Tata Steel A Tatasteelchess 2013
Carlsen, M won by 1.5 pts. with a final score of 10/13. Leko finished with 7.5/13.

Leko(l)-Carlsen(r)

Photo -Tatasteelchess Gallery day7

		Score	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1	Carlsen, M.	10.0 / 13	X	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	1
2	Aronian, L.	8.5 / 13	½	X	0	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	1
3	Anand, V.	8.0 / 13	½	1	X	½	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	½
4	Karjakin, S.	8.0 / 13	0	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1
5	Leko, P.	7.5 / 13	½	0	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1
6	Nakamura, H.	7.0 / 13	0	0	½	½	½	X	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½
7	Harikrishna, P.	6.5 / 13	0	½	½	½	½	½	X	1	½	1	0	½	½	½
8	Giri, A.	6.0 / 13	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	X	½	½	0	1	½	½
9	Wang, H.	6.0 / 13	½	0	1	0	½	0	½	½	X	0	1	½	1	½
10	van Wely, L.	6.0 / 13	0	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	X	½	1	1	1
11	Hou, Y.	5.5 / 13	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	1	0	½	X	½	½	1
12	Caruana, F.	5.0 / 13	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	X	1	1
13	L'Ami, E.	4.0 / 13	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	0	X	½
14	Sokolov, I.	3.0 / 13	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	0	½	X

Tata Steel B
Naiditsch, A(GER) and Rapport, R(HUN) shared first with 9/13.

Group B

Photo Tatasteelchess Gallery year 2013 day10

		Score	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1	Naiditsch, A.	9.0 / 13	X	1	1	½	½	½	1	0	1	0	1	½	1	1
2	Rapport, R.	9.0 / 13	0	X	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	½	1	1	1
3	Smeets, J.	8.5 / 13	0	1	X	½	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	1	½	1
4	Movsesian, S.	8.5 / 13	½	0	½	X	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	1
5	Dubov, D.	7.5 / 13	½	½	½	½	X	0	1	1	0	½	½	1	½	1
6	Edouard, R.	7.0 / 13	½	0	0	0	1	X	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	0
7	Timman, J.	7.0 / 13	0	0	1	½	0	½	X	½	½	0	1	1	1	1
8	Tiviakov, S.	6.5 / 13	1	0	½	½	0	0	½	X	½	1	½	1	1	0
9	Turov, M.	6.0 / 13	0	½	0	0	1	½	½	½	X	½	½	½	½	1
10	van Kampen, R.	5.5 / 13	1	½	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	X	0	0	½	1
11	Grandelius, N.	4.5 / 13	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	1	X	0	1	0
12	Nikolic, P.	4.5 / 13	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	1	X	0	1
13	Ipatov, A.	4.0 / 13	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	1	X	½
14	Ernst, S.	3.5 / 13	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	½	X

Gibraltar Tradewise

Results are well covered in other parts of the blog.

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd8 Standings by Country

Hungary
GM Hoang continues not to make draws and now has 5/8 after winning her last game.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	5	6	7	8	Pts.
52	GM	Hoang Thanh Trang	2469	HUN	0	1	0	1	5
91	WGM	Rudolf Anna	2312	HUN	0	½	½	½	3.5
214		Lochte Szilvia	1923	HUN	½	1	0	0	2.5

Canada
IM Piasetski won and now has 4.5/8.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	5	6	7	8	Pts.
93	IM	Piasetski Leon	2310	CAN	½	½	½	1	4.5
185		Fairbairn Stephen	2021	CAN	½	0	½	0	3
209		Agbabishvili Lali	1954	CAN	0	1	1	½	3.5

USA

Kamsky is the top American with 6.5/8. Ehlvest has won his last two games and now has 6/8.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	5	6	7	8	Pts.
2	GM	Kamsky Gata	2740	USA	½	1	1	½	6.5
22	GM	Ehlvest Jaan	2603	USA	0	½	1	1	6
46	IM	Zatonskih Anna	2491	USA	1	0	½	0	4.5
189		Hutton Jack	2017	USA	0	0	1	1	3.5
226		Kang Leo J	1814	USA	0	1	1	0	3

