Σκακιστικά νέα

The reigning US Champion Gata Kamsky won the Master section of the 23rd Annual Eastern Class Championships that were held on March 14-16 at the Host Hotel at Cedar Lake, Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

Kamsky finished clear first with 4,5/5 points, ahead of a group of American Grandmasters. Last weekend he shared the first place in Marchand Open.

An year from now a unique experience is going to take place in the Mediterranean Sea – a Mind Games Cruise is going to travel the route Marseille – Genoa – Rome – Carthage – Palermo – Barcelona – Marseille. Chess is included in the special cruise, alongside bridge, scrabble, backgammon, and others.

Grandmasters Bartlomiej Macieja and Varuzhan Akobian ascended above the rest of the field in the UT Dallas Spring FIDE Open to finish joint winners with 7,0/9 points each, point

The 48th Begonia Open was held over the Labour Day long weekend from Saturday 8 March to Monday 10 March 2014, at the Ballarat Clarendon College: Sewell Pavilion, 1425 Sturt Street, Ballarat, Australia.

The event incorporated the 2014 Oceania Chess Championship which was open to all players from Oceania Chess Federations.

Despite the loss in the first round, Levon Aronian didn’t hesitate to repeat the Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall. Veselin Topalov chose the line that was earlier seen in Grischuk’s games.

Black conceded the bishop’s pair to get a pawn on d4 and the position appeared to be equal. White decided to complicate the matters with the queen’s excursion to h5.

Aronian thought for a long time but eventually decided not to take the pawn on e4. Soon-after he played 22…Ba6 allowing wild complications after 23.Bd6.

Dmitry Andreikin is an unpleasant opponent for Sergey Karjakin, having eliminated him in the 4th round of 2013 World Chess Cup.

Karjakin defended with the Berlin Ruy Lopez, and Andreikin avoided the famous endgame by slowly expanding in the center with d3, c3 and d4.

Black traded on d4 and struck back with d6-d5. After the massive exchanges, black found the excellent move 17…Qd5 to hold the balance.

With the weakened pawn structure around his king, Andreikin couldn’t find anything better than to trade all the rooks and force perpetual check.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Viswanathan Anand stuck to their guns, Vishy defended with the Slav while Shakh once again played knight on d2.

After the introductory moves white expanded in the center with e5 and f4. The former World Champion didn’t lose time and immediately undermined the pawn chain. White’s inability to bring the rooks to the central files, controlled by the beautifully placed black bishops, proved that his position was a little over-extended.

The Chinese Grandmaster Li Chao was the sole winner of the N1 Reykjavik Open which took place on 4-12th March at the Harpa Music & Conference Hall.