IM Jens Kristiansen and WGM Galina Strutinskaya are World Senior Chess Champions 2012

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

Hi everyone,

IM Jens Kristiansen and WGM Galina Strutinskaya are 2012 FIDE World Senior Chess Champions, after they won the most prestigious senior title in the world at the WSCC in the 5 star Galini Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece. WGM Strutinskaya from Russia was the defending champion. 

 

IM Kristiansen finished with 9,0/11, half a point ahead of his closest competitors – silver medalist GM Anntoly Vassier and the bronze medalist GM Evgeny Sveshnikov. IM Kristiansen started as 9th seeded in the competition and was held to a draw right from the start in round 1. He quickly recovered and gained speed to achieve 7 wins in the next 9 games, drawing only with the two rating favorites GM Evgeny Sveshnikov in round 5 and GM Anatoly Vaisser in round 9. This left him at the leader’s position for the last 4 rounds, and a draw in the final game against GM Miso Cebalo was enough to confirm the dominance of the Danish player.

 

WGM Galina Strutinskaya got a dramatic title from the World Senior Chess Championship for ladies. She finished with 7,5/11, the same points as the silver medalist WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili and the bronze medalist WGM Elena Fatalibekova, but a better tiebreak brought her the gold medal. WGM Galina Strutinskaya had a rough start after a draw and loss in the 2nd and 3rd round. She quickly recovered with three consecutive, in round 6 she defeated the rating favorite GM Nona Gaprindashvili, however right after that she lost with white her round 7 game against WIM Titorenko. A final sprint of 3,0/4, WGM Galina Strutinskaya caught the leaders and surpassed them on tiebreak. Find the complete standings in the extended post. More details on the official website.

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World Seniors Chess Championship 2012 Leaders: WIM Martina Beltz Leads in Women's Section; GM Anatoly Vaisser, GM Yuri Balashov in Men's Section

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


Hi everyone,

GM Balashov shares the lead in the men's section

WIM Martina Beltz is the new sole leader of the World Seniors Chess Championship for women in the 5 star Galini Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece. She won her round 5 game against WIM Swietlana Miednikova and jumped on clear first position with 4,0/5.The other top board game of the day WFM Ankudinova – GM Gaprondashvili finished draw, and now they are sharing 3rd position with the winners of the round WGM Strutinskaya and WGM Fatalibekova, all with 3,5/5.

In the men’s section of the World Senior Chess Championship the rating favorite GM Anatoly Vaisser defeated with black the leader of R4 IM Zhelnin. The French player is now sharing first with another leader of this round – GM Yuri Balashov, who won with white against GM Nikolai Pushkov. Third position is shared by seven players – IM Vladimir Zhelnin, GM Mihai Suba, GM Evgeny Sveshnikov, GM Vladimir Okhotnik, IM Jens Kristiansen, IM Mehrshad Sharif, and GM Vlastimil Jansa, all with 4,0/5.

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World Senior Chess Championship R5: IM Vladimir Zhelnin Leads

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

Hi everyone,

 

Four rounds have been played at the World Seniors Chess Championship in the 5 star Galini Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece. A very exciting round was played in the men’s section with 43 out of 53 decisive games. IM Vladimir Zhelnin is the new sole leader at the World Seniors Chess Championship. He was one of four players with perfect score before the round. GM Suba – GM Balashov finished draw, while IM Zhelnin defeated with black IM Pritchett and climbed to the top of the table, according to the Chessdom report.

The Russian IM is followed by seven players with 3,5/4. These are GM Yuri Balashov, GM Mihai Suba, GM Anatoly Vaisser, GM Evgeny Sveshnikov, GM Vladimir Okhotnik, IM Jens Kristiansen, and GM Nikolai Pushkov. Tomorrow on board 1 IM Vladimir Zhelnin will meet the rating favorite GM Anatoly Vaisser, the leader will have the white pieces.


The women's section saw a draw on board 1 between the leaders WIM martina Beltz and GM Nona Gaprindashvili. This was used by WIM Swietlana Miednikova and WFM Yelena Ankudinova who on their games against WFM Olga Lopatin and WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili and joined the leaders at the top of the table.

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World Senior Chess Championship 2012 Begins

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

Hi everyone,

Top seed at Senior Women's World Chess Championship 2012: Nona Gapridashvili. 

The latest chess news via Fide, is from the World Seniors Chess Championship 2012. The chess championship is being held in the 5-star Galini Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece. After two rounds 15 players are sharing the lead in the open section, among which the rating favorite GM Anatoly Vaisser. The women section has a sole leader and this is WIM Natalia Titorenko, who is the only women player with perfect score 2,0/2.

Round 2 of the World Senior Chess Championship 2012 was full of surprises. Legendary GMs Nona Gaprndashvili and Evgeny Sveshnikov were both held to draws by WIM Nino Melashvili and untitled Jude Acers. 

In the women's section all three top boards finished in draws, while in the open section GM Vlastimil Jasna was defeated by FM Adrian-Florian Sasu-Ducsoara. GM Vladimir Okhotnik, GM Miso Cebalo, GM Yrjo A. Rantanen, and IM Mehrshad Sharif could not get more than 1/2 points against the solid opposition of IM Nikolaos Skalkotas, FM Giuseppe Valenti, Ismail Dogantug Ahmet, and Anibal Gamboa. To complete the surprises, untitled Hans Dekan, Olegs Batakovs, and Robert Beltz drew with IM Vladimir Karasev, IM Alexander Filipenko, and FM Nils-Ake Malmdin.