England

GM Short Nigel just keeps winning and now has a share of first with 7/8.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	5	6	7	8	Pts.
10	GM	Short Nigel D	2690	ENG	1	1	1	1	7
3	GM	Adams Michael	2725	ENG	½	1	½	½	6
17	GM	Jones Gawain C B	2632	ENG	1	½	½	0	5.5
34	GM	Gordon Stephen J	2533	ENG	0	½	½	1	5.5
60	IM	Trent Lawrence	2429	ENG	0	1	0	1	5
121		Spence David J	2226	ENG	1	½	1	½	5
57	IM	Zhou Yang-Fan	2439	ENG	1	½	0	½	4.5
63	IM	Houska Jovanka	2416	ENG	1	½	1	0	4.5
73	IM	Quillan Gary	2398	ENG	0	½	½	1	4.5
113	FM	Storey Charles H	2245	ENG	½	1	1	0	4.5
140		Byron Alan M	2167	ENG	1	1	½	1	4.5
99		Chapman Terry P D	2292	ENG	0	1	½	0	4
118	FM	Lyell Mark	2235	ENG	0	1	1	1	4
130		O`toole George E	2204	ENG	½	1	1	1	4
150		Burrows Martin P	2153	ENG	0	1	0	1	4

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd8 Standings

Overall
Vitiugov Nikita and Short Nigel share the lead with 7/8 with three players close behind at 6.5/8. Short has won all his games since his rd2 loss.

White to Play
This game ended suddenly. What did white play?

14...Nf5

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	RUS	2694	7
2	GM	Short Nigel D	ENG	2690	7
3	GM	Kamsky Gata	USA	2740	6.5
4	GM	Yu Yangyi	CHN	2688	6.5
5	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	FRA	2711	6.5
6	GM	Le Quang Liem	VIE	2705	6
7	GM	Adams Michael	ENG	2725	6
8	GM	Georgiev Kiril	BUL	2643	6
9	GM	Ivanchuk Vassily	UKR	2758	6
10	GM	Iturrizaga Eduardo	VEN	2650	6
11	GM	Navara David	CZE	2710	6
12	GM	Salgado Lopez Ivan	ESP	2606	6
13	GM	Ehlvest Jaan	USA	2603	6
14	GM	Sandipan Chanda	IND	2590	6
15	IM	Oparin Grigoriy	RUS	2478	6
16	GM	Shirov Alexei	LAT	2708	6
17	GM	Fridman Daniel	GER	2667	6
18	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	GEO	2555	6
19	GM	Felgaer Ruben	ARG	2557	6
20	IM	Ibarra Jerez Jose Carlos	ESP	2538	6
21	GM	Muzychuk Anna	SLO	2582	6
22	GM	Zhao Xue	CHN	2554	6
23	GM	Vazquez Igarza Renier	ESP	2565	6

GM Kallai,G on Chessbase

Gabor Kallai: Portrait of a Dedicated Chess Worker
A faboulous report by Diana Mihajlova Chessbase-Kallai 2013-01

GM Kallai

Photo-Chessbase article

'A festive meal with a friend in Budapest, GM Gabor Kallai, turned into a heartfelt story about chess, arts and talent. 30 years involved first-hand in the workings of chess in Hungary in many-faceted duties – as a chess competitor, trainer, coach, captain, arbiter, organiser, writer, media reporter, Radio and TV commentator, PR and technical director within the Chess Federation…summed in one word - a ‘chess specialist’, Gabor has a lot to say. His talk is an honest, personal observation filled with both enthusiasm and criticism..

He appears like a sole crusader trying to warn, in no mild terms, that no excuses are acceptable where the recognition and pride of the nation is at stake, but a right, rigorous professional environment must be created for the national team, where considerations of human nature, like children, luck of time etc., are not acceptable. ‘You can either make it by dedicating yourself fully as a player or not.’  

He points also to another worrying trend: worthy players of the Hungarian chess elite,  both men and women and former Olympic players, are abandoning their chess profession, because they are disillusioned and see no creative environment or any sort of stimulation. 

Among the latest ‘drop outs’, the most painful is that of GM Zoltan Gyimesi (2674), a 35 year old Olympic player, 75th in the world. Another example is IM/WGMs Szidonia Wajda and Ildiko Madl, both former women champions and Olympic players who choose not to be part of the selected team. 

This apathy becomes obvious at the sight of the dented start-list of the Hungarian championships. What is even more worrying is the Hungarian Federation’s indifference at seeing them go without any reaction...(more)'

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd6-GM Hoang(HUN)

Here is GM Hoang's rd6 win.

Hoang eventually ground out the win in a RRB-RRN ending that black came close to saving.

