanov was ready to repeat the Ruy Lopez Arkhangelsk variation which brought him success against Ponomariov in round 8. White refrained from the main 8.c3 and instead went for the pair of Bishops with 8.Nxe5. It is interesting that both players already had this line in practice - Svidler drew Caruana and Kasimdzhanov beat Salgado Lopez. White repeated the recent novelty 12.Qd3, but black came up with his own improvement in 14...Qe7. The players have shown some fascinating lines at the press conference, but nothing of those fireworks were actually seen in the game. After the constant exchanges of the pieces, the game fizzled out in a draw.
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013 Round 9: Kamsky, Dominguez in Joint Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Leinier Dominguez defeated Fabiano Caruana with black pieces to join Gata Kamsky in the shared first place with 6,5 points each. The American Chess Champion 2013 was held to a draw by Etienne Bacrot. Veselin Topalov scored against Alexander Morozevich who extended the losing row to three rounds. The other four games were drawn. Caruana is third with 5,5 points, while Grischuk is fourth with 5 points. Results, pairings, standings and photo gallery are updated. Bacrot - Kamsky The tournament leader started with the Chebanenko Slav but he quickly fianchettoed the dark-squared Bishop to reach his favourite pawn structure of Slav-Gruenfeld hybrid. Kamsky said he analysed this line for awhile, the conclusion being that white is slightly better but the position is playable. Bacrot was unhappy about his play in the opening. He moved 11.Qc2 because he wanted to push e4, but then admitted that 11.Rd1 might have been better. Both players agreed that 15.Bd2 was too slow and that the most consistent was 15.a3. Bacrot added that 16...Re6 was very strong. Black kept pressing on the weak isolated pawn but white was able to recapture on e7 and maintain the material balance. The resulting endgame was slightly better for black, however white succeeded in setting a theoretical draw and the game concluded shortly. Kamsky revealed that he walked on the street and black cat crossed his road, so he decided to play solid. Bacrot joked that despite the cat black position was very good. On question about his own superstitions, Bacrot said - "Just in case I decided not to walk today." Kasimdzhanov - Ivanchuk Kasimdzhanov started with the Moscow variation in the Sicilian and Ivanchuk covered the check with his Bishop, deviating from 3...Nc6 which he played in round 4 against Topalov. The play developed along the well known lines which have already be seen in many games. 17...Nc6 was regular, but black developed the Knight to a6 with idea to jump to c5. Kasimdzhanov thought that long castle was a good move. He wanted to keep the Knights on the board, but he couldn't avoid the exchange because f2-pawn was hanging. He added that after 36.Re4 it became interesting because there were some chances for white. 38.Rh4 h5 39.Re4 might have been a better try as white can go with h3-h4 and continue to press. When playing 45.Rxh7 Kasimdzhanov became excited because he thought he was winning, but "45...g5 was a great move that saves the game".
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013 Round 8: Gata Kamsky in Sole Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Gata Kamsky defeated his compatriot Hikaru Nakamura to score third consecutive victory and move into sole lead after round 8 of the Thessaloniki Grand Prix. Five games started with Ruy Lopez and only Nakamura defended with French. Leinier Dominguez remains in contention for the first place after beating Alexander Morozevich in a fine positional style. He is now sharing the second place with Fabiano Caruana who held an inferior game against Alexander Grischuk. Etienne Bacrot got his first tournament win in the match with Veselin Topalov. Peter Svidler and Rustam Kasimdzhanov were also successful to complete the fantastic round with five decisive games. Results, pairings, standings and photo gallery are updated. Ivanchuk - Svidler The game followed an earlier clash between Dominguez and Svidler, until Ivanchuk deviated by exchanging the Bishop on e7 and not the Knight on f6. Svidler joked that "...despite getting slaughtered in this line, I just keep playing it on and on. Probably I am too lazy to learn something else." Referring to the position around 17.b4, Svidler revealed that he has pages and pages of analysis on this position. He did review some of them before the round.
