Tomashevsky and Goriachkina Are Russia's Chess Champions

The Russian Championship Superfinals, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, were over in Chita on August 20.

In the men's tournament, Igor Lysyj defeated Vladislav Artemiev. The games Tomashevsky – Svidler, Jakovenko – Karjakin, Vitiugov – Khairullin, Dubov – Motylev, and Khismatullin – Bukavshin were drawn.

The Saratov grandmaster Evgeny Tomashevsky became the Russian champion with 7.5 points out of 11. The silver medal went to the Muscovite Sergei Karjakin, who scored 7 points. The bronze winner, Nikita Vitiugov from St. Petersburg, lagged half a point behind.

In the women's section, Ekaterina Kovalevskaya beat Alexandra Kosteniuk, Valentina Gunina defeated Natalia Pogonina, Anastasia Savina got the upper hand over Evgenija Ovod, and Marina Guseva outplayed Alina Kashlinskaya. Alexandra Goriachkina defended a difficult position in a game with Kateryna Lagno, and their game ended in a draw. Anastasia Bodnaruk and Olga Girya had a draw too.

Alexandra Goriachkina (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug) became the Russian champion with 8 points out of 11. Anastasia Bodnaruk (St. Petersburg) and Alexandra Kosteniuk (Moscow) had 7 points each; Bodnaruk became the second through additional tie-breakers.

Final standings:

Men:

1. Tomashevsky – 7.5; 2. Karjakin – 7; 3. Vitiugov – 6.5; 4-7. Artemiev, Jakovenko, Dubov, Khismatullin – 5.5 each; 8-10. Bukavshin, Lysyj, Svidler – 5 each; 11-12. Khairullin, Motylev – 4 each.

Women:

1. Goriachkina – 8; 2-3. Bodnaruk, Kosteniuk – 7 each; 4-5. Kovalevskaya, Gunina – 6.5 each; 6. Lagno – 6; 7-8. Savina, Girya – 5.5 each; 9. Pogonina – 4; 10-11. Ovod, Kashlinskaya – 3.5 each; 12. Guseva – 3.

Konstantin Ilkovsky, governor of Zabaykalsky Krai, and Anatoly Karpov, the 12th world champion, deputy of the Russian State Duma and vice president of the Russian Chess Federation, welcomed everyone at the closing.

Ilkovsky noted that hundreds of chess fans had taken autographs from the famous players during the Superfinal.

"I hope that these fourteen days of the Superfinal will stay in the memory of Zabaykalsky Krai people. One of the main goals that we set for ourselves was to bring chess in the regions to a new level, so that parents want their children to play chess and be successful people. I think we have achieved this."

The Zabaykalsky Krai governor also expressed gratitude to the Russian Chess Federation for the opportunity to hold the Superfinal in Chita and wished the participants further victories.

Anatoly Karpov: "The Superfinal is a competition of the highest level. I congratulate the champions on the well-deserved victory. It is nice that the tournament was held in the Zabaykalsky Krai for the first time, and it is also good that other competitions were held during the Superfinal. It is important to point out the initiative and perseverance of the Zabaykalsky Krai leadership in their aspiration to have the Russian Championship in Chita. The Superfinal has never been held so far to the east yet, and I think that the Russian Chess Federation made the right choice. And, of course, holding the Superfinal in Chita will contribute to chess development in the regions. I hope that Zabaykalsky Krai will have its own champions." Alexander Tkachev, deputy executive director of the Russian Chess Federation: "I want to share a small secret: after we received the invitation to hold the Superfinal in Chita, we didn't doubt for a minute that everything would be organized in the Zabaykalsky Krai at the highest level. A great thanks goes to Governor of the Zabaykalsky Krai Konstantin Ilkovsky and the entire organizing committee for your love of chess. I congratulate everyone on this chess feast, which is unfortunately nearing its end."

The tournament results were summed up by its chief arbiter, International Arbiter Anatoly Bykhovsky. The medalists and winners were awarded by Anatoly Karpov, Alexander Tkachev, and Konstantin Ilkovsky.

All tournament participants received presents from the organizers.

***

The Russian Championship Superfinals were held by the Russian Chess Federation, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation, with support from the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The competition partners were Norilsk Nickel and the Baikalsk Mining Company.

The tournaments' total prize fund reached 8 million rubles.

As became a tradition at these tournaments, the organizers prepared an extensive additional program for chess lovers of any age.

The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/ 

Tomashevsky and Goriachkina Lead Before Superfinal's Final Round

Games of round 10 of the Russian Championship Superfinal, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, were played in Chita on August 19.

Vladislav Artemiev and Denis Khismatullin played out a popular variation of the English opening. In a position with opposite-colored bishops, White launched an attack on the queenside, but it progressed rather slowly. Black tackled his opening issues and set up a powerful attack on the kingside. After winning a pawn, Khismatullin created serious threats to the white king, but made several gaffes in time trouble. In turn, Artemiev failed to find a cunning way to save the game, and Black had a decisive advantage once again. Khismatullin won his third consecutive game.

The games Khairullin – Lysyj, Motylev – Vitiugov, Bukavshin – Jakovenko, Svidler – Dubov and Karjakin – Tomashevsky ended in a draw.

Anastasia Bodnaruk scored the second point in a row playing with Anastasia Savina. Bodnaruk offered a piece sacrifice, which White mistakingly accepted, getting under a devastating attack. Soon it was Black's turn to make a mistake, after which a draw by perpetual check would have been a logical outcome of the game. At this point Savina tried to avoid move repetition, but played very poorly and allowed her opponent to regroup her forces with tempos. The white king got under a new wave of attack, and Savina resigned several moves before checkmate.

Valentina Gunina defeated Marina Guseva in an endgame with opposite-colored bishops. White forced Black into a zugzwang, and since one of the black pawns was doomed, Guseva acknowledge defeat.

Alina Kashlinskaya and Evgenija Ovod had a showdown in the Improved Tarrasch Defense. White seized the initiative in a sharp position at the end of the opening and won a pawn. Ovod attempted to exploit the open position of her opponent's king and sacrificed a second pawn, but White warded off all the threats and counterattacked. Soon White won yet another pawn and converted her extra material confidently.

The games Kosteniuk – Lagno, Goriachkina – Pogonina, and Girya – Kovalevskaya were drawn.

Evgeny Tomashevsky leads before the final round in the men's section with 7 points out of 10. Sergey Karjakin is half a point behind, and Nikita Vitiugov, with 6 points, holds the third place.

In the women's contest, Alexandra Goriachkina retains leadership with 7.5 points, Alexandra Kosteniuk has 7 points, and Anastasia Bodnaruk 6.5 points. If two participants share the 1st place, an additional match is held between them under the following rules: they play two rapid games with the control of 15 minutes + 10 seconds for each participant. If the score is drawn (1:1), a decisive game is played (Armageddon) with White having 5 minutes and Black 4 minutes and 3 seconds added for each participant after each move starting from move 61. The player who drew the lot chooses the color. If there is a draw, the winner is the participant who played Black.