Hoang,Thanh Trang (2469) - Palencia,Wilson (2282)

4.e3 a6[D12]

Tradewise Gibratar Chess Festival 2013  (6.32), 27.01.2013

Position 1
White wants to push the a-pawn but cannot. What do you suggest for white now?

White to Play

51...Rc7

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd5-GM Hoang(HUN)

Here is Hoang's rd5 game against Shirov.

Shirov,Alexei (2708) - Hoang,Thanh Trang (2469)

Slav 4.e3 Bf5[D12]

Tradewise Gibratar Chess Festival 2013(5.13), 26.01.2013

Position 1
Black has just decentralized the knight with 15...Nh7. How should white react?

White to Play

15...Nh7

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd7 Standings

Overall Gibraltarchesscongress 2013
GM Vitiugov Nikita takes the overall lead with a massive 6.5/7. Le Quang Liem, Kamsky Gata and Short Nigel D are 2-4th with 6/7. Short has been piling up the wins after his early upset loss.

GM Le Quang Liem
Photo-from tournament website

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	RUS	2694	6.5
2	GM	Le Quang Liem	VIE	2705	6
3	GM	Kamsky Gata	USA	2740	6
4	GM	Short Nigel D	ENG	2690	6
5	GM	Adams Michael	ENG	2725	5.5
6	GM	Jones Gawain C B	ENG	2632	5.5
7	GM	Ivanchuk Vassily	UKR	2758	5.5
8	GM	Navara David	CZE	2710	5.5
9	GM	Tkachiev Vladislav	FRA	2650	5.5
	GM	Georgiev Kiril	BUL	2643	5.5
11	GM	Yu Yangyi	CHN	2688	5.5
12	GM	Vachier-Lagrave Maxime	FRA	2711	5.5
13	GM	Salgado Lopez Ivan	ESP	2606	5.5
14	GM	Sandipan Chanda	IND	2590	5.5
15	GM	Shirov Alexei	LAT	2708	5.5
16	GM	Fridman Daniel	GER	2667	5.5
17	IM	Oparin Grigoriy	RUS	2478	5.5
18	GM	Zhao Xue	CHN	2554	5.5
19	GM	Iturrizaga Eduardo	VEN	2650	5
20	GM	Ehlvest Jaan	USA	2603	5
21	GM	Al-Sayed Mohammed	QAT	2507	5
22	GM	Wojtaszek Radoslaw	POL	2723	5
23	GM	Dzagnidze Nana	GEO	2555	5
24	GM	Felgaer Ruben	ARG	2557	5
25	IM	Muzychuk Mariya	UKR	2471	5
26	IM	Larino Nieto David	ESP	2497	5
27	IM	Ibarra Jerez Jose Carlos	ESP	2538	5
28	IM	Gunina Valentina	RUS	2490	5
29	GM	Muzychuk Anna	SLO	2582	5
30	IM	Kjartansson Gudmundur	ISL	2408	5
31	IM	Nezad Husein Aziz	QAT	2394	5
32	GM	Cramling Pia	SWE	2518	5
33	IM	Tania Sachdev	IND	2403	5
34	GM	Vazquez Igarza Renier	ESP	2565	5
35	WGM	Dolzhikova Olga	NOR	2239	5

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd7 Standings-by Country

For more info see Gibraltarchesscongress 2013(All photos are from the nice gallery at the tournament website)

Hungary
GM Hoang lost and stays at 4pts. Rudolf made another draw and now has 3/7.

GM Hoang

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	4	5	6	7	Pts.
52	GM	Hoang Thanh Trang	2469	HUN	1	0	1	0	4
91	WGM	Rudolf Anna	2312	HUN	½	0	½	½	3
214		Lochte Szilvia	1923	HUN	0	½	1	0	2.5

Canada
Piasetski and Fairbairn both drew.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	4	5	6	7	Pts.
93	IM	Piasetski Leon	2310	CAN	½	½	½	½	3.5
185		Fairbairn Stephen	2021	CAN	1	½	0	½	3
209		Agbabishvili Lali	1954	CAN	0	0	1	1	3

USA
Kamsky and Ehlvest both won and have 6/7.

GM Ehlvest

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	4	5	6	7	Pts.
2	GM	Kamsky Gata	2740	USA	1	½	1	1	6
22	GM	Ehlvest Jaan	2603	USA	½	0	½	1	5
46	IM	Zatonskih Anna	2491	USA	1	1	0	½	4.5
189		Hutton Jack	2017	USA	1	0	0	1	2.5
226		Kang Leo J	1814	USA	0	0	1	1	3

Enlgand
Short is now the leading English player with 6/7. FM Lyell won his last 2 games and has moved up to 3/7.