On Thursday, sole leader WIM Natalia Titorenko faces with black top seed GM Nona Gaprindashvili. The rating favorite in the men’s section GM Anatoly Vaisser has black against IM Vladimir Stepovoj. 

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World Senior Chess Championship 2012 Begins in Greece Today

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

Hi everyone, 

The World Senior Chess Championships 2012 will be held in the 5-star Galini Wellness Spa & Resort Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece from 13 November to 25 November. It is an 11 round Swiss competition and will feature 109 players in the open section and 21 players in the women section, coming from 39 countries.

The World Senior Chess Championship was established in 1991 by FIDE for participants of 60 years old on 1 January of the year of the event. The World Senior Women Chess Championship is a separate event which requires the participants to be women 50 years old or older. See short history of the World Senior Championship.

Many legends of Chess will participate in this year’s World Seniors Chess Championship, including 12 GMs, 14 IMs, 4 WGMs, and 51 titled players. Live games and daily reports from the World Senior Chess Championships 2012 will be available at the official website of the competition. 

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World Senior Chess Championships 2012 in Kamena Vourla, Greece from Nov 12

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

Hi everyone,

The World Senior Chess Championships 2012 will be held in the 5-star Galini Wellness Spa & Resort Hotel in Kamena Vourla, Greece from 12 November (arrivals) to 25 November (departures). The games will take place in the Congress Center of Galini Wellness Spa & Resort Hotel, the largest and most complete spa resort in Greece!



Galini Wellness Spa is internationally renowned for its thermal springs and their therapeutic qualities, combining the freshness of the mountain and the breeze of the sea.

Close to Athens (190 km to the north), it nestles in a valley of eucalyptus trees, an ideal starting point for extensive walking and tours, for trips to the nearby ski center of Parnassos mountain or for excursions to the Meteora monasteries, Delphi, Thermopiles and many other points of archeological interest.

The total prize fund of the World Senior Championship is 15,000 euros and the event is open to all players representing FIDE national chess federations, regardless of their title or rating, provided that the men participants are born in 1952 or before and that the women participants are born in 1962 or before.

Two months before the start of the games, the number of participants is already rising. Among the players will be the following names:

OPEN SECTION:
GM Vaisser Anatoly FRA 2556
GM Sveshnikov Evgeny LAT 2530
GM Timoscenko Gennadij SVK 2490
GM Jansa Vlastimil CZE 2451
GM Kupreichik Viktor BLR 2434
GM Cebalo Miso CRO 2424
IM Pritchett Craig SCO 2348
FM Sorensen Bent DEN 2305
FM Kunz Konstantin GER 2303
IM Afek Yochanan ISR 2301
Malmdin Nils Ake SWE 2299
Gutkin Boris ISR 2289
IM Piasetski Leon CAN 2285
FM Giulian Philip SCO 2269
Kolbak Jens DEN 2251
IM Lederman Leon ISR 2239
FM Hohler Peter SUI 2201
Kierzek Matthias GER 2191
IM Skalkotas Nikolaos GRE 2185
Agzamov Valeriy UZB 2183
FM Valenti Giuseppe ITA 2180
Dekan Hans GER 2156
Marcio Netto Baeta BRA 2147
FM Tsomis Dimitris GRE 2136
Meizlin Jaacov ISR 2122
White Alastair SCO 2096
Blaushtain Boris ISR 2092
Balaskas Panayotis GRE 2090
Nielsen Poul Erik DEN 2079
Staub Gerhard GER 2074
Fernando de Andres Gonalons ESP 2072
Doubleday William CAN 2071
Kaloskambis Mihail GRE 2053
Borwell Alan SCO 2038
McKerracher Douglas SCO 2034
Guaglianone Mario ITA 2027
Patola Eeri FIN 1947
Maman Emanuel ISR 1932
Voon Richard AUS 1905
Haupt Joachim GER 1864
Parham Bernard USA 1859
Rave Avraham ISR 1838
Scholtyssek Verner GER 1828
Filzmaier Bruno AUT 1826
Gunter Andreas AUT 1826
Juhani Pitkänen FIN 1763
Rahmany Behrouz IRI 1736
Lachat Martin SUI 1683
Altykenov Toleugali KAZ 1589
Stronbousch Frank GER
Maheux Pierre CAN
etc.

WOMEN'S SECTION:
GM Gaprindashvili Nona GE0 2356
WIM Fomina Tatyana EST 2224
WGM Khmiadashvili Tamar GEO 2133
WIM Melashvili Nino GEO 2168
WFM Kierzek Mira FYROM 2018
Tsynkangova Enni UZB 1885
and others.

Here's an interesting fact: IM Leon Piasetski has participated back in 1971 in the World Junior Championship in Greece and now, 41 years later, he plays in the World Senior Championship again in Greece!

The deadline for registrations is Monday 1 October 2012. More details can be found in the official website http://www.worldseniors2012.org or by contacting IO Nikos Kalesis: tel. (+30) 6938326161, fax: (+30) 2641500112 or by email: worldseniors2012@gmail.com.

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