Standings after round 10:

Men:

1. Tomashevsky – 7; 2. Karjakin – 6.5; 3. Vitiugov – 6; 4. Artemiev – 5.5; 5-7. Dubov, Jakovenko, Khismatullin – 5 each; 8-9 Bukavshin, Svidler – 4.5 each; 10. Lysyj – 4; 11-12. Khairullin, Motylev – 3.5 each.

Women:

1. Goriachkina – 7.5; 2. Kosteniuk – 7; 3. Bodnaruk – 6.5; 4-6. Lagno, Kovalevskaya, Gunina – 5.5 each; 7. Girya – 5; 8. Savina – 4.5; 9. Pogonina – 4; 10-11. Ovod, Pogonina – 3.5 each; 12. Guseva – 2.

Round 11 pairings:

Men:

Tomashevsky – Svidler, Jakovenko – Karjakin, Khismatullin – Bukavshin, Lysyj – Artemiev, Vitiugov – Khairullin, Dubov – Motylev

Women:

Lagno – Goriachkina, Kovalevskaya – Kosteniuk, Bodnaruk – Girya, Ovod – Savina, Guseva – Kashlinskaya, Pogonina – Gunina

The final round will begin at 13:00 local time (8:00 Moscow time).

Tomashevsky Strengthens Lead at Men's Russian Championship Superfinal, Goriachkina Leads in Women's Event

Round 9 of the Russian Chess Championship, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, was played in Chita on August 18. Evgeny Tomashevsky and Alexandra Goriachkina retained their leading positions.

Tomashevsky and Ivan Bukavshin had a debate in an aggressive Anti-Moscow Variation of the Queen's Gambit, with White sacrificing a pawn. Black chose a non-standard continuation, to which White responded brilliantly and got powerful play. After Tomashevsky made a pawn breakthrough in the center, Black started playing inaccurately and found himself in a bad situation. The conversion took a while, and Bukavshin was even able to open up the white king's position, but at the end Tomashevsky obtained a decisive material advantage and won the game.

Denis Khismatullin and Ildar Khairullin played out the Nimzowitsch Defense with White having very comfortable play. Khismatullin positioned his pieces well and set up an attack on the kingside. White was able to open up the black king's position and put pressure on the g7 square. Black resigned without waiting for the massacre.

Vladislav Artemiev went for the Paulsen Defense as Black versus Dmitry Jakovenko and managed to equalize. After a cunning combination, Black forced several favorable tradeoffs and had the advantage. With some maneuvering, the black queen and rook occupied the second rank and created irrefutable checkmate threats.

Sergey Karjakin beat Peter Svidler in the Ruy Lopez. Black sacrificed a bishop for two pawns and undermined the pawn fortifications around White's king, but the counterplay proved to be insufficient and White countered all direct threats. After winning the third pawn, Svidler started to play inaccurately and the advantage shifted to White. When the queens and a pair of rooks were exchanged in the endgame, the white knight turned out to be stronger than the black pawns, and Black resigned in a hopeless position.

The games Vitiugov – Dubov and Lysyj – Motylev were drawn.

Kateryna Lagno, playing White with Olga Girya, sacrificed a piece in order to mount an attack, but Black was able to repel it and then take over the initiative and get to the white king.

Evgenija Ovod and Valentina Gunina had a long maneuvering battle in the Slav Defense. Black advanced her pawns on the queenside, but White grabbed the c file. With accurate play, Ovod won a pawn, traded off the queens and a pair of rooks to her advantage, and won in the knight endgame.

Anastasia Bodnaruk and Alina Kashlinskaya matched wits in the French Defense with opposite castling. White sacrificed a pawn to get sharper play on the queenside and create threats to the black monarch. A curious position emerged with the black pawns on a4 and b3, and the black king totally unprotected. Bodnaruk attacked her opponent aggressively, sacrificing a pawn. To avoid checkmate, Kashlinskaya gave away her queen, but had to recognize defeat a few moves later.

The leaders' encounter, Kosteniuk – Goriachkina, ended in a draw. The other peaceful games were Kovalevskaya – Savina and Guseva – Pogonina.

Standings after round 9:

Men:

1. Tomashevsky – 6.5; 2. Karjakin – 6; 3-4. Artemiev, Vitiugov – 5.5 each; 5-6. Dubov, Jakovenko – 4.5 each; 7-9. Bukavshin, Khismatullin, Svidler – 4 each; 10. Lysyj – 3.5; 11-12. Khairullin, Motylev – 3 each.

Women:

1. Goriachkina – 7; 2. Kosteniuk – 6.5; 3. Bodnaruk – 5.5; 4-5. Lagno, Kovalevskaya – 5 each; 6-8. Gunina, Savina, Girya – 4.5 each; 9-10. Ovod, Pogonina – 3.5 each; 11. Kashlinskaya – 2.5; 12. Guseva – 2.

Round 10 pairings:

Men:

Svidler – Dubov, Motylev – Vitiugov, Khairullin – Lysyj, Artemiev – Khismatullin, Bukavshin – Jakovenko, Karjakin – Tomashevsky

Women:

Goriachkina – Pogonina, Gunina – Guseva, Kashlinskaya – Ovod, Savina – Bodnaruk, Girya – Kovalevskaya, Kosteniuk – Lagno

Tomashevsky Retains Lead at Men's Russian Championship Superfinal. Goriachkina Emerges on Top

The games of round 8 of the Russian Championship, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, were played in Chita on August 17.

In the men's section, Alexander Motylev and Denis Khismatullin played the only resultative game. The opponents tested each other in the Sicilian, where an unusual hybrid of the Najdorf and the Dragon Variation emerged on the board. In order to slow down White's offensive on the kingside, Khismatullin offered an interesting pawn sacrifice aiming to trade off his opponent's dark-square bishop. Motylev declined the sacrifice and gave away a rook for a knight and a pawn himself, but White's threats proved to be not strong enough. After finding a few precise moves, Khismatullin regained the initiative and converted his edge convincingly.

The games Dubov – Lysyj, Khairullin – Jakovenko, Svidler – Vitiugov, Artemiev – Tomashevsky, and Bukavshin – Karjakin were drawn.

Alexandra Goriachkina defeated Marina Guseva and became the sole leader in the women's tournament. The opponents exchanged queens rather early, and an endgame ensued with White having the two-bishop advantage. At one point, Black could have equalized, but made a gaffe that Goriachkina used immediately, outplaying her opponent in a multi-piece endgame. Several black pieces were pinned in the center of the board and were unable to prevent the triumphant march of the white pawn a.

