Antalya World Chess Team 2013: Russia wins Title, Board 4 Gold for Nepomniachtchi, Board 2 Silver for Karjakin, Reserve Board Bronze for Vitiugov

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

Hello everyone,

Russia has won the World Chess Team Championship 2013 in Antalya, Turkey. Ukraine had lead the chess championship team standings from the first, but they ran into the Russian brick wall in the eighth round. Russia beat Ukraine, took the lead and won the title by beating Egypt in the last round. (Photos: Anastasiya Karlovich/official website)

On top of the world: The Russians

The team of Russia – Vladimir Kramnik, Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Nikita Vitiugov – scored 15 match points (7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss) and took the gold medal. The other medals were divided on first tiebreak of game points, as China and Ukraine both finished with 14 match points (7 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses). Silver went to China with 23 match points and bronze to Ukraine with 22 match points.

This is the fourth World Team Championship title for Russia. Besides the one in 2013, they have won the gold in 1997, 2005, and 2010. This is the first time Kramnik, Karjakin, and Nepomniachtchi are part of the winning team. For Vitiugov, this is a second title, while it is the third title for Grischuk.

The winning captains: Xu Yun (China), Yury Dokhoian (Russia) and Olexandr Sulypa (Ukraine)

Board Medals were as follows:

Board One 1. Levon Aronian 2. Hikaru Nakamura 3. Vassily Ivanchuk with TTCF Vice President Askin Keles

 Board Two 1. Anton Korobov 2. Sergey Karjakin 3. Ding Liren

Board three 1. Daniel Fridman 2. Alexander Onischuk 3. Yue Wang

Member of Appeals Committee Petr Pisk presented the awards
to successful players on Board 4 1. Ian Nepomniachtchi 2. Xiangzhi Bu 3. Yuriy Kryvoruchko

Chief Arbiter Anastasia Sorokina presented the awards to successful players on reserve board 1. Varuzhan Akobian 2. Yu Yangyi 3. Nikita Vitiugov

Final standings (teams)

1 Russia 15
2 China 14
3 Ukraine 14
4 USA 10
5 Armenia 10
6 Netherlands 9
7 Germany 8
8 Azerbaijan 7
9 Turkey 3

10 Egypt 0

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FIDE World Chess Team Championship 2013 begins Nov 24 in Antalya, Turkey

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

Hello everyone,

Here's an update (via Chessdom) for all chess lovers wondering what to do now once that the Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013 is over. No sweat, the FIDE World Team Chess Championship 2013 is going to take place November 24th – December 6th in Antalya, Turkey. 

Participants are Armenia, Russia, USA, Germany, Turkey, Azerbaijan, China, Ukraine, Holland, and Egypt.

The tournament is a single round robin with games played daily at 15:00 local time (14:00 CET).

Armenia

Levon Aronian
Sergei Movsesian
Vladimir Akopian
Gabriel Sargissian
Tigran L. Petrosian

Russia

Vladimir Kramnik
Alexander Grischuk
Sergey Karjakin
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Nikita Vitiugov

USA

Hikaru Nakamura
Gata Kamsky
Alexander Onischuk
Varuzhan Akobian
Ray Robson

China

Li Chao
Ding Liren
Wang Yue
Bu Xiangzhi
Yu Yangyi

Holland

Anish Giri
Loek Van Wely
Ivan Sokolov
Sergei Tiviakov
Erwin L’ami

Ukraine

Vassily Ivanchuk
Alexander Moiseenko
Alexander Areshchenko
Anton Korobov
Yuriy Kryvoruchko

Turkey

Alexander Ipatov
Dragan Solak
Baris Esen
Mustafa Yilmaz
Emre Can

Germany

Arkadij Naiditsch
Daniel Fridman
Georg Meier
David Baramidze
Igor Khenkin

Azerbaijan

Eltaj Safarli
Rauf Mamedov
Gadir Guseinov
Nidjat Mamedov
Vasif Durarbayli

Egypt

Ibrahim Hasan Labib

Samy Shoker
Khaled Abdel Razik
Amin Bassem
Mohamed Ezat

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Obituary - Turkish Chess Loses Mehdi Hayri Özbilen (1935 – 2013)

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

Hello everyone,

Turkish Chess Federation lost the ex-president of the federation, who was also ex-member of the national team and an active veteran player. Mehdi Hayri Özbilen had been the president of TCF from 1982 till 1986. Özbilen has represented Turkey in different Olympiads as delegate, player and coach.