GM Short-frequent visitor to Canada

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	4	5	6	7	Pts.
10	GM	Short Nigel D	2690	ENG	1	1	1	1	6
3	GM	Adams Michael	2725	ENG	½	½	1	½	5.5
17	GM	Jones Gawain C B	2632	ENG	½	1	½	½	5.5
34	GM	Gordon Stephen J	2533	ENG	1	0	½	½	4.5
63	IM	Houska Jovanka	2416	ENG	0	1	½	1	4.5
113	FM	Storey Charles H	2245	ENG	0	½	1	1	4.5
121		Spence David J	2226	ENG	1	1	½	1	4.5
57	IM	Zhou Yang-Fan	2439	ENG	0	1	½	0	4
60	IM	Trent Lawrence	2429	ENG	1	0	1	0	4
99		Chapman Terry P D	2292	ENG	½	0	1	½	4
73	IM	Quillan Gary	2398	ENG	½	0	½	½	3.5
140		Byron Alan M	2167	ENG	0	1	1	½	3.5
149	CM	Walton Alan J	2153	ENG	1	0	½	1	3.5
118	FM	Lyell Mark	2235	ENG	0	0	1	1	3
130		O`toole George E	2204	ENG	½	½	1	1	3
136		Jaunooby Ali R	2178	ENG	0	1	0	0	3
150		Burrows Martin P	2153	ENG	1	0	1	0	3
162		Cawley Paul F	2113	ENG	0	1	0	½	3
184		Hamer Martyn	2025	ENG	0	1	0	1	3
192		Hackner Oskar A	2015	ENG	0	1	½	½	3
211		Tranter Stephen	1938	ENG	0	0	½	½	3

Washington U Chess Club at Pan Am Ch 2012

Division II Champions Studlife Division-ii-championship
'Harvard? Cornell? Neither Ivy League institution put up much of a fight against the Washington University Chess Club in its most recent major tournament.

Vic Feldberg (left) and Mark Heimann compete in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships in Princeton, N.J. From Dec. 27-30

Photo Studlife Chess-club-wins-division-II-championship

In its fourth year of existence and third year competing, the University’s ‘A’ team captured the Division II championship title for its best ever finish at the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships, held in Princeton, N.J. from Dec. 27-30. The victory earned the chess club a trophy and $125 in prize money.

“This year, [our ‘A’ team] just played extremely well and consistently well,” chess club president, junior Jason Zhang said.

In addition to the team title, sophomore Mark Heimann finished as the second most successful player in the tournament with four wins and a draw in six matches.

“The competition was quite stiff, but I think that was true for all of us,” Heimann said. “A number of the teams we faced had internationally titled players even on their lower boards. I am pleased with my individual result and am definitely glad to turn out a solid performance, but I’m more excited about the strong performances of my other teammates that led to us netting the Division II prize.”

The tournament was seeded by assigning each player on each team an overall rating; teams with the highest overall ratings compete in Division I. Wash. U.’s ‘A’ team held a rating of 2,181, just 19 points below the Division I cut-off of 2,200.

The Division I championship ended in a five-way split for first, with the University of Texas-Dallas ‘A’ team receiving top honors after a tie-breaker.

In the tournament, each team plays six matches against various other teams, followed by four players facing each other head-to-head. A win is awarded one point, a draw is given half of a point and no points are awarded for a loss. The team that totals the most points in the matchups is given one point in the overall competition. The team with the most overall points wins the championship.

The Bears defeated the University of Utah, Princeton University’s ‘C’ team, Harvard University’s ‘A’ team and Cornell University, and fell to Webster University’s team of Grandmasters and University of Maryland-Baltimore County’s team, rated at 2,512, to accumulate four points. 

A final-round sweep of Harvard sent the Washington University team back to St. Louis with the trophy and check.(more)'

Top 5 Things to See in Budapest(Non-Chess)

I gotta go out more.
Too much chess.

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd4 -Fairbairn(CAN)

Here is Fairbairn's rd4 win. 

White obtained a slight edge in a QN-QB position and ground out the win after some adventures for a good result.

Fairbairn,Stephen (2021) - Marttala,Thomas (2217)

1.d4 with Nc3-Bf4[A48]

Tradewise Gibratar Chess Festival 2013  (4.80), 25.01.2013

Position 1
White the good knight vs bad bishop in a QN-QB configuration. What do you suggest for white now?

