Bulletin 2 World Cities Team Championship For the Sheikh Zayed Cup

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov visited the second round of the World Cities Chess Team Championship. At the start of the game between GM Grandelius of Lund (SWE) and GM Saleh of Al Ain (UAE) are, from left, FIDE VP Ali Nihat Yazici of Turkey, FIDE Zone President Luxman Wijesuriya of Sri Lanka, Kirsan, Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan, Haroon or Rashid of Bangladesh and FIDE Vice President Mohammed Kambouzia of .

After the second round, there are clear leaders and clear Teams are jockeying for the second qualifying slot or the tail-enders in most groups. This is the result of the system of “best third place”. The top two of each group advance to the the draw which grouped four teams of different rating Round-of-16. So from 6 groups, we get 12 qualifiers. That categories. Now the focus shifts to the race for second and means four more teams will come from the six 3rd placed third place in each group. teams. The leaders of the various groups are Lund, Sweden in Ranking and ties are resolved as follows: Match points, group A; Saratov, Russia in group B; Riga, Latvia in group C Game points, direct encounter (by match points then game and Hoogeven, Netherlands in group F. There are ties for the points) , by two SB systems, by the Berlin System board lead in the other groups between Baku, Azerbaijan and count and as a last resort by playoff. Astana, Kazakhstan in group D and between Paris, France and Read the interesting interview of GMs Anish Giri of The Chicago, USA in group E. Netherlands by Kema Goryeva.

1 In the penultimate round of the Preliminaries, it is clear in Rank Group A 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. most groups who are first and last. Teams are jockeying for 1 Lund - SWE * 2½ 2½ 4 5 the second qualifying slot and the “best third place”. The top 2 London - UK 1½ * 3 2 4½ two of each group advance to the Round-of-16. So from 6 3 Dhaka - BAN 1 * 3 2 4 groups, we get 12 qualifiers. That means four more teams 4 Al Ain - UAE 1½ 1 * 0 2½ will come from the six 3rd placed teams. Ranking and ties are resolved as follows: Rank Group B 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. A. By total match points. 1 Saratov - RUS * 2½ 3 4 5½ 2 Tashkent - UZB * 1½ 3½ 2 5 B. By total game points. 3 Ptuj - SLO 1½ 2½ * 2 4 4 Chennai - IND 1 ½ * 0 1½ C. If a tie again results, the scores obtained by the tying teams against each other will decide, first by match points Rank Group C 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. then by game points. 1 Riga - LAT * 2½ 3½ 4 6 D. If a tie again results, apply Sonnenborn Berger systems: 2 Lviv - UKR * 1 4 2 5 3 Athens - GRE 1½ 3 * 2 4½ - sum of all rounds (weight 1, ½, 0) * total GP of opponent. 4 Canberra - AUS ½ 0 * 0 ½

- sum of all rounds (GP result of round * total GP of Rank Group D 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. opponent). 1 Baku - AZE * 2 3 3 5 2 Astana - KAZ 2 * 2½ 3 4½ E. If a tie again results, it shall be decided by board count (Berlin System) as follows: 3 Istanbul - TUR 1 * 3 2 4 4 Timisoara - ROU 1½ 1 * 0 2½ O win on Board 1 is 4 points o win on Board 2 is 3 points Rank Group E 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. o win on Board 3 is 2 points 1 Paris - FRA * 3 4 4 7 o win on Board 4 is 1 point 2 Chicago - USA * 3 3½ 4 6½ 3 Teheran - IRI 1 1 * 0 2 In case of drawn games these points are shared. 4 Kampala - UGA 0 ½ * 0 ½ If the board-count results in no victory for either side then the board points of Board 4 are cancelled and so on upwards until the tie is Rank Group F 1 2 3 4 MP Pts. broken. 1 Hoogeveen - NED * 2½ 4 4 6½ F. If the tie still results between teams, one player from each 2 Novi Sad - SRB 1½ * 2½ 2 4 team shall play a sudden-death knock out of 6 minutes for 3 Wu Xi - CHN 1½ * 2 1 3½ white and 5 minutes for black. 4 Cairo - EGY 0 2 * 1 2 Monitors are installed for all boards and adorned with the sponsor’s logos. Flags and names of players hang behind from the control tower housing the computer center for live broadcast of moves.