He had contributed as the compiler of the 40th Chess Olympiad Almanac. His son Önder Özbilen was also an active chess player.

Özbilen lost his life on 16th October 2013, after struggling in hospital for one and half month. His funeral had been organised (18th October) in Galip Paşa Mosque in İstanbul, and FIDE was represented there by Vice President Ali Nihat Yazici. We express deepest condolences to Turkish Chess Federation and members of Özbilen’s family.

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World Junior Chess 2013 in Turkey from September 12

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013

Hi everyone, 

The World Junior U20 Chess Championship 2013 will take place in Hatay, Türkiye, from 12th September (Arrival) to 27th September (Departure) 2013. Categories for Boys (Open) & Girls under 20
All national chess federations can send entries. Each National Federation can enter one (1) player born on or after 1st January 1993 in each of the boys (open) and girl categories, a maximum of two (2) invited players. Players with a personal right, according to FIDE rules, will also be accepted as invited players;
Subject to age, entitled to participate are:
a. The top 3 players of the previous edition.
b. The Continental Junior Champions of the year preceding this edition.
c. The top 6 (4 for Girls) Junior U20 players from the FIDE Rating List as of January 1st of the current year.
d. World Youth U18 and U16 champions of the year preceding this edition. Additional (extra) players can also be registered. In order to ensure proper tournament standards, all invited players and all additional (extra) players must submit their registrations through their national federations until 12th July 2013 (registration deadline).

In accordance with Fide regulations an entry fee of 70 € (euros) is required for each invited player. This amount must be sent directly to Fide by their National Federation before the event. In accordance with Fide regulations an entry fee of 140 € (euros) is required for each additional (extra) player. This amount must also be sent directly to Fide by their National Federation before the event. For full details read this Fide notification about the World Junior Chess Championship 2013.

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Turkey-Pakistan in Chess Pact for Friendly Chess Exchange

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

Hi everyone,

The Turkish Chess Federation (TCF) and Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) have signed an agreement for promotion and development of chess in Pakistan. Both countries will be playing an annual chess series in Turkey and Pakistan. Besides, TCF will also help Pakistan in coaching and training during their visit to that country. The agreement was signed by TCF Chief Ali Nihat Yazici, who is also a Vice President of World Chess Federation (FIDE), and Director Tariq Rasheed Khan on behalf of Chairman Khurshid Hadi, who is in London.

“Pakistan is a brotherly country and we would be looking forward to their progress in chess with our assistance”, Ali Nihat Yazici, said in a statement. As per the agreement, a 10-member team of men and women with an official will be visiting each other’s country with the host country providing board and lodging and transport during their stay in the country.

“We are absolutely delighted with this agreement,” Tariq said while releasing the details of the agreement on Tuesday. Turkey has over 30 Grandmasters (GM), dozens of International Masters (IM), five foreign coaches and 60,000 chess teachers in schools. “It’s a major breakthrough for us as Turkey is a highly rated country in the world of chess. Exposure against their players will help us in greatly improving our game,” said Mahmood Lodhi, Pakistan’s record 13-time national champion and an IM. “Regularly playing against top Turkish players may help me realise my dream of reaching the GM level,” Lodhi said. IM Shahzad Mirza, who is also a former Secretary General, Chess Federation of Pakistan, said India, Iran, Turkey and Bangladesh had many GMs, but Pakistan had failed to produce one in the last 15 years.

“This agreement for visits of chess teams on yearly basis will provide significant push to the game of chess in Pakistan,” he said.

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Official Website Online Now of 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul

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


Hi everyone,


The official website for the 40th Chess Olympiad is now online. The 40th edition of this great event that brings the world's best chess players together to fight for the 'chess honour' of their country would be held in Istanbul from August 27 to September 101, 2011.


You can access the official website at: http://istanbul2012.tsf.org.tr/en/ The organising committee has started the process for obtaining visas and the website is being updated with all the latest information about the big chess event.

The Chess Olympiad is the principal team contest organised by FIDE. The Olympiad is held regularly at two year intervals in the autumn of the even numbered years (2006, 2008, etc.). 


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