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For the first time in Switzerland’s 113-year chess history, a woman has been able to win both the women’s and men’s national chess titles. Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk has conquered the top step on both podiums last week in Grächen, Switzerland. Thanks to her dual Swiss-Russian citizenship, Alexandra Kosteniuk has been invited to fight for the National Swiss Championship for the 5th year in a row. The last 4 years she was close to the top but not quite first, the winners last years have been Grandmasters Viktor Kortchnoi (2009 and 2011), Yannick Pelletier (2010), and Joe Gallagher (2012).
This year’s Swiss championship took place in the beautiful mountain resort Grächen (close to Zermatt). The event started with 8 GM’s and 8 IM’s, the strongest being GM’s Bauer, Stojanovic, Sokolov and Miezis, and the highest ranked fighting for the Swiss title were Gallagher, Kosteniuk, Gerber, Lötscher, Buss, Klauser and Carron.
The last round was critical, Alexandra drew GM Bauer (Elo 2637) and got 6.5/9: But IM Buss and GM Gallagher also finished with 6.5/9, so according to the rules of the championship the top 2 players according to Bukhholz had to play a tie-break match of 2 games. Alexandra won both games against IM Buss and became the first woman to win the men’s Swiss Championship.
So the men’s podium was as follows: 1. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2. IM Ralph Buss 3. GM Joe Gallagher. The women’s podium was as follows: 1. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk 2. WFM Laura Stoeri 3. WGM Barbara Hund. The traditional photo all Swiss champions, from left to right: FM Vjekoslav Vulevic (Seniors), GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (both Men and Women), Aurélien Pomini (U-16), and André Meylan (U-18):
You can find lots of more photos, game and reports at Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk's personal blog at www.chessqueen.com.
India regained the team title in World Youth (Under-16) Chess Olympiad after a gap of five years with a resounding victory over Iran in the final round in Chongqing, China on Monday. The Indian quartet of S A Gagare, Murali Karthikeyan, Diptayan Ghosh and Sayantan Das beat Iran 3.5-0.5 in the 10th round to top the team standings with 30.5 points ahead of heavyweight Russia, who took second spot with 30 points, and Turkey (third with 26 points).
The Indian team won eight ties while drawing twice. This is India`s third title in this prestigious team event having won it previously in Singapore 2007 and Turkey 2008. International Master Gagare gave India a bright start by defeating Ahmad Asgari Zadeh before Karthikeyan drew his game against woman international master Sarasadat Khademalsharieh.
That was the only time Iran could pose a challenge in the tie as Ghosh and Das -- both Kolkata-based -- came up with impressive performances to beat Shahin Lorpari Zangeneh and Seyed Khalil Mousavi Palatkaleh respectively. Going through a purple patch, Sayantan, who had recently won Under-10 Nationals, clinched gold in the fourth board that also confirmed his IM title. He had got his first IM norm in 2009 and 3rd-and-last one in Bhubaneswar Grandmasters meet this year.
Sayantan, who has all age group national titles in his kitty, garnered 7.5 points out of nine games in this 10-round event en route to the gold, while Diptayan clinched a silver in the third board with 8.5 points out of 10. Gagare (6/9) and Karthikeyan (6.5/10) won bronze in the first and second boards respectively. India had started the Olympiad as second seed and also scored an important win against the top seed Russians. (PTI)
Appeal: 19.7.2013 (via Chessbase) - Vesna Rožic , 27, has played for her country in six Mitropa Cups, four European Championships and four Chess Olympiads. She is the second strongest Slovenian player, after world number four Anna Muzychuk. Now she has been struck by a very serious condition, metastatic peritoneal cancer. Always a fighter Vesna is determined not to give up but to combat the disease. For this she needs our help.
Chessbase received this letter from Rožič's father:
Dear Sir,
I turn to you with a request for a donation for the cancer treatment of my 26-year-old daughter Vesna Rožič. Vesna is a final year student of the Faculty of Medicine and a permanent member of the Slovenian chess team. In May this year she became seriously ill. The doctors diagnosed metastatic peritoneal carcinoma. Since Vesna fighter by nature, she has decided that we shall all work together to combat the cancer.
Vesna's treatment was initiated in Slovenia, where she has already received two cycles of systemic chemotherapy. This is not enough to cure the disease. We contacted the Medias Klinikum GmbH, Burghausen, Germany, where Vesna will receive further treatment. Doctors estimate that it will require at least three cycles of local chemotherapy. Each cycle costs between 15,000 and 20,000 Euros. These treatment costs are very high. We are able to pay for the first cycle of local chemotherapy in Germany, but turn to you and ask you to help us collect donations to pay the remaining costs of Vesna's treatment.
Maybe I did not say everything I wanted at the moment, but my distress and the hardship in our family is so great that I cannot do any better.
Yours sincerely,
Adrijan Rožič
The Slovenia Chess Federation has asked Chessbase, on behalf of the Rožič family, to help raise funds needed for Vesna's difficult struggle for life. Every Euro that is donated will be appreciated.
Donations should be addressed to the Regional Association of the Red Cross Maribor, IBAN: SI56 0451 5000 0397 432, Ref: 50751, purpose: Vesna Rožic. All funds received will be reserved exclusively for the payment of expenses for Vesna's treatment in Germany. In the event that more funds than necessary will be raised the remaining money will be allocated to the development of young chess players and chess activities of the Slovenia Chess Federation. – Primoz Kokalj, Secretary of the Slovenian Chess Federation.