The games Savina – Lagno, Girya – Kosteniuk, Pogonina – Ovod, Gunina – Bodnaruk, and Kashlinskaya – Kovalevskaya were drawn.

Standings after round 8:

Men:

1. Tomashevsky – 5.5; 2-3. Karjakin, Vitiugov – 5 each; 4-5. Artemiev, Jakovenko – 4.5 each; 6-8. Bukavshin, Dubov, Svidler – 4 each; 9-11. Khairullin, Lysyj, Khismatullin – 3 each; 12. Motylev – 2.5.

Women:

1. Goriachkina – 6.5; 2. Kosteniuk – 6; 3. Lagno – 5; 4-6. Gunina, Bodnaruk, Kovalevskaya – 4.5 each; 7. Savina – 4; 8. Girya – 3.5, 9. Pogonina – 3; 10-11. Kashlinskaya, Ovod – 2.5 each; 12. Guseva –1.5.

Round 9 pairings:

Мen:

Karjakin – Svidler, Tomashevsky – Bukavshin, Jakovenko – Artemiev, Khismatullin – Khairullin, Lysyj – Motylev, Vitiugov – Dubov

Women:

Kosteniuk – Goriachkina, Lagno – Girya, Kovalevskaya – Savina, Bodnaruk – Kashlinskaya, Ovod – Gunina, Guseva – Pogonina

Tomashevsky Leads at Men's Russian Superfinal, Kosteniuk and Goriachkina Ahead in Women's Section

Games of round 7 of the Russian Championship, the 68th for men and 65th for women, were played in Chita on August 16.

Evgeny Tomashevsky, who played White versus Ildar Khairullin, secured a pleasant position after the opening and brought the game into a better endgame. Tomashevsky showed excellent technique, building up the pressure move after move and strengthening his advantage. As a result, the black king found itself in a mating net and Khairullin resigned. Tomashevsky became the sole leader in the race.

Daniil Dubov defeated Denis Khismatullin with Black. In response to the solid Czech variation of the Slav Defense, White launched a massive pawn advance on the queenside immediately. After a short skirmish in the center, play with a non-standard material balance began: White had a rook, a knight and a pawn versus the black queen, with the black king settled on the enemy half of the board. White missed a great chance to get an edge and, to make things worse, gave away two pawns after that, following which his position became desperate. Dubov converted his material edge confidently. Sergey Karjakin and Vladislav Artemiev opted for the Najdorf Variation. Sergey surprised his young opponent with a comparatively rare opening scheme and gained an advantage, but failed to get the most out of it, and Black was able to equalize. In the middle of the game, however, Vladislav seemed to overestimate his chances and abstained from move repetition. White refuted his opponent's threats on the queenside and bound him "hand and foot" on the kingside. A desperate piece sacrifice didn't help Black to fuel the game, and Artemiev soon recognized defeat.

The game Bukavshin – Svidler was probably the most exciting encounter of the day. The opponents fought a fierce battle with opposite castling in a trendy variation of the Grünfeld Defense. The tension mounted, the opponents got into time trouble and started making gaffes due to the time shortage and an extremely sharp position. The advantage kept shifting from one player to the other. On the whole, Black's threats looked more dangerous, and at one point Svidler had an overwhelming edge, but overlooked his opponent's cunning retort, and the position equalized again. The draw that followed was a logical outcome of this fascinating duel.

Other draws were Lysyj – Vitiugov and Jakovenko – Motylev.

The risky opening experiment set by Anastasia Savina, who chose a dubious variation of the Sicilian as Black against Alexandra Kosteniuk, was nearly a success: after thwarting White's first attack, Savina obtained good counter chances. Yet White still retained a certain playing initiative because her king had managed to flee to a safe location, whereas the black monarch got stuck in the center of the board. Kosteniuk built up the pressure ingeniously, and her opponent got into bad time trouble, failed to hold the defenses and lost the game.

Olga Girya and Alexandra Goriachkina had a complex maneuvering battle. White obtained a slightly more pleasant position in the opening, but Goriachkina positioned her forces well, and it was not easy to break through her defenses. Immediately after time control, Girya overlooked the breakthrough h6-h5, which ruined her pawn structure on the kingside. Trying to regain the initiative that was sliding away, White sacrificed two pawns, but failed to get to her opponent's king. Goriachkina gave back one of the two extra pawns, simplified the position and gradually converted her edge into a win.

Ekaterina Kovalevskaya and Valentina Gunina played out a lengthy theoretical line in the Caro-Kann, where the game turned quickly into an endgame favorable for White. Kovalevskaya failed to make full use of her advantage, however, and Black got counterplay that was sufficient for a draw. Gunina could have forced a draw by move repetition in a rook endgame, but decided to continue the fight. This decision proved to be wrong: just in a couple of moves White won a pawn and gained an overwhelming edge, which Kovalevskaya converted skillfully.

Kateryna Lagno defeated Alina Kashlinskaya. The game, bypassing the middlegame, transferred to an endgame; White sacrificed a pawn, getting the two-bishop advantage and active piece play as compensation. Black's extremely inefficient maneuvers soon resulted in White having the extra pawn and Black's pieces scattered across the board. Further material losses were inevitable for Black, and she acknowledged defeat. Evgenija Ovod scored a quick win over Marina Guseva. Black failed to tackle the opening problems, lost a pawn, and then missed a double strike, after which White's edge became overwhelming.

Anastasia Bodnaruk and Natalia Pogonina had a draw.

Standings after round 7:

Men:

1. Tomashevsky – 5; 2-3. Karjakin, Vitiugov – 4.5 each; 4-5. Artemiev, Jakovenko – 4 each; 6-8. Bukavshin, Dubov, Svidler – 3.5 each; 9-11. Khairullin, Lysyj, Motylev – 2.5 each; 12. Khismatullin – 2.

Women:

1-2. Kosteniuk, Goriachkina – 5.5 each; 3. Lagno – 4.5; 4-6. 3. Gunina, Bodnaruk, Kovalevskaya – 4 each; 7. Savina – 3.5; 8. Girya – 3; 9. Pogonina – 2.5; 10-11. Kashlinskaya, Ovod – 2 each, 12. Guseva –1.5.

Round 8 pairings:

Men:

Svidler – Vitiugov, Dubov – Lysyj, Motylev – Khismatullin, Khairullin – Jakovenko, Artemiev – Tomashevsky, Bukavshin – Karjakin

Women:

Goriachkina – Guseva, Pogonina – Ovod, Gunina – Bodnaruk, Kashlinskaya – Kovalevskaya, Savina – Lagno, Girya – Kosteniuk

The games of round 7 were commentated by grandmasters Sergei Rublevsky and Evgeniy Najer in Russian and grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova in English.

The Russian Championship Superfinals are held by the Russian Chess Federation, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation, with support from the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The competition partners are Norilsk Nickel and the Baikalsk Mining Company.

