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Lexy Ortega is new Italian Champion |
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Sunday, 06 December 2009 18:42 |
The 69th Italian Chess Championship was held from 23rd November to 4th December, in Sarre, Aosta Valley. Twelve players competed over eleven rounds of berger system for the title of Italian Champion and prize fund of 14.000 EUR.
The exciting race between five-time champion GM Michele Godena and GM Lexy Ortega finished with a shared first place after both had collected 7.5 points. An additional rapid tiebreak (15 min + 5 sec per player) was demanded in order to determinate the 2009 Italian Champion. GM Lexy Ortega won 2-0 and claimed the trophy.
Another tiebreak (round robin, 15 min + 5 sec time control) for the sole third place was played between IM Carlo D’Amore, IM Fabio Bruno and IM Denis Rombaldoni. Carlo D’Amore won and qualified directly for the next year championship.
Final standings (after the tie-breaks):
1. GM Lexy Ortega (Roma) 7.5; 2. GM Michele Godena (Treviso) 7.5; 3. IM Carlo D’Amore (Roma) 6.5; 4-5. IM Fabio Bruno (Fermo) and IM Denis Rombaldoni (Pesaro) 6.5; 6. IM Sabino Brunello (Bergamo) 6.0; 7. GM Daniele Vocaturo (Roma) 5.5; 8. FM Daniele Genocchio (Treviso) 5.0; 9. FM Axel Rombaldoni (Pesaro) 4.5; 10. FM Alessio Valsecchi (Bergamo) 4.0; 11. FM Andrea Stella (Cremona) 3.5; 12. GM Carlo Garcia Palermo (Messina) 3.0
Mr Gianpietro Pagnoncelli, President of the Italian Chess Federation, arrived to Sarre for the prizegiving ceremony. More information on http://www.federscacchi.it/ and http://www.scacchivda.com/
Lexy Ortega was born in Camaguey, Cuba, and learned how to play chess after an injury prematurely ended his Judo career. Only four years later he claimed the Cuban junior championship (1978). Later on, he won more than 40 international tournaments and his trainee Walter Arencibia won the 1986 World junior championship. He also coached the Olympic Team of Mexico, the Olympic Team of San Marino, and most recently the Olympic Women Team of Italy in Dresden 2008.
Ortega lives in Rome, Italy, since 1991, and he was awarded the Grandmaster title in 2000. From 2007 he is Italian citizen. He is married and has two children.
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