White to Play

27...Bf5

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd2-Fairbairn(CAN)

Here is Stephen Fairbairn's(CAN) rd2 game. White tried the solid London System and ran into a wall.

Fairbairn,Stephen (2021) - Cramling,Pia (2518)

London vs Queen’s Indian[A47]

Tradewise Gibratar Chess Festival 2013  (2.70), 23.01.2013

Position 1
The endgame has arrived. White has active minor pieces but black has the favorable pawn structure. What do you suggest for black?

Black to Play

24.Nxe4

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd6 Standings

Overall Gibraltarchesscongress 2013
Le Quang Liem,Vitiugov and Georgiev share the lead with 5.5/6. After a tough start, Short is only half a point off the pace in a large group with 5/6. IM Larino Nieto, David(ESP) is the only non-GM with 5pts.

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Pts.
1	GM	Le Quang Liem	VIE	2705	5.5
2	GM	Vitiugov Nikita	RUS	2694	5.5
3	GM	Georgiev Kiril	BUL	2643	5.5
4	GM	Adams Michael	ENG	2725	5
5	GM	Navara David	CZE	2710	5
	GM	Iturrizaga Eduardo	VEN	2650	5
7	GM	Jones Gawain C B	ENG	2632	5
8	GM	Ivanchuk Vassily	UKR	2758	5
9	GM	Kamsky Gata	USA	2740	5
10	GM	Tkachiev Vladislav	FRA	2650	5
11	GM	Salgado Lopez Ivan	ESP	2606	5
12	GM	Shirov Alexei	LAT	2708	5
13	GM	Short Nigel D	ENG	2690	5
14	IM	Larino Nieto David	ESP	2497	5

Canada
Piasetski continues to make draws and now has 3/5.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	3	4	5	6	Pts.
93	IM	Piasetski Leon	2310	CAN	½	½	½	½	3
185		Fairbairn Stephen	2021	CAN	1	1	½	0	2.5
209		Agbabishvili Lali	1954	CAN	1	0	0	1	2

Hungary
GM Hoang got back onto the winning track and now has 4/6.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	3	4	5	6	Pts.
52	GM	Hoang Thanh Trang	2469	HUN	0	1	0	1	4
91	WGM	Rudolf Anna	2312	HUN	0	½	0	½	2.5
214		Lochte Szilvia	1923	HUN	1	0	½	1	2.5

USA
Kamsky is the top American with 5/6.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	3	4	5	6	Pts.
2	GM	Kamsky Gata	2740	USA	1	1	½	1	5
22	GM	Ehlvest Jaan	2603	USA	1	½	0	½	4
46	IM	Zatonskih Anna	2491	USA	0	1	1	0	4
189		Hutton Jack	2017	USA	0	1	0	0	1.5
226		Kang Leo J	1814	USA	½	0	0	1	2

England
Adams, Short and Jones are the top English players with 5/6.

GM Jones has a nice blog Gawainjones.

SNo		Name	Rtg	FED	3	4	5	6	Pts.
3	GM	Adams Michael	2725	ENG	1	½	½	1	5
10	GM	Short Nigel D	2690	ENG	1	1	1	1	5
17	GM	Jones Gawain C B	2632	ENG	1	½	1	½	5
34	GM	Gordon Stephen J	2533	ENG	1	1	0	½	4
57	IM	Zhou Yang-Fan	2439	ENG	½	0	1	½	4
60	IM	Trent Lawrence	2429	ENG	0	1	0	1	4
63	IM	Houska Jovanka	2416	ENG	1	0	1	½	3.5
99		Chapman Terry P D	2292	ENG	1	½	0	1	3.5
113	FM	Storey Charles H	2245	ENG	1	0	½	1	3.5

Gibraltar Tradewise 2013 Rd3-GM Hoang(HUN)

Here is GM Hoang's rd3 game.

White played a tremendous attacking game using 1.Nf3 f5 2.d3!? against the Dutch. This poisonous line had already been recommended by Kindermann in his 2005 book on the Leningrad System.

Swiercz,Dariusz (2627) - Hoang,Thanh Trang (2469)

Dutch Defence[A80]

Tradewise Gibraltar Masters Gibraltar (3.12), 24.01.2013

Position 1
White has a lead in development and the natural plan is to attack. How should white proceed?

White to Play

11...gh