The Grandmaster from Azerbaijan Shakhriyar Mamedyarov won the title of the World Rapid Chess Champion. In the last day he won 5 games in the row and defeated Ernesto Inarkiev in 15th round. He finished the tournament with 11.5 points out of 15.



The silver medalist is Yan Nepomniachtchi. The Russian Grandmaster was leading after two days 2 points ahead of his competitors. But he lost to Alexander Grischuk in Round 13 and could not bear down the resistance of Alexander Riazantsev in the last round. As a result he is placed second half a point behind the winner.

Alexander Grischuk became the bronze winner with 10.5 out of 15. He made a draw with Nikita Vityugov in Round 15.

The final standings:

1. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 11.5/15
2. Yan Nepomniachtchi – 11/15
3. Alexander Grischuk – 10.5/15
4. Le Liem – 10/15
5-14 – Gadir Guseinov (AZE), Ildar Khairullin (Russia), Dmitry Andreikin (RUS), Sergey Movsesian (ARM), Denis Khismattulin (RUS), Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS), Ivan Cheparinov (BUL), Alexander Riazantsev (RUS), Nikita Vityugov (RUS), Rauf Mamedov (AZE) – 9/15

etc.

The World Rapid Chess Championship was organized by the aegis of FIDE for the second time. The championship took place from 6 to 8 June 2013 in the Ugra Chess Academy of Khanty-Mansiysk. One year ago, in 2012 the Russian Grandmaster Sergey Karjakin became the Winner of the World Rapid Championship in Astana.

The World Blitz Chess Championship 2013 will start on the 9th of June in Khanty-Mansiysk. The Russian Alexander Grischuk will have to defend his title which he got one year ago in Astana.

The award ceremony of the medalists and prize winners in the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships will take place on the 10th of June in Cultural Entertainment Centre “Oktyabr” at 19.30 local time.

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The second day of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk was marked with the confident play of Yan Nepomnyaschiy. The Russian Grandmaster scored 4.5 points during 5 games of the second day, the same result he made during first five rounds. Therefore he is on top of the current standings. Nepomnyaschiy has 9 out of 10 before the last day of rapid chess. The closest competitors – Ildar Khayrullin (Russia) and Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria) – are two points behind and share the second place.

Jan Nepomnyaschiy started the second day by defending his compatriot Alexei Dreev. He continued his victorious March with outplaying Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Boris Grachev (Russia) and Le Quang Liem (Vietnam). He just lost half a point in a game against Dmitry Andreikin.

The famous Russian commentator GM Sergey Shipov said the following on the successful start of Russian player:

“Yan is lucky at the tournament to have three positive factors combined luckily for him, – Shipov thinks. He is in a great shape himself. And plus, his main competitors don’t show their best performance, due to different reasons. Grischuk is keeping secrets in his openings. Ponomariov is not in the best health shape. Dreev is not so young anymore to cope with tough tournament. I was expecting more from Andreikin, but maybe he doesn’t force the preparations, for he has more important tournament ahead – Tal Memorial.

Yan found the right balance between light and deep game. This is very important in rapid chess, where you don’t have a possibility to sink into the depth of the game. He plays very quickly and thinks deeply only in critical moments.

In recent years Nepomnyaschiy was not so successful, but he worked hard and sooner or later the result has to come. In my opinion, he has a great chance to win two golden medals but let`s see what will happen.

Standings after 10 rounds: 1.Yan Nepomnyaschiy – 9 points, 2-3. Ildar Khairullin, Ivan Cheparinov – 7, 4-9. Alexey Dreev (Russia), Vladimir Akopian (Armenia), Vladimir Potkin (Russia), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Sergei Movsesian (Armenia)

The final five rounds of the World Rapid Chess Championship will be held on Saturday, June 8 at 3 p.m. local time.

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The 1st day of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2013 in Khanty-Mansiysk is over. 58 participants from 17 countries started their fights for the chess crown. The first symbolic move on the 1st table was made by Alexey Putin, the vice governor of Ugra in the game between Alexander Grischuk, the current world champion, and Ivan Popov, the champion of Moscow 2012.



After three rounds three grandmasters Yan Nepomnyaschiy, Alexey Dreev from Russia and Francisco Vallejo from Spain were leading on field with 3 out of 3. Nevertheless Nepomnyaschiy became the leader after the 4th round after his victory over Francisco Vallejo. At the mean time Alexey Dreev and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from Azerbaijan were half a point behind. But in the 5th round Nepomnyaschiy and Ildar Khairullin agreed on draw on the 16th move. Dreev outplayed Victor Bologan from Moldavia and caught the leader.



The current situation at the end of the 1st day is as follows 1-2. Nepomnyaschiy, Dreev (both players are from Russia) both have 4,5 points, 3-4. Mamedyarov, Khairullin both have 4 points, 5-12. Alexander Grischuk, Dmitry Andreikin and Vladimir Potkin (all three are from Russia), Victor Bologan (Moldavia), Francisco Vallejo (Spain), Ivan Cheparinov (Bulgaria), Gata Kamsky (USA), Eltaj Safarli (Azerbaijan) all have 3,5 points.



Among the men participants there is a woman chess player, Kateryna Lagno from Ukraine, twice European champion. She made 4 draws but lost against Boris Grachev (Russia) in the 5th round.

6th-10th rounds of the Championship are scheduled on Friday June 7, the 2nd tournament day. World Rapid Championship will be held in the Ugra Chess Academy from 6th till 8th of June. Participants will play 15 games – five games per day. According to the Regulations the time control is 15 minutes till the end of the game plus an additional 10 seconds per move. All monetary prizes are shared equally, in cases of any tied positions.

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The show combined two forms of art – performing art and theater. During the show spectators were able to follow a real chess battle of two kings. The organizers were trying to show that chess is not limited to just 64 squares of the chessboard. It is a whole life, where each of us makes his own moves.

18 flags of participating countries have decorated the stage during the show. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and the head of the Summer Sports Department of Russian Ministry of Sports Grigory Kabelsky were invited to the stage for the opening speech.

“Chess is special in our country. Millions of people love and play chess”, - said Grigory Kabelsky. He wished all the players to have nice and thoughtful games. 

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov noted that the capital of Ugra has been holding big international competitions for 8 years. “We can state the fact that today each chess player knows what is Khanty-Mansiysk and where it is. This city has become the center for the chess development”, stressed the FIDE President. He reminded that 2010 Chess Olympiad held in the Ugorian capital is acknowledged as one of the best organized chess Olympiads.

Then the chief arbiter Andrzej Fillipowicz from Poland was asked to the stage to greet the audience. “It is a great honor to be here in this “chess city” Khanty-Mansiysk. I wish Ugra lots of new big tournaments”, added the arbiter. 

To carry out the drawing procedure the chief arbiter invited the Europian Champion of 2010 Ian Nepomniachtchi to the stage. The Russian grandmaster drew the black pawn for top-seeded Alexander Grischuk who is arriving to Khanty-Mansiysk next morning.

After the official part the opening ceremony was followed by a concert performed by numbers of the best city artists.

For example there were opera singers who performed in the modern way, their singing was meant to set the mood for the tournament. Then young dancers from “Barbariki” dance group cheered up the spectators even more.

There was a song about the chess queen, a splendid saxophone playing, video installations, and national traditional dancing.

Blitz and Rapid chess are considered to be outstanding and dynamic chess show. So was the opening ceremony. And the World Championships are waiting for all the chess players.

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