The tournament is held at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace. The rounds begin at 15:00 (10:00 Moscow time), while the last round will start at 13:00 (08:00 Moscow time). The playing days are August 9-14 and 16-20. August 15 is a day off. The tournaments' total prize fund is 8 million rubles.

As has become a tradition at these tournaments, the organizers have prepared an extensive additional program for chess lovers of any age.

The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/ 

Vitiugov Catches up with Leaders at Men's Superfinal. Kosteniuk and Goriachkina Lead in Women's Section

Round 6 of the Russian Championship Superfinal, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, took place in Chita on August 14.

In the men's contest, Peter Svidler defeated Igor Lysyj. The players went for the King's Indian Attack, where White based his game along the open a-file, putting pressure on the weak a6-pawn. Russian seven-time champion rearranged his pieces skillfully, traded off the queens and won a pawn. In an objectively very difficult endgame, Black blundered and resigned a move later.

Daniil Dubov and Dmitry Jakovenko's game proved to be quite a brain-teaser. White played the opening inventively and ambitiously and got a promising position. Dubov mounted an attack against his rival's king and won a pawn. On top of that, this extra pawn, supported by a bishop, settled down in the enemy camp, on f6. White's position was almost won, but before and immediately after the time control Daniil missed decisive continuations several times. As a result, Dmitry not only survived on the brink of a precipice, but even found counterplay thanks to his passed d-pawn and the weak light squares in his opponent's camp. White lost the thread of the game and made another blunder on move 47, after which his situation became hopeless very quickly.

Nikita Vitiugov and Denis Khismatullin had an equal maneuvering fight: Black had the two-bishop advantage as compensation for his isolated pawn in the center. However, Khismatullin exchanged one of his bishops for a knight too quickly, and in an endgame with opposite-colored bishops White seized the initiative immediately. Vitiugov won a pawn and converted the advantage with excellent technique.

The games Khairullin – Karjakin, Motylev – Tomashevsky, and Artemiev – Bukavshin were drawn.

In the women's event, the crucial game was the duel Gunina – Lagno, where White celebrated a slashing victory. The opponents went for the Grünfeld Defense with 4.g3. After the opening White was able to make breakthroughs on the kingside and in the center with comfort, whereas the black pieces huddled up on the queenside. Lagno spent a lot of time on seeking an acceptable defense, but was never able to find one. On move 20, White won a pawn and an exchange, and Black stopped resistance after a few more moves.

Alexandra Kosteniuk defended a pretty tough position in a game versus Alina Kashlinskaya, but after fending off the main threats she was too quick to counterattack. Had Kashlinskaya found a strong maneuver by the queen on move 47, Black's position would have become critical again. However, White missed her chance, and Black regrouped her pieces well and broke through the white king's defenses. Kashlinskaya resigned one move before checkmate. Evgenija Ovod, who played Black against Alexandra Goriachkina, opted for the Hedgehog structure and got a comfortable game. Black sacrificed a pawn in a complex multi-piece battle, gained the initiative and built up the pressure skillfully, but on control move 40 she offered an unfavorable rook exchange, after which White snatched the advantage at once. White stabilized the situation, gained space and obtained a decisive edge. Goriachkina played the technical stage accurately and brought the point home.

Marina Guseva made a strategic mistake in a game with Anastasia Bodnaruk as she declined to trade off the queens in a position with the uncastled king. As a result, Black forced the trade-off anyway, but in more favorable circumstances, and got an overwhelming position in the endgame. Even though the technical stage was a bit longer than necessary, Anastasia was able to secure her second consecutive win.

 

The games Savina – Girya and Pogonina – Kovalevskaya ended in a draw.

Standings after Round 6:

Men:

1-3. Artemiev, Tomashevsky, Vitiugov – 4 each; 4-5. Kariakin, Jakovenko – 3.5 each; 6-7. Bukavshin, Svidler – 3 each; 8-9. Dubov, Khairullin – 2.5 each; 10-12. Khismatullin, Lysyj, Motylev – 2 each.

Women:

1-2. Kosteniuk, Goriachkina – 4.5 each; 3. Gunina – 4; 4-6. Lagno, Savina, Bodnaruk – 3.5 each; 7-8. Girya, Kovalevskaya – 3 each; 9-10. Kashlinskaya, Pogonina – 2 each; 11. Guseva – 1.5; 12. Ovod – 1.

August 15 is a day off at the tournament, a traditional children's programme will be held on this day. Simultaneous exhibitions with grandmasters Sergei Rublevsky and Evgenij Miroshnichenko will be organized for 50 young chess players from the Zabaykalsky Krai. The venues for the simuls are the Odora recreation park and the Chess Park.

Round 7 pairings:

Men:

Bukavshin – Svidler, Karjakin – Artemiev, Tomashevsky – Khairullin, Jakoveno – Motylev, Khismatullin – Dubov, Lysyj – Vitiugov

Women:

Girya - Goriachkina, Kosteniuk – Savina, Lagno – Kashlinskaya, Kovalevskaya – Gunina, Bodnaruk – Pogonina, Ovod – Guseva

The games of round 6 were commentated in Russian by grandmasters Sergei Rublevsky and Pavel Tregubov, and in English by grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova.

Tomashevsky, Artemiev on Top in Men's Russian Championship. Lagno, Kosteniuk, Goriachkina Lead Women's Section

The fifth round of the Russian Championship Superfinal, the 68th for men and the 65th for women, took place in Chita on August 13. On this day, the Health Academy held a master class for 50 young chess players from Chita. Grandmaster Evgenij Miroshnichenko shared secrets of chess excellence during several hours.

In the men's tournament, Ivan Bukavshin scored his first victory at the Superfinal, defeating Ildar Khairullin. In a position with hanging pawns, Bukavshin repositioned his pieces successfully and gained the initiative. While looking for counterplay, Black weakened his pawn structure and allowed his opponent to grab an open file on the queenside. The grandmasters, being in mutual time trouble, couldn't avoid inaccuracies, but White played more soundly on the whole, built up pressure consistently and finished the game with a fine tactical blow.

The games Karijakin – Motylev, Tomashevsky – Dubov, Artemiev – Svidler, Khismatullin – Lysyj and Jakovenko – Vitiugov ended in a draw.

All the games in the women's contest ended decisively.

Anastasia Savina and Alexandra Goriachkina had a duel in a trendy branch of the Improved Tarrasch Defense, where Black sacrifices a pawn for initiative. However, Black was indecisive at a crucial moment, dodging from exchanging her bishop for her opponent's knight, and failed to find proper counterplay as a result. Gradually, White's extra material made a difference; Savina played the final stage of the game very precisely and brought the point home.

