2015 World Chess Cup (Baku, Azerbaijan)
The opening ceremony of the 2015 World Chess Cup officially opened the championship qualifier. One-hundred and twenty eight players have arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan carrying their flags to compete for a chance and glory… and perhaps a chance at competing in the World Candidate’s tournament in March 2016. According to fide.com,
The players, official and guests were greeted by Dr. Elman Rustamov, Governor of Azerbaijan Central Bank and President of Azerbaijan Chess Federation, Mr. Intigam Babayev, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, and Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of FIDE. The programme also included beautiful promotional videos, a chess-themed ballet dance, and a song by Azerbaijani Eurovision contestant.
There was of course a drawing of lots resulting in Veselin Topalov starting with the white pieces. A number of the top players were on hand including eight of the players from the recently-ended Sinquefield Cup. Vladimir Kramnik won the 2013 World Chess Cup in Tromso, Norway and will be on hand to vie for another chance at the the world crown. Viswanathan Anand is has automatic seeding in the Candidates and is the only top player not competing in the event. It should be an exciting!
The total prize fund is $1,600,000 (about €1,400,000) and the winner and runner up will qualify to the 2016 Candidates tournament to determine who will compete in the World Cup. Each of the matches will comprise of two game matches, plus tiebreaks, if necessary. The last standing after the previous rounds will enter a seventh round of four games, plus tiebreaks if necessary. Players receive 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting from move one.
Video by Big in Baku
Official Website: https://www.bakuworldcup2015.com/
All PGN Games (TWIC): https://www.theweekinchess.com/
Rules and Regulations: https://www.fide.com/
Impressive effort from Adu vs this guy topy so i would like to say congratulations to a very talented chess player! perhaps you will win next time! and as an ULTRAMODERNIST my hope is you will LEARN from this brief encounter!!!
Saturday, 12 September 2015
Several favorites through, but massive tiebreaks loom
The personable Deysi Cori of Peru had the unenviable task of facing Vladimir Kramnik. No upset, but it was good to see her battle. Deysi is one who plays against the strongest competition available to her and has earned 6-7 IM norms. She has qualified for the World Cup twice being the only woman since Judit Polgar to do so in a qualifying tournament. She’s certainly all grown up now from the girl we saw at the 2004 Olympiad!
“Knockout” tournaments are known as the most exciting because of the tension and excitement. The style of chess is combative since won games can most certainly clinch a match. It is also a tournament where there are bound to be a few upsets. There were a few, but for the most part, it was business as usual and the heavy favorites basically gave lessons.
While most of the favorites were able to get past their clients, there were a few who ended up leaving the tournament early. Those leaving are Ni Hua (China), Gata Kamsky (USA) and Surya Ganguly (India). S.P. Sethuraman crushed Sanan Sjugirov in an unexpected romp. Leinier Dominguez was nearly sent packing by Argentina’s Federico Ponsa who brutally mated him in the first game and was probably drawing in the second.
Cuba’s Leinier Dominguez has a second lease on life after an instructive win in second game.
Arthur Ssegwanyi got his 15 minutes of fame after the draw yesterday and also got words of support from the Uganda Chess Federation in a press release…
Indeed the Ugandan had no fear and had another tense battle with Anish Giri. It appeared the African would be able to hold the position in the middlegame but decided to give up both rooks for a queen. Despite the queen’s mobility, Giri’s two white rooks dominated the black queen and Ssegwanyi was unable to untangle his king from mating patterns. He resigned and enjoyed a lively post-mortem with the world #6 player. It was a good showing for the Ugandan. He was interviewed shortly after his game. Here is what he has to say…
Perhaps there will be more to come from African players. While the others bowed out with straight losses, Bassem Amin became the first player from the African continent of Africa to advance to the second round in a FIDE World Cup. Hichem Hamdouchi made it to the second round of the FIDE Knockout in 2004. Of course Amin is the African champion and a proper Grandmaster at over 2600 and will perhaps make his breakthrough for Egypt.
Egyptian Grandmaster Bassem Amin advances!
Photos by Eteri Kublashvili (for FIDE).
There were a number of other interesting games resulting in tragic endings. The woman’s champion Mariya Muzychuk seemed to be heading toward another draw with Michael Adams when she lost the thread on the position, lost track of the tactics and dropped a heart-breaking game.
Michael Adams has played 43…e3 setting a vicious trap. Muzychuk has a resource of 44.Bc1! and after 44…Bf3+ 45.Kxf3 Rxf2+ 46.Ke4 the e3-pawn will fall while white begins pushing passed pawns Easy draw. Muzychuk blundered with 44.Rf4 Bc4+ 45.Rg4 Rf2! and got her king and rook tangled into a net.
Certainly the three women who participated gave their best and Hou Yifan still has a chance to advance against Brazil’s Rafael Leitao, but it may take awhile before women make a deep impact as long as they are content with playing primarily in the women’s cycle. Hopefully, women players will find a way to support playing more competitive environments to improve their standard. It is good to see Deysi Cori compete against the strongest competition in Latin America (with 6-7 IM norms) and perhaps these experiences will find her among the elite in the region, men or women!
Chessdrummas are they talkin about what they LEARNIN from my funny knight trick? hehe.
Ultrawow, didnt hear bout this one, thanks Chessdrum, ole Naka went wit da trickie 2handed slam dunk!!! lol