With 17...Rfe8 black is ready for c5-c4 and it is not clear what white can do. Ivanchuk thought for awhile and went for 18.f5. White played all in with 21.e5, giving an exchange but hoping to compensate with an attack on the black King. Svidler believes that preparatory 21.Re1 was better option (21.Qf3 not that good because of 21...Nd7 and next f6).
The Russian also expected 24.Qf3 where he would reply with 24...Qd5. After 25.Rxf1 he calculated all the long lines and saw that he will not get mated. With 28...Qg4 black started the final phase in the fight for a win. 35.Qf3 might have been more resilient but it was already difficult to save the game. Kamsky - Nakamura In the all-American derby Kamsky chose the quiet Tarrasch system and sidelined the complicated positions that would arise in the main lines of 3...Be7. Kamsky was surprised by 8...f6, but he quickly decided that the best plan was to take the Knight on h6 in order to prevent Nf7. The American champion suggested that 10...dxe5 might have been better, with probably only small advantage for white. Just as black was ready to castle short and reposition the pair of Bishops, white got the action going with 12.b4. It was also too late for long castle because 14...0-0-0 15.Rb1, and there is no time for sacrifice on f3 as b4-b5 is coming in fast.
Kamsky said that Nakamura probably blundered 16.Bg6+, after which white is winning. He finally converted the advantage on move 50. Remembering back to the first round when Grand Prix sponsor Ivan Savvidis made a ceremonial move for Kamsky, the American said - "It was nice, he told me something like 'now you cannot lose' and I felt obliged to try hard in the tournament".
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013 Round 7: Caruana, Kamsky Win Again, Share Lead
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Fabiano Caruana and Gata Kamsky continued the winning streak to remain joint leaders after the 7th round of Thessaloniki Grand Prix 2013. Kamsky outplayed Rustam Kasimdzhanov with black pieces, while Caruana took advantage of Alexander Morozevich's blunder to keep up the pace. In one of the longer games of the day Hikaru Nakamura defeated Veselin Topalov.
Tournament sponsor Ivan Savvidis visited the playing hall and watched the games before heading to the football match of his club PAOK. Results, pairings, standings and photo gallery are updated.
Ivanchuk - Grischuk Just as the Tournament Director Τheodoros Tsorbatzoglou was presenting FIDE Press Officer Anastasya Karlovich with a birthday cake, the game finished in a draw and the players entered the press room!
Knowing that Grischuk is very well prepared for the openings with kingside fianchetto, Gruenfeld and King's Indian, Ivanchuk decided to go with a more reserved English opening. Black made an early excursion with the Queen, allowing white to repeat the moves and make a much needed break from the losing streak. Ivanchuk took the microphone and a river of words followed. He discussed the game emotionally and showed many interesting lines from an apparently quiet opening.
Ivanchuk also shared an interesting story about his opponent. Vassily said that the Russian is a difficult opponent because he is rarely accepting draws, even if he doesn't have better position or better time on the clock. Ivanchuk believes that this attitude brought Grischuk good results recently: "Maybe he is using some poker tricks that I am not familiar with :)"
Svidler - Ponomariov Svidler remained consistent and opened with 1.d4 while Ponomariov replied with the Queen's Gambit Accepted. The Russian said he expected something else in the opening.
11.a3 took black by surprise and he spent almost one hour for the next move. Svidler believed that after 11.Be3 black is just comfortable and he wanted to give him a choice to possibly make a mistake.
11...Bd6 was a decent choice, but after spending so much time Ponomariov "wanted to play a simpler game". Svidler thought he could exercise some pressure after 15.b5, but black's 15...f5 is a very precise answer. Svidler mentioned that 18.b6!? would have been an interesting try, but "...as the tournament goes for me, it was best to keep things under control." The game soon fizzled out to a draw.
On the question about the time control in the tournament, Ponomariov said: "I think the discussions about which time control is better are pointless, it is like people have nothing better to do. I would prefer to have one, any time control, to be used throughout the whole WCC cycle, but without changing."