(Clockwise from left) GM vs. GM Niaz Murshed in the match between London, England and Dhaka, Bangladesh; Timisoara, Romania vs. Istanbul, Turkey; GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami vs. GM Varuzhan Akobian in the , Iran match with Chicago, USA. And Paris, France vs. Kampala, Uganda. RR2 Group F Group E Group D Group C Group B Group A . 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 . 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 . 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 . 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 . 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 1 2.2 . 4 2.1 G PpvcDsn 59 G Set a 2614 2663 2667 2720 Smeets Jan GM Sergei Tiviakov GM ½ : ½ Ivan Sokolov GM ½ : ½ 2579 Anish Giri GM 2572 1 : 0 :½ ½ 2614 2633 Dusan Popovic GM 4 Sedlak Nikola GM 3 Milos Perunovic GM 2 Ivanisevic Ivan GM 1 J a 24 0:1 M ztMhmd 2450 2365 2490 2432 EzatMohamed IM Elgabry Mohsen IM Ibrahim Labib Hasan :1 0 IM 0 : 1 2341 ShokerSamy 2103 IM 1 : 0 2424 0 : 1 2696 FangYuxiang Dan Ji 4 LiWenliang IM 3 2 WangYue GM 1 G EletJa 20 1:0 M aiiPui 2522 2426 2476 Pouria Darini IM Morteza Mahjoob GM 2572 :0 1 ½ : ½ Asghar Golizadeh GM 2603 Ghaem Maghami 2498 Ehsan GM :0 1 ½ : ½ 2469 2622 FinegoldBenjamin GM 4 HungaskiAndrew Robert IM 3 Ehlvest Jaan GM 2 AkobianVaruzhan GM 1 C Bbs o 21 0:1 M aduh ihm 2610 2686 2700 HamdouchiHicham GM :1 0 2711 Romain Edouard GM 2218 Vachier-Lagrave FressinetLaurent Maxime GM GM 1 : 0 :1 0 1 : 0 2252 2222 2245 Bob Bibasa CM 4 Wanyama Harold FM SsegwanyiArthur 3 Kawuma Patrick CM 2 1 G MmdvNda 20 ½:½ M osrPvl 2550 2463 2567 2596 IsmagambetovAnuar GM KotsurPavel GM KazhgaleyevMurtas JumabayevRinat :½ ½ GM GM ½ : ½ 2587 :½ ½ ½ : ½ 2602 2626 2647 DurarbayliVasif GM 4 Mamedov Nidjat GM 3 MamedovRauf GM 2 SafarliEltaj GM 1 F SnlVhp 32 G MrnMhi 2564 2618 2628 2541 MarinMihail GM Mircea-Emilian Parligras GM LupulescuConstantin GM 0 : 1 :½ ½ ManolacheMarius GM 2382 0 : 1 2448 :½ ½ 2576 2354 AliMarandiCemil Can FM 4 Sanal Vahap FM 3 CanEmre GM 2 EsenBaris GM 1 I TemainsAdes 44 G Kati atn 2593 2661 2671 FedorchukSergey A. GM KryvoruchkoYuriy 2710 KravtsivMartyn GM GM 0 : 1 :1 0 2561 0 : 1 MoiseenkoAlexander GM 2620 2434 0 : 1 2618 Andreas Tzermiadianos IM 4 HalkiasStelios GM 3 Banikas Hristos GM 2 Ioannis Papaioannou GM 1 G Saott las 48 I Brzn rn 2190 2154 2230 Irina Berezina 2283 IM Zelesco Karl 0 : 1 FeldmanVladimir IM 2468 Christopher Wallis FM ½ : ½ 0 : 1 2534 :0 1 2514 2596 StarostitsIlmars GM 4 SveshnikovEvgeny GM 3 NeiksansArturs GM 2 MiezisNormunds GM 1 F Rjs 27 0:1 M yy gr 2617 2505 2544 2725 IljushinAlexei GM Lysyj Igor ShaposhnikovEvgeny GM GM ½ : ½ TomashevskyEvgeny GM ½ : ½ 2315 1 : 0 2169 1 : 0 2370 2431 KarthikeyanMurali Navalgund Niranjan 4 3 A V Rajesh V FM 2 Shyam Nikil P. IM 1 G Bro lxi 50 G BrskJr 2560 2549 2637 2630 Jure Borisek GM Jure Skoberne Beliavsky Alexander G GM GM 0 : 1 ½ : ½ 1 : 0 LenicLuka GM 2455 2510 2501 -+ : 2530 IuldachevSaidali GM 4 Alexei Barsov GM 3 KvonAndrey IM 2 Dzhumaev Marat GM 1 I Oa omn 36 G Crso ots 2518 2575 2484 2583 CarlssonPontus GM 2419 Tikkanen Hans 1 : 0 2692 GM SmithAxel 2634 GrandeliusNils 2316 IM GM 1 : 0 2515 ZhouYang-Fan ½ : ½ 2378 0 : 1 IM 2252 HowellL W David 2536 GM 1 : 0 ShortNigel D GM WilliamsSimon K GM ½ : ½ 2364 1 : 0 ½ : ½ 2518 KhouriIbrahim Mohamed FM 4 OmarNoaman 2401 2464 IM 3 HassanAbdullah IM 2 Salem A.R.Saleh GM 1 AbuSufian Shakil IM 4 MinhazuddinAhmed IM 3 RahmanZiaur GM 2 MurshedNiaz GM 1 Novi Wu Chicago Kampala Baku Istanbul Athens Riga Chennai Tashkent Al Dhaka A Xi i Sad n - - LAT - - - A - C UAE Bangladesh - - Z GRE - - - - U H T I E S UGA U N ½ 3 3½ ½ U S 2 2 - 2 N R ZB D A ½ ½ 2 1½ 2½ R 3 2 - 2 B 2 1 - 3 2 3 - 1 2 1 - 3 3 1 - 3 ½ ½ 2 1½ 2½ ½ ½ 3 1½ 2½ 3 4 - 0 3 3 - 1 LundSweden - UK - London Teheran - IRI - Teheran FRA - Paris TimisoaraROM - RUS - Saratov SLO - Ptuj Hoogeveen _ NED _ Hoogeveen EGY - Cairo KAZ - Astana UKR - Lviv AUS - Canberra Interview of Anish Giri "The weather conditions make this tournament a partial vacation" The first board of the national team of the Netherlands, - What goals does your team have for this championship? Anish Giri (representing the city of Hoogeveen), answered a Did you somehow dispose yourself to get a place here? few questions after a considerably quick draw against GM Ivanisevic Ivan of Serbia in Round 2 of the World Cities - Of course we are trying to do our best to win the Chess Team Championship in Al Ain, UAE. He looked tournament. But as I said before the knock out format can happy and relaxed. produce hidden surprises and upsets as we are competing against strong opponents. For instance today I played - Anish, tell us about your impressions on the organization against a strong GM, Ivan Ivanisevic of Serbia. Our game of the championship, facilities and hotel in Al Ain? Are you ended in a draw as at some point the position seemed better satisfied? for me, however later this was no longer the case.

