Chess Club Black & White (CCBW)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

GM Simen Agdestein Wins Oslo International Chess 2013

Top three in the GM Group (from left) GMs Simen Agdestein, Evgeny Postny, Andrei Istratescu.

GM Simen Agdestein of Norway has won the GM-group ahead of GM Evgeny Postny of Israel and GM Andrei Istratescu of France at the Oslo Chess International (renamed Håvard Vederhus' memorial) that was held from September 29-October 6.

IM Benjamin Bok of the Netherlands made a GM-norm, while WFM Raghavi Nagarajan of India fullfilled her WIM-title by passing 2200 in elo. Also playing was India's B Adhiban who finished tenth with a fine showing. The elo-group was won by Norwegian junior Jens Hjorth Kjølberg.

Talented Indian players N Raghavi and B Adhiban.

Top four in the elo-group (from left) Lien (3), Harstad (2), Kjølberg (1) and Silva Gonzàlez (4). (Photos: Olga Dolzhykova)

You can find lots of nice photos of the event and chess in Oslo at the Facebook page Stormester & Stormester. Don't forget to Like their page!

Grandmaster Agdestein beat GM Leif E Johannessen in the last round to conclude the event with 7,0/9 points continuing his excellent chess performance after staying ahead of the field at in the Sant Martí Chess Open and Telenor World Cup Blitz. He narrowly missed the title at the Dieppe Open.

Don't forget, GM Agdestein is also the author of a fascinating book on World Chess Championship challenger Magnus Carlsen! Click on this link to read a review.

Here is a nice game from the tournament. You can find all the games at the official website.

Turov, Maxim (2586) - Agdestein, Simen (2595)

Result: 0-1

Site: Ullevaal Stadion

Date: 2013.09.29

[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.♗g5 ♗b4 6.e3 h6 7.♗h4 g5 8.♗g3 ♘e4 9.♕a4+ ♘c6 10.♗b5 ♗xc3+ 11.bxc3 ♗d7 12.♘e2 a6 13.♗xc6 ♗xc6 14.♕a3 ♕d7 15.f3 ♘xg3 16.hxg3 ♗b5 17.g4 f5 18.gxf5 ♕xf5 19.♕b2 O-O-O 20.♘g3 ♕g6 21.O-O-O ♖de8 22.e4 g4 23.♕f2 h5 24.♖de1 ♗c4 25.♘f5 ♗d3 26.fxg4 ♗xe4 27.♖xh5 ♖xh5 28.gxh5 ♕g5+ 29.♔b2 ♖e6 30.♘e3 ♕xh5 31.♔a1 b6 32.♔b2 ♕e8 33.♕d2 a5 34.♘g4 ♖g6 35.♘e3 ♕b5+ 36.♔a1 a4 37.♕e2 ♕a5 38.♕d2 a3 39.♘c4 ♕b5 40.♘xa3 ♕a4 41.♔b2 ♖xg2 42.♖e2 ♖g8 43.♕e1 ♖g4 44.♖f2 ♔b7 45.♕f1 ♖h4 46.♕b5 ♕d1 47.♕e2 ♕g1 48.♕f1 ♕g3 49.♖e2 ♖f4 50.♕e1 ♕g6 51.♕d2 ♖g4 52.♘c2 ♗d3 53.♖f2 ♖g1 54.♘e1 ♗e4 55.♘c2 ♕c6 56.♘a3 ♖g8 57.♕d1 ♖g3 58.♕e1 ♖h3 59.♖e2 ♖h1 60.♕d2 ♕a4 61.♖e1 ♖h8 62.♘c2 ♕b5+ 63.♔a1 ♖g8 64.♘e3 ♖a8 65.♖c1 ♕d7 66.♕e2 ♖g8 67.♕f2 ♕d6 68.♕d2 ♖g3 69.♖e1 ♕f4 70.♘f1 ♕xd2 71.♘xd2 ♗d3 72.♔b2 ♖g2 73.♔c1 ♔a6 74.♖e7 c6 75.♖e3 ♗g6 76.♖e6 ♔b7 77.♖e7+ ♔a6 78.♖e6 ♔b5 79.a4+ ♔xa4 80.♖xc6 ♔a3 81.♔d1 ♗d3 82.♔e1 b5 83.♘f3 ♔b2 84.♘e5 ♗c4 85.♘xc4+ bxc4 86.♖c5 ♔xc3 87.♖xd5 ♔d3 88.♖c5 c3 89.d5 ♖e2+ 90.♔f1 ♖e5 91.♔f2 c2 92.♔f3 ♖e1 93.♔f4 ♖e4+

Ilyumzhinov on Kasparov Move to Contest FIDE Elections 2014

It's just the beginning and this topic is going to be getting hotter by the day. Stay tuned for selective updates from our side. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has commented on former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov declaring his candidacy for 2014 FIDE presidential elections. Here are the comments: via www.chess-news.ru.

"I have been getting the majority of votes since 1995," ITAR-TASS quotes Ilyumzhinov. "If talking of 2010 elections in which my rival was Anatoly Karpov, who was actually actively supported by Garry Kasparov, I had even double advantage. The same happened in 2006. There are no doubts that the very same thing will happen next year too. Well, maybe someone else will present his candidature today... Isn't it nice that sooner or earlier all world champions are trying themselves as presidential candidatures? Let's suggest them to get together - 12th, 13th, 14th champion - and run for the post together."

"I had several tasks when I was nominated in 1995: to save FIDE from bankruptcy, to unite chess world, to popularize chess as a sport, to make chess recognized by the IOC. Those tasks were accomplished. Now we only need to have chess at the winter Olympics. Chess in Schools project is also developing. So, there's still a lot of work to do, that's why I agreed to nominate myself for one more term. This is also my decision.

As regards to Kasparov's nomination - he is always much into PR. Once he wants to be Russia president, then he tries to be the leader of opposition. It's clear that now he needs FIDE president post for solving his own political tasks. It's doubtful that chess players will support him. We have a different motto - "Gens una sumus" - "We are one people." Well, in general it's pleasant for me to see the return of the prodigal son, it seems like my work for chess development for 18 years wasn't done in vain."

Former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov announced his candidacy for the FIDE election 2014 in Tallinn, Estonia yesterday. You can keep track of Kasparov's team and campaign at the official website: http://kasparov2014.com/. Here's an exclusive Chess.com video interview (must-watch at that) right after the Kasparov candidacy announcement.