Kasimdzhanov - Kamsky Gata Kamsky spent 7-8 minutes for the first move before opting for the Dutch defence. He took up this opening because he "wanted to play something interesting". The game was an interesting battle that you can replay with Chess King. Morozevich - Caruana This was another English opening and white angled to set the reversed Hedgehog structure. Already after 8.b3 Caruana was unhappy with this opening and that is why he decided to exchange the light-squared Bishops. Morozevich might have felt black's discomfort as he immediately replied with aggressive-looking 11.h4. But Caruana kept his cool and calmly exchanged another pair of pieces to reduce the attacking potential. Black came up with a nice win which you can replay with Chess King.
Nakamura - Topalov The game started with Naidorf Sicilian, which Hikaru Nakamura himself played earlier against Morozevich. But instead of the English Attack, this time white opted for the good old positional 6.Be2. White obtained the Bishops' pair and Topalov tried to restrict the light-squared piece with g6-h5 formation. This turned to be a bit too slow because white quickly summoned the pawns on e5 and c5. Replay the full game with Chess King.
On question about Thessaloniki, Nakamura said that he likes the city and that he enjoys the weather "which is better than in previous tournaments he played in."
"It's great to see that many people are coming to the playing hall to follow the games," he added.
Bacrot - Dominguez Leinier Dominguez repeated the Bogo Indian, which he successfully used against Kasimdzhanov in the 5th round, but Bacrot was prepared and answered with the principled 8.cxd5 heading for the Carlsbad pawn structure.
One of the advantages was that the Rook was on b1 (Kasimdzhanov had the Rook on d1), allowing white to organise a quick advance on the queenside.
Dominguez said that he wanted to repeat the solid line and be safe, but then he committed some mistakes and had to suffer for a long time.
Bacrot refused the repetition on two occasions, then conveniently exchanged the pieces and passed the time control with a better pawn structure.
The backward c6-pawn was a constant source or worry for black. White's advantage was moderate but lasting.
Bacrot kept on pressing for another 40 moves, but Dominguez finally escaped with a draw in the Knights endgame.
GM Papaioannou and FM Logothetis believed that white's best try was to play with three pawns versus lone Knight, as in 71.f5 Kg5 72.Kxg3 Kf6 73.Nxd5 Nxd5 74.e4 etc. It is still unclear however whether this would be sufficient for a win. (Report by Goran Urosevic/official website)
Razuvaev Chess Memorial, Washington Chess International Set for Aug 6-11
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
The Washington International returns for a second year to Rockville, MD from August 6 -11. Player feedback from last year's event (won by Gata Kamsky) was overwhelmingly positive. This year there are several major enhancements to the tournament such as a significantly larger prize fund, a B section for lower rated players, minimum prizes available for all non-US players, and lower entrance fees. The 9-round swiss A section has $22,000 in guaranteed prizes and will provide an opportunity for players to earn GM and IM norms. In order to improve the chances for earning these norms, a minimum rating of 2100 FIDE or 2200 USCF will be required to play in the A section. Twenty players, including 9 GMs and 6 IMs, have already registered to play in the tournament. New this year is the B section that is also a 9-round FIDE-rated swiss with the same schedule and a $4,000 prize fund. Players must be rated under 2250 USCF and 2200 FIDE to play in the B section. All equipment will be provided for the players in both sections. More information about the tournament, including the currently registered players, can be found at http://washingtoninternationalchess.org. Running concurrently with the Washington International tournament will be the Razuvaev Memorial Tournament. GM Razuvaev was the coach of Alexandra Kosteniuk when she won the Woman's World Championship in 2008. In honor of this, the tournament format will be a team match of some of the top women chess players against some male players who were friends with GM Razuvaev.
The players are:GM Adrian Mikhalchishin, GM Boris Gulko, GM Vladimir Tukmakov, GM Lev Alburt, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, IM Anna Zatonskih, IM Irina Krush and IM Elena Sedina
The International and the Razuvaev Memorial are the showcase events for the Washington International Chess Festival, but several other shorter duration events are also available: Potomac Open (August 2-4) Weekend Swiss 40/90, SD/30 +30/incr Washington International Blitz Friday Aug 9, 8pm 3 +2/incr Washington International Rapid Saturday, Aug 10 15 +10/incr For all of these tournaments live broadcasts of the games, standings, reports, and pairings will be at http://www.mdchess.com. These tournaments are being organized by the Maryland Chess Association. If you have any questions, email Mike Regan at washintl@mdchess.com.