- The organization of the tournament is on a high level. I am - Whom do you consider to be the favorites of the happy with my hotel, the food is good, the transportation to championship? and from the playing venue is well organized and the playing venue is fantastic too. The configuration of the team - It is our team from Hoogeveen and the Paris team. playing area is very convenient for players and spectators Definitely there are other teams which cannot be alike. Of course this is one of the strongest tournaments but underestimated such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the USA, thanks to the sun and warm weather I feel like I am on a and Russia. The Swedish team is playing strong as well. But partial vacation. Al Ain is a perfect location for vacationing our team as well as the team from France has more and chess tournaments alike. representatives from the primary national teams. We shall see if that will make the difference. - What do you think about the format of the championship? - Will you prepare now for tomorrow's game? How do you - It looks like you play in the World Team Championship find that rounds begin at 6 pm instead of the traditional 2 or but of the second division, let's say as many of the stronger 3pm? teams did not participate. Regardless, the tournament is still very strong. The knock out format also randomizes the - I have a lot of time tomorrow to prepare for the game teams luck as you never know what will happen tomorrow before the round. I like that I have also time to relax and and who you will meet at the board. Also, I like that there is enjoy the place. Generally I am favorable to tournaments an opportunity for knocked out players to continue playing where the rounds begin in the evening. Unfortunately you chess further in an individual tournament. While this idea is cannot find other strong tournaments scheduled like this. not new, it has not been used since the 1990’s, so for the current generation of chess spectators (and some players) it can be considered a new format. Interview of Murtas Kazhgaleev "I am happy with my performance so far" The first board of the team from Astana, Kazakhstan, GM - From time to time I participate in chess tournaments but Murtas Kazhgaleev, gave a short interview after a draw in primarily I am a chess trainer. Those that I train are somehow Round 2 of the World Cities Chess Team Championship. He is connected to the Junior National team or Women's team of satisfied with the way he is playing so far and with the Kazakhstan. Apart from chess, I try to live an interesting life to tournament in general. fully enjoy it: I learn languages, now I am improving my English and studying Spanish. I also study the Latin dance - Murtas, how do you find the format of the championship? called salsa and enjoy the theatre

