Archive for November 30th, 2009

GM Alexander Stripunsky, GM-elect Alex Lenderman, IM Bryan Smith & IM/WGM Irina Krush tied for 1st at the National Chess Congress in Philadelphia (11/27-29)

Don Carrelli, who tied for 5th place in the U1800 section, had the best showing among Kenilworth CC members.

Daniel Zhu beat a 1941-rated in the 2nd round, finished =10th in the U1800 &, according to the Ratings Estimator, is now up to 1787!

Here’s how all the Kenilworth guys did :

U2000
Ari Minkov =44th

U1800
Don Carrelli =5th
Daniel Zhu =10th
David Pawlowski =37th
Mike Wojcio =47th

The FIDE Grand Prix was envisioned as “a series of six tournaments in leading world cities.” Many experts predicted its imminent collapse, but the first five were successfully staged, with some difficulty and change of venues. It was just the “leading world cities” bit that did not quite work. Maybe for the sixth edition? You are invited to go on a seek and find mission for the host city.

In a recent FIDE
interview in Khanty-Mansiysk Vassily Ivanchuk, devastated by a loss to 16-year-old
Filipino GM Wesley So, announced that he was giving up professional
chess. We received a lot of feedback on this decision, some urging the great
chess player to reconsider, other calling him a sore loser. Now
Ivanchuk has acted, and it will please the first set. Feedback and retraction.

That’s a good way to start the fourth stage of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk: win the first game with the black pieces. And if you manage it, as Peter Svidler did, against firebrand Alexei Shirov, who was going after your king, so much the better. A number of the other games were drawn without a real fight. But good news: everyone arrived on time, nobody was forfeited. Big illustrated report.

After the first rapid chess tiebreak game Wang Yue and Lie Chao went to the smoking area. An arbiter warned them that their games were starting in three minutes, and then again a minute before the starting gong. But the two arrived two minutes late at the board and lost their games by forfeit. Both were subsequently eliminated. Results, pictures, games and interview.