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Moscow Open 2010 |
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Thursday, 04 February 2010 22:08 |
 The Moscow Open 2010 is taking place on January 30th - February 7th at the Russian State Social University. The Festival will see approximately 1226 chess players from 30 countries, divided into A, B, C, D, E1, and F group.
"Moscow Open is the major tournament for the Moscow Chess Federation. And despite a difficult economic situation in the country, we managed to keep the prize fund and budget of the festival at the same level," commented Vasiliy Zhukov, the president of Moscow Chess Federation, rector of the Russian State Social University, member of the Russian Academy of Science.
Round six was played on Thursday and five players grouped on the top of the Moscow Open 2010 A crosstable, with 5 points each. GM Dmitry Andreikin drew with GM Viktor Bologan and was joined in the lead by Evgeny Bareev, who scored with black against the top seed Alexander Motylev, Igor Kurnosov, Indian star Krishnan Sasikiran and the ultra-talented GM Le Quang Liem from Vietnam. Top round seven matches are Sasikiran Krishnan - Andreikin Dmitry, Bareev Evgeny - Le Quang Liem and Inarkiev Ernesto - Kurnosov Igor.
 GM Ernesto Inarkiev
Women are competing in their own group, dubbed as Moscow Open 2010 C. Among 140 players, WGM Maria Manakova (SRB 2346), IM Marina Romanko (RUS 2433), WGM Tatiana Grabuzova (RUS 2345), WGM Atousa Pourkashiyan (IRI 2306), IM Salome Melia (GEO 2431), IM Elisabeth Paehtz (GER 2484), GM Zhao Xue (CHN 2504) and WGM Lilit Galojan (ARM 2374) are sharing the lead with 5 points each after six rounds.
Interview with IM Melia Salome, Georgia's new women chess champion, conducted by Yana Melnikova for the official website:
- Salome, how many times did you participate in Moscow Open?
- I’m here for the 3rd time. For the first time I played at the festival in 2005. It was the first year of Moscow Open work, so there was no gender group division. Besides, I was the first among women and reached the norm of male International Master. My second one was in 2008, but I didn’t succeed that time. There was a woman tournament, but I didn’t even get a prize-winning place. At that time I also took part in another Moscow tournament – Aeroflot Open. It’s an interesting competition, but it gets more and more expensive to take part in it without a sponsor.
- What can you say about this festival organization?
- In the whole, everything is good, I like it. The only tip for organizers concerns the Internet. Now we have it in the inn, but there are problems with connection.
- You have become a Georgia champion recently. How important is this achievement to you? And whether or not this fact is going to influence your life?
- For the last 2 years I got only second position at the Georgia Championship. Therefore, I am really happy I managed to win. I hope I would be able to qualify to the national team. Since the past 2 years I was the only candidate for the team - I have been practicing a lot, but at the last moment - I found that I am out of the competition.
 IM Melia Salome
- There are tensions between Russia and Georgia these years. How does it influence on tournaments participation?
- Georgian women didn’t take part in World Championship 2008 in Nalchik. Nowadays there are not big difficulties. But I got a visa to Russia through Swiss Embassy, and flew to Moscow passing Prague.
- Do you have any further tournament plans?
- The next tournament I take part in will be held in Bucharest, Romania, I’ll play round robin women’s tournament "President Cup". Then I have 3 free weeks and Individual Europe Championship in Croatia.
- Chess is your only profession?
- Yes, I’m a professional. Last year I graduated from law department at Batumi State University. This profession was interesting for me but I have never thought about working as a lawyer. I think to do something well, we should do one thing. For me it's chess.
The Festival's venue is one more time the Russian State Social University (RSSU), the only state higher educational establishment in Russia which centers on social field. In accordance with the state license, over 100 000 students obtain higher education in 63 disciplines. More than 22 000 of them study in Moscow, the other - in over 50 branches of RSSU that are located in various regions of Russia and abroad.
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