Festival Voronezh-2013 is over! Welcome next year!

Festival Voronezh-2013 finished on June 23. The basic festival program was over on June 21, but there were some additional events named Street Chess like simultans, blitz tournaments and quizzes for amateurs.

Two weeks, included six tournaments (Chess960, Rapid, Master Open (Elo >= 2200), FIDE Open (Elo <= 2250), "Sail of Hope" (for handicapped people) and Blitz. More than 250 chess players participated in these 6 tournaments (not including the additional program). Participants came from more than 30 regions of Russia and 9 other countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Spain, India, Afghanistan). There were 25 GMs and more than 40 holders of other international and national titles among them. The competitions were held by a whole team of organizers, referees and technical specialists with team leader GM +IO Alexander Raetsky. The success of festival became possible by a great help of Voronezh Region Governor Alexey Gordeev.

There are some pictures of people who were the most noticeable during festival-2013.

GM Igor Kovalenko (Latvia, 2596) played in Voronezh for the second time. He won both the first festival event (Chess960 tournament) and the main event (Master Open tournament). This is his second victory in Russia Cup stage in a row, he won Nezhmetdinov memorial in Kazan immediately before tne Voronezh festival. Igor also won the third place in Rapid tournament.


Igor Kovalenko

GM Vladimir Onischuk (Ukraine) also played in Voronezh for the second time. Vladimir is the winner both in the Rapid Tournament and in the Blitz tournament. He also achieved the 5th place in Master open that gives the Russia Cup points.


Vladimir Onischuk

Russian GM Oleg Korneev lives now in Spain, he played in Voronezh for the first time. Oleg won the second place in Master Open and the third place in Rapid tournament.


Oleg Korneev

GM Yury Kuzubov (Ukraine) also played in Voronezh for the first time. He won third places in Chess960, Blitz and Master Open.


Yury Kuzubov

There were not so many Russian grandmasters in Voronezh as before because of the overlapping dates of Russian Championship Higher League in Ekaterinburg. The Master Open-2012 winner GM Artur Gabrialian played here only in Chess960 and Rapid tournaments before playing in Ekaterinburg. His wife WFM Anna Kostrikina won the third woman prize in Master Open.



A moment of fight (Chess 960 tournament). All the players on this picture were quite successful in festival-2013.



“Live, play, win!” is the motto of one of festival sponsors.



June 23. IM Sergey Sergienko gives a simultaneous seans to Voronezh amateurs.



TD Alexander Raetsky: “Festival is over, thanks to all, welcome next year!”



We invite all chessplayers to our next festival!

Voronezh-2014 will take place from June 10 to June 21, as usually.

Dmitry Borisenkov

Website: http://vrnchessfestival.org