- To my mind the format is very interesting and attractive. - Can you give us a brief insight on the games you have already Strong professionals along with the players of a middle level played? participate in one competition. Of course if all 32 teams who were initially scheduled to participate came, it would be more - I have scored two draws so far, against GM Lupulescu of difficult to qualify. As for the chance for the knocked out Romania in the first round and GM Safarli of Azerbaijan in the players to join the individual competition, it is obviously second. Lupulescu is a very strong European grandmaster with psychologically more difficult to play after you are out. I also a strong future ahead of him. Safarli is more famous and he is think that the conditions are not equal for the participants of the younger. Both GM’s belong to the top category of modern Open tournament. The Team and Open tournaments are of a chess professionals. As with many GM’s (and amateur chess different level by all means. But at the end, it is good that there players) it is more interesting to compete against strong players. is such an opportunity so professionals can continue to play In general I am happy with the way I am playing so far. chess. But to my mind it is not fair enough towards the participants of the Open tournament. As for the games, in both rounds the player with the black pieces produced some surprises in their choice of openings. What do you think about the organization of the Yesterday Lupulescu chose the New Indian defence. It was a championship? tough battle and at one point he outplayed me and I had to defend and luckily managed to do it. Today I played with Black - I would say the organization is fantastic and very well and to my mind I surprised Safarli with French defence. I play organized. We like everything: the accommodation, the food, it very rarely, only during big holidays (joking). Last time I and the playing hall. played this variation against Caruano two years ago. I seemed to be prepared better than my opponent and could equal the - Do you feel any difference when playing in a cold or warm game to bring it to a draw. country or do weather conditions not influence your performance? - How do you estimate chances of your team at this championship? - I must confess that the weather is not normal for me this time of year. It is cold now in my country. But in general it does not - The only thing I know is that we only focus on the match in matter to me what the weather is outside. For me it is more front of us. There are strong teams, but in principle, and if luck important to play in the afternoon as I am accustomed to as I is on our side, we are able to fight and deliver positive results. am used to waking up early. So far fortune has favored us as we defeated Romania and drew one of the strongest teams of Azerbaijan. - What do you do now in your life?