The pivotal and the toughest encounter in the women's tournament was the game Kosteniuk – Gunina. Alexandra demonstrated deep preparation in the Caro-Kann Defense and imposed her play on the opponent. Gunina failed to sort out the intricacies of the position and had to defend a bad endgame without a pawn. Despite her opponent's ingenious defense, Alexandra was finally able to convert the extra material into a win.

Kateryna Lagno, playing White versus Natalia Pogonina, got a very comfortable play in the opening. Black tried to develop counterplay, but weakened her kingside. The black monarch tried to escape from the threats on the queenside, but white pieces caught up with it even there. Pogonina acknowledge defeat in a hopeless position.

Olga Girya had her second consecutive loss, and again in a promising position. After playing the Nimzo-Indian Defense as White with great success, Olga transferred the game into an endgame with an extra pawn. However, her opponent, Alina Kashlinskaya, was able to activate her rook and get serious counterplay. Girya probably underestimated Kashlinskaya's threats, was too slow to push her pawns on the queenside and missed a combination attack, following which Black's passer determined the outcome of the battle.

Ekaterina Kovalevskaya defeated Marina Guseva. White held the initiative the entire game and made Black face constant problems in the Caro-Kann. Guseva made a mistake in a difficult position and lost in a few moves. Evgenija Ovod, who played Black with Anastasia Bodnaruk, obtained a good position, but started activities in the center that were not quite correct. As a result, White got a strong white pawn that brought her a victory in the endgame.

Standings after round 5:

Men:

1-2. Artemiev, Tomashevsky – 3.5 each; 3-4. Karjakin, Vitiugov – 3 each; 5-7. Bukavshin, Jakovenko, Dubov – 2.5 each; 8-11. Khairullin, Khismatullin, Lysyj, Svidler – 2 each; 12. Motylev – 1.5.

Women:

1-3. Kosteniuk, Lagno, Goriachkina – 3.5 each; 4-5. Gunina, Savina – 3 each; 6-8. Girya, Kovalevskaya, Bodnaruk – 2.5 each; 9. Kashlinskaya – 2; 10-11. Guseva, Pogonina – 1.5 each; 12. Ovod – 1.

Round 6 pairings:

Men:

Svidler – Lysyj, Vitiugov – Khismatullin, Dubov – Jakovenko, Motylev – Tomashevsky, Khairullin – Karjakin, Artemiev – Bukavshin

Women:

Goriachkina – Ovod, Guseva – Bodnaruk, Pogonina – Kovalevskaya, Gunina – Lagno, Kashlinskaya – Kosteniuk, Savina – Girya


The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/

Tomashevsky and Artemiev Lead in Men's Russian Championship Superfinal, Goriachkina in Women's



On August 12, games of round 4 of the 68th Men's and the 65th Women's Russian Championship Superfinal were played in Chita.

Peter Svidler, after dodging the main variations, produced quite an original interpretation of the Sicilian as White, and the Dragon Variation with both white bishops fianchettoed emerged on the board. The decision by Russia's seven-time champion to castle long appears to be dubious, to say the least, since Black's attack on the queenside developed very quickly. Obviously, Svidler expected that a breakthrough in the center would allow him to snatch the initiative, but Khismatullin responded in a strong and aggressive way: he sacrificed an exchange, obtaining a good compensation for it. It seems that White underestimated the hazards of his position: Black's advance soon grew into a dangerous attack. Black played very ingeniously, finding strong continuations every time, and White's king was checkmated as soon as on move 29.

Vladislav Artemiev, the youngest participant in the race, scored the second win in a row, and again not without some luck. His opponent Ildar Khairullin, who played White, gained a slight edge in a branch of the Slav Defense with a symmetrical pawn structure and gradually stepped up the pressure. In order to intensify the tension, Black made a breakthrough in the center; White responded inappropriately, lost all his advantage and gave the initiative away to his opponent. White's problem was his open king whose weakness finally resulted in White's blundering by missing a checkmate in two.

The games Vitiugov – Tomashevsky, Dubov – Karjakin, Motylev – Bukavshin, and Lysyj - Jakovenko were drawn.

Valentina Gunina, who played against Olga Girya, scored her third consecutive win – and again in her trademark style. Black got a promising position in the opening and took over the initiative. Being in a very difficult position, Valentina resorted to some smart tricks at a great risk for herself. Again, luck was on the side of Russia's reigning champion: amid the nervous battle fought in time trouble, the black king got into a mating net.

Natalia Pogonina and Alexandra Kosteniuk had a debate in the Ruy Lopez. Black got a very comfortable game, whereas White's pieces turned out to be scattered across the board. Alexandra mounted a vigorous attack on the kingside and soon shattered the white king's defenses.

The game Goriachkina – Bodnaruk proved to be the round's longest encounter. Anastasia Bodnaruk got a decent position in the opening, but then made a positional mistake by letting a white knight into her camp. Alexandra Goriachkina, the young player from Salekhard, is very strong at such positions with clear strategic landmarks, so she dominated the rest of the game. White attacked on both flanks, captured space and won a pawn. Anastasia defended very tenaciously, however, so the conversion stage was quite lengthy. Nevertheless, Goriachkina brought the point home at the sixth hour of the game and became the sole leader in the women's tournament.

A draw was the outcome in the games Ovod – Kovalevskaya, Kashlinskaya – Savina, and Guseva – Lagno.

Grandmaster Sergey Shipov commentated the round 4 games in Russian, and Sergei Rublevsky joined him in the middle of the day. Comments in English were given by grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova.

Standings after round 4:

Men:
1-2. Artemiev, Tomashevsky – 3 each; 3-4. Karjakin, Vitiugov – 2.5 each; 5-7. Khairullin, Jakovenko, Dubov – 2 each; 8-11. Bukavshin, Khismatullin, Lysyj, Svidler – 1.5 each; 12. Motylev – 1.

Women:
1. Goriachkina – 3.5; 2. Gunina – 3; 3-5. Girya, Kosteniuk, Lagno – 2.5 each; 6. Savina – 2; 7-10. Kovalevskaya, Bodnaruk, Guseva, Pogonina – 1.5 each; 11-12. Kashlinskaya, Ovod – 1 each.

Round 5 pairings:

Men:
Artemiev – Svidler, Bukavshin – Khairullin, Karjakin – Motylev, Tomashevsky – Dubov, Jakovenko – Vitiugov, Khismatullin – Lysyj.

Women:
Savina – Goriachkina, Girya – Kashlinskaya, Kosteniuk – Gunina, Lagno – Pogonina, Kovalevskaya – Guseva, Bodnaruk – Ovod.

Tomashevsky Leads in the Men's Russian Championship Superfinal. Girya and Goriachkina ahead in the Women's Contest

 

On August 11, games of round 3 of the 68th Men's and 65th Women's Russian Championships were played in Chita.