U.S. Chess Championship 2013 Special to Air on FOX Sports Midwest May 25
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
SAINT LOUIS -- On May 25 at 6 p.m. CT, FOX Sports Midwest will air a one-hour recap special covering the 2013 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships, which recently concluded at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
The 2013 U.S. Championship and 2013 U.S. Women’s Championship were held concurrently May 2 through May 13 at the CCSCSL. This marked the fifth consecutive year these events, the two most prestigious chess tournaments in the nation, were held in Saint Louis.
Grandmasters Gata Kamsky and Alejandro Ramirez squared off in an intense, head-to-head, rapid playoff to determine the 2013 U.S. Champion while the 2013 U.S. Women’s Championship boiled down to a three-way race between Tatev Abrahamyan, Anna Zatonskih and Irina Krush.
The one-hour special premiering on FOX Sports Midwest on May 25 will introduce viewers to some of the unique personalities in the U.S. chess scene and recap all the exciting action, including the thrilling climax, of the most important chess tournaments in the country.
In addition to the premiere, the special will also air on the following dates and times:
Thursday, May 30 at 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 1 at 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 5 at 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, June 13 at 11 p.m.
Live play-by-play of each round of the event also was streamed online to tens of thousands of viewers across the world through the websites of FOX Sports Midwest and USChessChamps.com, the U.S. Championships event website.
CCSCSL Executive Director Tony Rich said the live streaming show and televised recap special through FOX Sports Midwest both mark an important turning point for U.S. chess.
“This partnership with FOX Sports Midwest allows us to bring chess to a broader audience and to introduce the excitement and intensity of tournament chess to a whole new demographic,” Rich said. “Our goal is to showcase the talents of the top chess players in the nation and to create more fans and students of the sport of chess.”
The 2013 U.S. Championship featured a field of 24 players and a total prize fund of $180,000, and the 2013 U.S. Women’s Championship featured a 10-player field and a prize fund of $65,000.
“These players are the superstars of the U.S. chess scene,” Rich said. "We hope their play will inspire young chess players all across the country to achieve great things."
The CCSCSL has been home to the championships for each of the past five years, helping contribute to Saint Louis’ reputation as the hub of the U.S. chess scene.
Thessaloniki Chess Grand Prix 2013 Round 1: Svidler, Kamsky, Kasimdzhanov Win
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013 Hi everyone,
The first round of the fourth stage of FIDE Grand Prix tournament in Thessaloniki got under way on 22nd May, with the Greek-Russian businessman Ivan Savvidis, main sponsor of the event, making the first symbolic move in the game Kamsky - Dominguez. After playing 1.e2-e4, Savvidis told Kamsky "now you have no right to lose this game". The American champion lived up to the expectations and went on to defeat Leinier Dominguez. To complete the fortunate day for Mr Savvidis, his club PAOK Saloniki also beat Asteras Tripolis 2-1 in the Greek Football Super-Liga play-off. Peter Svidler and Rustam Kasimdzhanov also started with victories, while the other three games ended in draws. Results, pairings, standings and photo gallery are updated. Ponomariov - Caruana 1/2-1/2 The first game to finish was the match between Ruslan Ponomariov and Fabiano Caruana. The players opened with Ruy Lopez and Caruana pointed that 9...Na5 was in important move to hold the setup. Ponomariov noted that none of the pieces or pawns were exchanged before move 16. Caruana then released tension in center and moved his Knight to f4 because there was no other way to defend the e5-pawn. Within the next dozen of moves a large number of pieces were exchanged. After the Queens also went off, a draw was signed according to Sofia rules. Ponomariov was happy with the result as "it is important to properly adjust to the new setting, and the new tournament." He also added that he is playing similar setups with black, he is familiar with many opening ideas, and that is why he took some time to find the most appropriate plan. He played all the logical moves, but black also played well and the draw is a fair result. Caruana reminded that most of the players competing in Thessaloniki also played last month in Zug Grand Prix and that he has the feeling "of playing the same tournament again". Ponomariov finally said that he is happy that the tournament is receiving a lot of attention from media and local chess fans. Svidler - Bacrot 1-0 Peter Svidler was the first to score a victory in Thessaloniki. His game with Etienne Bacrot started as Semi-Tarrasch and for awhile it looked like black is doing fine. But later he started to err and Svidler used the opportunity to invade the seventh rank with the rooks. Replay the full game with Chess King. Svidler feels greater pressure in Thessaloniki than he had in Norway Chess tournament because this event is a part of the World Championship cycle. He's been playing continuously in many tournaments, but after the Thessaloniki Grand Prix he will probably take a break until the World Cup in Tromso. He added that he might do live commentary for the Tal Chess Memorial. Bacrot said he had some time to work on the openings, but he still didn't get into the proper competitive shape. He hopes to play better as the tournament progresses.