Vladislav Artemiev, the Superfinal's youngest participant, scored his first win at the Superfinal. The Omsk player was in a very combative mood from the very outset: in a position with an isolator, White sacrificed a piece for two pawns, opening up his opponent's king that was hiding on the kingside. Alexander Motylev thwarted the first wave of the attack with a few precise moves, but had too little time left for pondering. In a position that was objectively better for Black, but still very sharp and tense, Motylev made a blunder, overlooking a powerful tactical blow from his opponent. After a few moves Black had to acknowledge defeat.

Evgeny Tomashevsky demonstrated once again the depth of his home preparation. In an Improved Tarrasch Defense, White chose a fairly rare plan, and the Russian champion, Igor Lysyj, failed to respond in the best way. White made a breakthrough in the center and on the kingside, weakening his opponent's king seriously. A major piece endgame ensued on the board, and Lysyj found it very difficult to defend it given his time trouble. By skillfully combining various threats, the Saratov grandmaster secured his second win in a row and became the tournament's only leader.

The games Jakovenko – Khismatullin, Khairullin – Svidler, Karjakin – Vitiugov, and Bukavhsin – Dubov ended in a draw.

 

Valentina Gunina, who played against Anastasia Savina committed a few gaffes at the end of the opening, giving White an opportunity to mount an aggressive onslaught in the center. Obviously, Valentina underestimated her opponent's attacking possibilities and got under a pressing attack. However, Anastasia failed to find a clear path to a victory in the complicated position, lost the thread of the game and missed a strong counterstrike by Black. The position became much sharper, and such play, with pieces colliding head-on, is Gunina's strongest suit: she is probably second to none there. Soon White's position became hopeless.

Ekaterina Lagno and Evgenija Ovod had their duel in a rare branch of the Scotch Game. In a tense battle with opposite side castling, White secured a long-term initiative, and Lagno gradually outplayed her opponent. Black's position was strong enough for a long time, but Evgenija failed to withstand the pressure in the endgame and made a decisive mistake. White won a pawn and, in a while, the game.

The games Girya – Pogonina, Kovalevskaya – Bodnaruk, Kashlinskaya – Goriachkina, and Kosteniuk – Guseva were drawn.

The third round's games were commentated in Russian by grandmaster Sergey Shipov. Comments in English were given by Grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova. After he finished his game, Peter Svidler joined the English-speaking commentators and provided interesting commentaries on the progress of the other games.

 

Standings after round 3:

Men:
1. Tomashevsky – 2,5, 2-5. Artemiev, Karjakin, Vitiugov – 2, 6-8. Jakovenko, Dubov, Svidler - 1,5, 9-10. Bukavshin, Lysyj – 1, 11-12. Motylev, Khismatullin – 0,5.

Women:
1-2. Girya, Goriachkina – 2,5, 3-4. Gunina, Lagno – 2, 5-8. Savina, Kosteniuk, Bodnaruk, Pogonina – 1,5, 9-10. Kovalevskaya, Guseva – 1, 11-12. Kashlinskaya, Ovod – 0,5.

Round 4 pairings:

Men:
Svidler – Khismatullin, Lysyj – Jakovenko, Vitiugov – Tomashevsky, Dubov – Karjakin, Motylev – Bukavshin, Khairullin - Artemiev

Women:
Goriachkina – Bodnaruk, Ovod – Kovalevskaya, Guseva – Lagno, Pogonina – Kosteniuk, Gunina – Girya, Kashlinskaya – Savina

Round 2 of Russian Championship Superfinal Ends in Chita

 

On August 10, games of round 2 of the 68th Men's and 65th Women's Russian Championships were played in Chita.

Nikita Vitiugov, playing White versus Ivan Bukavshin, went for a calm and not too ambitious line, provoking his opponent to make an immediate breakthrough in the center. As Vitiugov admitted at the press conference, he had expected such a reaction from his rival. The continuation did not give White any objective edge, but Bukavshin got caught in a cunning trap, and an unexpected pawn sacrifice allowed the St. Petersburg grandmaster to gain a major advantage. Black made a few more imprecise moves afterwards, whereas White built up the pressure steadily. On move 28, Ivan Bukavshin resigned in a hopeless position.

Alexander Motylev obtained an edge over Ildar Khairullin, but committed a blunder in a promising position (although a very sharp and complex one) and ended up with a piece down. Motylev tried to "muddy the waters," but Khairullin countered the threats to his king neatly and scored a win.

Evgeny Tomashevsky, playing a trendy variation as Black versus Denis Khismatullin, used a new interesting idea, which he himself later called "a semi-bluff". Had White found the correct continuation, Evgeny would have had to switch to a defensive stance, but it turned out that Khismatullin had analyzed this line at home much less deeply than his opponent. Denis made a tempting exchange sacrifice, but this courageous solution fell short of expectations. White had to defend an unpleasant position, and, given the sudden time trouble, this wasn't a simple task. Making use of his opponent's oversights, Tomashevsky hunted down his bishop and trapped it, after which White had to acknowledge defeat.

The games Lysyj – Karjakin, Dubov – Artemiev, and Svidler – Jakovenko were drawn.

In the women's event, Alexandra Goriachkina secured the second win in a row, confidently outplaying Ekaterina Kovalevskaya as White.

Valentina Gunina outsmarted Alina Kashlinskaya late in the opening and gained a considerable advantage, since her bishop proved to be much more active than her opponent's opposite-colored bishop. The Russian champion brought the point home with flying colors.

Natalia Pogonina, who played versus Anastasia Savina as White, was inaccurate in the opening and allowed her opponent to get a very promising position with initiative. White was unable to develop counterplay, and Black made a breakthrough on the kingside and secured a passer that proved to be unstoppable. Natalia surrendered in a hopeless position. The game Guseva – Girya was a lengthy maneuvering battle. White spoilt her opponent's pawn structure on the queenside, but Black got a powerful knight in the center as a compensation. Marina was unable to prepare an attack against the king, and little by little Olga's advantage was becoming ever more obvious. True, Girya overlooked a few winning continuations, but at the end she made a beautiful blow to score her second point at the Superfinal.

The games Ovod – Kosteniuk and Bodnaruk – Lagno ended in a draw.

The second round's games were commentated in Russian by Grandmaster Sergey Shipov. Comments in English were provided by Grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova.

Standings after round 2:

Men:
1-4. Karjakin, Khairullin, Tomashevsky, Vitiugov – 1.5 each; 5-9. Svidler, Jakovenko, Lysyj, Dubov, Artemiev – 1 each; 10-11. Motylev, Bukavshin – 0.5 each; 12. Khismatullin – 0.

Women:
1-2. Girya, Goriachkina – 2 each; 3. Savina – 1.5; 4-8. Gunina, Kosteniuk, Lagno, Pogonina, Bodnaruk – 1 each; 9-11. Kovalevskaya, Ovod, Guseva – 0.5 each; 12. Kashlinskaya – 0.