US Chess Championship 2013: Gata Kamsky Wins Playoff vs Alejandro Ramirez to Secure 4th Title
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hi everyone,
Maurice Ashley with Gata Kamsky.
SAINT LOUIS (May 13, 2013)--The 2013 U.S. Championship went extra innings today in a gripping tiebreak final. After splitting a pair of rapid games, GM Gata Kamsky won $30,000 and his fourth title in an Armageddon game against GM Alejandro Ramirez, who was seeking his first title.
In all three hours of competition, and for more than 150 moves, Kamsky was the aggressor. Despite the constant pressure, he could not break through the stalwart and creative endgame defense of Ramirez until the waning moments. “It feels a bit awkward,” Kamsky said. “I consider us equals. Someone just got luckier than the other.”
The two went into a playoff by virtue of being tied after nine rounds of classical chess. Both players had 6.5/9; they drew their face-to-face battle in round eight. Kamksy was undefeated with four wins and five draws, while Ramirez had a loss but also one more win, thus necessitating today’s action.
Games one and two were played at a time control of 25 minutes per player with a five second increment per move. Ramirez seemed determined not to get behind on the clock, but an early misstep allowed Kamsky to embed a knight on d5. Shortly after, black’s pawns were crippled, but Ramirez found all the necessary countermeasures to prevent any white pawn from reaching paydirt. Of the many players who were spectating, GM Robert Hess said Kamsky did not need to be so quick to exchange his best piece.
After a short break, they switched colors and resumed the rapid play. This time Kamsky broke through on the queenside, and probed Ramirez’s position with his rook. Sensing that the black bishop would soon enter the fray, Ramirez offered a pawn with the clever 35. g4, intending to occupy e4 with his knight. Kamsky offered a pawn in turn with 36…e4, preventing the knight from landing there. Naturally, Ramirez had one last rejoinder, 38. e5, clearing the square once and for all.
The minor pieces traded and another rook-and-pawn ending was reached, with Kamsky having all the chances. One again Ramirez was up to the task, using a stalemate tactic to extend the tiebreak. 64. Rg2+ was the only move to draw. The rare ending to a grandmaster game caused the supremely focused Kamsky to look at the crowd and laugh. Later, he said he had almost the same ending at the World Cup in 2011 against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, but was able to win that game.
The rules dictated that in case of a 1-1 tie, the playoff would end in an Armageddon match, where players bid for time and color. In sealed envelopes, Ramirez wrote the time 19:45, while Kamsky’s envelope read 20 minutes even. Ramirez thus got 19:45 to Kamsky’s 45 minutes, while Ramirez had black and draw odds.
“I was starting to get really nervous,” Kamsky said. “It wasn’t clear until the last move.”
Ramirez said the experience of playing worse positions was “torture”, then he was reminded that he still pockets $20,000. “I’ve never won that much in chess, ever,” he said.
After the tense playoff, Kamsky seemed more relieved than elated. He flew in from a tournament in Switzerland just days before the championship, and he has less than one week until he competes against the world’s best in Greece. “I just want to get some sleep,” he said. (The detailed report by FM Mike Klein is at the official website.)
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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