Round 3 pairings:

Men:
Khairullin – Svidler, Artemiev – Motylev, Bukavshin – Dubov, Karjakin – Vitiugov, Tomashevsky – Lysyj, Jakovenko – Khismatullin.

Women:
Kashlinskaya – Goriachkina, Savina – Gunina, Girya – Pogonina, Kosteniuk – Guseva, Lagno – Ovod, Kovalevskaya – Bodnaruk.

The 1st Round of Russian Chess Superfinal Finished in Chita

The first round of the 68th Russian Men's Chess Championship and the 65th Women's Championship was held in Chita on August 9. The Governor of the Zabaykalsky Krai, President of the regional chess federation Konstantin Ilkovsky made the symbolical first move in the game between the 12th World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk (Moscow) and Grandmaster Anastasia Bodnaruk (St. Petersburg).

The opening round's most spectacular game was the showdown between the Superfinal first-timer Ivan Bukavshin, aged 20, and the reigning Russian Champion Igor Lysyj. White sacrificed two pieces, forcing the black king to make a dangerous promenade around the board center under enemy fire. Black defended skillfully, sometimes finding the only moves. White could have forced a draw by perpetual check several times, but the young Togliatti player persistently kept looking for winning chances. Nevertheless, Igor avoided all the traps, and on move 31 the opponents started repeating moves and a draw followed.

The only winner in the men's tournament was Sergey Karjakin, who defeated Denis Khismatullin in a hard-fought battle. The position remained near equal for a long time, but in the endgame Denis, being in time trouble, chose a poor plan. He could have gone into a rook endgame with an almost inevitable draw several times, but he was reluctant to trade off his bishop for the enemy knight, which enabled Sergey to snatch the initiative and win a pawn. However, Black retained counterplay that was sufficient for a draw until Khismatullin made a few more inaccuracies in an acute time trouble. A position that was bad for Black ensued, with his queen opposing a white rook, a knight and three pawns. Karjakin consolidated his troops and converted his material edge with confidence.

Daniil Dubov, playing with Black versus Ildar Khariullin, opted for a sharp Benko Gambit. White achieved a comfortable position and kept the extra pawn taken in the gambit, and could have won a second pawn in a small combination shortly before the time control. Ildar overlooked this possibility, while the Moscow grandmaster defended very tenaciously in the endgame and managed to save half a pawn.

Other draws occurred in the games Vitiugov – Artemiev, Motylev – Svidler, and Tomashevsky – Jakovenko.

In the women's tournament, the history of the 2014 Superfinal's first round repeated itself: Russian Champion Valentina Gunina lost as White to Alexandra Goriachkina. In a complicated multi-piece endgame, Valentina confused her opponent and could have gained a material advantage through a combination. Gunina found the winning idea, but failed to bring it home after making the moves in the wrong order. Black suddenly had a defensive resource that White had overlooked in her previous calculations, and, instead of winning a piece, she lost all her pawns on the queenside. Gunina lost on time in a hopeless position.

Olga Girya outplayed Evgenija Ovod with flawless technique: after getting a promising position in the opening, the Yugra player gradually built up the pressure, won a pawn, and, with skill and composure, secured the win in the endgame.

Alina Kashlinskaya, who played White versus Natalija Pogonina, overestimated her chances and opened up the position on the queenside ill-advisedly, which enabled the vice champion to invade her opponent's ranks with a rook, seize the initiative and gradually unhinge White's defenses.

The games Lagno – Kovalevskaya, Savina – Guseva, and Kosteniuk – Bodnaruk ended in a draw.

The first tournament's games were commentated in Russian by Grandmaster Sergey Shipov and the Russian Chess Federation's Executive Director Mark Gluhovsky. Comments in English were provided by Grandmasters Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Anna Burtasova.



Standings after round 1:

Men:

1. Karjakin - 1; 2-11. Svidler, Jakovenko, Tomashevsky, Lysyj, Vitiugov, Bukavshin, Dubov, Artemiev, Motylev, Khairullin – 0.5 each; Khismatullin – 0.

Women:

1-3. Girya, Pogonina, Goriachkina – 1 each; 4-9. Kosteniuk, Lagno, Savina, Bodnaruk, Kovalevskaya, Guseva – 0.5 each; 10-12. Gunina, Kashlinskaya, Ovod – 0 each.

Round 2 standings:

Men:

Svidler – Jakovenko, Khismatullin – Tomashevsky, Lysyj – Karjakin, Vitiugov – Bukavshin, Dubov – Artemiev, Motylev – Khairullin.

Women:

Goriachkina – Kovalevskaya, Bodnaruk – Lagno, Ovod – Kosteniuk, Guseva – Girya, Pogonina – Savina, Gunina - Kashlinskaya.



The Russian Championship Superfinals are held by the Russian Chess Federation, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation, with support from the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The competition partners are Norilsk Nickel and the Baikalsk Mining Company.

The games will be played at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace. The rounds will begin at 15:00 (10:00 Moscow time), while the last round will start at 13:00 (08:00 Moscow time). The playing days are August 9-14 and 16-21. A day off will be provided on August 15. The tournaments' total prize fund is 8 million rubles.

On the free day of August 15, simultaneous exhibitions will be held in Chita. Fifty young chess players from the Zabaykalsky Krai will cross swords with famous grandmasters: Evgeniy Najer, Sergei Rublevsky, and Evgenij Miroshnichenko.

As has become a tradition at these tournaments, the organizers are preparing an extensive additional program for chess lovers of any age.

The Russian Chess Federation's official website will have online and video broadcasting, and well-known grandmasters will commentate the games both in Russian and in English.

The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/ 

Russian Chess Championship Superfinal Opens in Chita



The 68th Men's Russian Chess Championship and the 65th Women's Russian Chess Championship were launched in Chita on 8 August. The competition is held by the Russian Chess Federation, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation, with support from the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The competition partners are Norilsk Nickel and the Baikalsk Mining Company.

A pre-start press conference was held at the Monblan hotel on the same day, attended by Zabaykalsky Krai Governor Konstantin Ilkovsky, the Russian Chess Federation's Executive Director Mark Gluhovsky, and the reigning champions of Russia, Igor Lysyj and Valentina Gunina.

"In my opinion, there exist two great games in the world: chess and football, and the former is also a low-cost sport affordable for everyone," said Ilkovsky. "I am really glad that Russia's best players will play chess in Zabaykalsky Krai during the next two weeks. Holding such large-scale sports and cultural events makes the region open and recognizable, and attractive for investors. It is very important for the region that, after the tournament ends, the winner will say, 'I won the Russian championship in Chita.' In addition, this is an excellent opportunity to introduce this intellectual game to children and young people, which will probably help them fulfill their potential and become successful in the future."

The region's head thanked the Russian Chess Federation for the opportunity to hold the competition in Chita and expressed gratitude to its partners, the Baikal Mining Company and Norilsk Nickel.

Gluhovsky thanked the government of Zabaykalsky Krai and Governor Ilkovsky for the Superfinal's excellent organization. "I am sure that both the players and the event's guests will appreciate the huge preparation work done by the region's government and the Organizing Committee," he noted.

The RCF executive director also elaborated on the tournament's rules, the opening cultural program and the free day's program for children.

Russian Champions Valentina Gunina and Igor Lysyj answered journalists' questions about how they had been preparing for the country's most prestigious tournament, whether they had any special pre-start superstitions, what they were planning to do on their free day, and whether they had ever played chess versus a computer.

Lysyj praised the excellent accommodation and food, a tradition at all the events organized by the RCF.

The Superfinal's gala opening took place at the concert hall of the Zabaykalsky Krai Philharmonia, where Russian President Vladimir Putin's welcome address was read to the tournament participants, organizers, and the audience. Governor Ilkovsky and RCF Executive Director Gluhovsky delivered welcoming speeches to the audience.

Musicians, ballet dancers and singers entertained visitors with beautiful performances. Pianist Ram Urasin, People's artist of the Republic of Tatarstan and the winner of many international competitions, performed on a Zabaykalsky Krai stage for the first time.

Chief Arbiter Anatoly Bykhovsky conducted the drawing of lots. The 2015 World Archery Champion Tuyana Dashidorzhieva and the winner of the European Archery Championship Galsan Bazarzhapov were invited to participate in the procedure. The chess players chose squares on the demonstration board, and then the archers shot at the targets located there. As the arrow hit the target, a plate with the starting number fell out of it.

The drawing produced the following results:

Men:

1. Alexander Motylev, 2. Ildar Khairullin, 3. Vladislav Artemiev, 4. Ivan Bukavshin, 5. Sergey Karjakin, 6. Evgeny Tomashevsky, 7. Dmitry Jakovenko, 8. Denis Khismatullin, 9. Igor Lysyj, 10. Nikita Vitiugov, 11. Daniil Dubov, 12. Peter Svidler.

Women:

1. Valentina Gunina, 2. Alina Kashlinskaya, 3. Anastasia Savina, 4. Olga Girya, 5. Alexandra Kosteniuk, 6. Kateryna Lagno, 7. Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, 8. Anastasia Bodnaruk, 9. Evgenija Ovod, 10. Marina Guseva, 11. Natalija Pogonina, 12. Alexandra Goriachkina.

Thus, the pairings in the first round are as follows:

Men:

Motylev – Svidler, Khairullin – Dubov, Artemiev – Vitiugov, Bukavshin – Lysyj, Karjakin – Khismatullin, Tomashevsky – Jakovenko

Women:

Gunina – Goriachkina, Kashlinskaya – Pogonina, Savina – Guseva, Girya – Ovod, Kosteniuk – Bodnaruk, Lagno – Kovalevskaya

The games will be played at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace. The rounds will begin at 15:00 (10:00 Moscow time), while the last round will start at 13:00 (08:00 Moscow time). The playing days are 9-14 and 16-21 August. A day off will be provided on 15 August. The tournaments' total prize fund is 8 million rubles.

On the free day, simultaneous exhibitions will be held in Chita. Fifty young chess players from the Zabaykalsky Krai will cross swords with famous grandmasters: Evgeniy Najer, Sergei Rublevsky, and Evgenij Miroshnichenko.

A press conference will be arranged on 9 August at 15:30 at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace, where the Russian Chess Federation, Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation, and and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation will present the Chess in Schools project, a new one for the region.

As has become a tradition at these tournaments, the organizers are preparing an extensive additional program for chess lovers of any age.

The Russian Chess Federation's official website will have online and video broadcasting, and well-known grandmasters will commentate the games both in Russian and in English.

The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/ 

Russian Chess Championship Superfinal to kick off in Chita

The Superfinals of the 68th Men's Russian Chess Championship and the 65th Women's Russian Chess Championship will take place between 8 and 21 August in the city of Chita. The competition will be held by the Russian Chess Federation, the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation, with support from the government of the Zabaykalsky Krai. The competition partners will be Norilsk Nickel and the Baikalsk Mining Company.

The 2015 Superfinal will determine Russia's strongest chess player among the country's reigning champion Igor Lysyj (the Sverdlovsk Region), Dmitry Jakovenko (the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District ― Yugra), Denis Khismatullin (the Republic of Bashkortostan), Sergey Karjakin (Moscow), Evgeny Tomashevsky (the Saratov Region), Peter Svidler, Nikita Vitiugov (both from St. Petersburg), Vladislav Artemiev (the Omsk Region), Alexander Motylev (Moscow), Ivan Bukavshin (the Samara Region), Ildar Khairullin (St. Petersburg), and Daniil Dubov (Moscow).

The women's tournament will be a showdown between the reigning champion Valentina Gunina (Moscow), Alexandra Goriachkina (the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District), Kateryna Lagno, Alexandra Kosteniuk (both from Moscow), Natalija Pogonina (the Saratov Region), Olga Girya (the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District ― Yugra), Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (Moscow), Marina Guseva (the Stavropol Region), Alina Kashlinskaya, Anastasia Savina (both from Moscow), Anastasia Bodnaruk (St. Petersburg), and Evgenija Ovod (the Leningrad Region). The tournaments' total prize fund is 8 million rubles.

A pre-start press conference, to be attended by the organizers and the champions of Russia, will take place at the Monblan hotel on 8 August, at 18:30 local time.

The Superfinal's grand opening will be held on the same day, and will start at 20:00 at the concert hall of the Zabaykalsky Krai Philharmonia. The drawing procedure will be part of the ceremony.

The games will be played at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace. The rounds will begin at 15:00 (10:00 Moscow time), while the last round will start at 13:00 (08:00 Moscow time). The playing days are 9-14 and 16-21 August. A day off will be provided on 15 August.

On that day, a simultaneous exhibition will be held in Chita. Fifty young chess players from the Zabaykalsky Krai will cross swords with famous grandmasters: Evgeniy Najer, Sergei Rublevsky, and Evgenij Miroshnichenko.

A press conference will be arranged on 9 August at 15:30 at the Megapolis-Sport Youth Palace, where the Russian Chess Federation, Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation, and and the Zabaykalsky Krai Chess Federation will present the Chess in Schools project, a new one for the region.

As has become a tradition at these tournaments, the organizers are preparing an extensive additional program for chess lovers of any age.

The Russian Chess Federation's official website will have online and video broadcasting, and well-known grandmasters will commentate the games both in Russian and in English.

The tournament's official website: http://ruchess.ru/