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Each year in February, you just have to pay a "modest fee" of around 600 dollars (flight with Aeroflot Airways + ten nights in a hotel) to gain access to the main non-official chess market place. This year in the huge Moscow Rossija Hotel in front of Kremlin you could meet 163 grandmasters, and some of the most active personalities involved in chess world.
Alexander Bakh (on the left), creator of Open Aeroflot, and Alexander Roshal,
chief editor of famous magazine 64 (on the right), with Vassily Smyslov. The
legendary seventh world champion will celebrate his 83rd birthday on March
24! After singing a few opera arias for pleasure in the Aeroflot Open press
room, Vasya declared: "I have been in search of harmony all my life, as
well in music as in chess or composition."
Alexander Bakh with former State Duma Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman
Alexander Zhukov, President of Russian Chess Federation, and Russian State
Sports Committee Vyacheslav Fetisov, former Russia's Olympic Ice Hockey coach
and one of the country's most titled players. After being elected to the Ice
Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001 Fetisov said: "I have achieved everything
I dreamed of in my childhood."
The winner of the 2004 Aeroflot Open, Sergei Rublevsky (2655), is congratulated
for his great performance by two distinguished French players: tenth World
Champion Boris Spassky and Joël Lautier, recently elected President of
Association of
Chess Professionals ACP.
12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov receives a present from chess artist Veronika
Kasatkina.
Former FIDE World Champion Alexander Khalifman, from Saint Petersburg, who
is officially representing ACP in Russia and Soviet ex-Republics, analysing
his game against young Ukrainian star Sergey Karjakin.
Israeli IM and study composer Yochanan Afek (on right) with distinguished Isaac
Linder, reputed to be the best Russian chess scholar.
Antonio Rami Alos, General Manager for development of "Ajuntament de Calvia
Mallorca", who presented the organisation of Olympiads 2004, in October
in Baleares.
The delegation of "Calvia Olympiads 2004", assisted by its mascot,
visited the UEFA Cup soccer match Spartak against Mallorca, played in the same
time in Moscow.
Once upon a time a fantastic chess land named USSR lost lot of its champions
because of the dramatic failure of its utopian political system. As a consequence,
some of secrets of former Soviet school were dispersed world wide! Here, from
west to east: IGM Tukmakov, trainer of best Swiss hopeful Severin Papa; GM
Juri Razuvaev, is one of the best Russian trainers and a very talented writer;
Genna Sosonko, New in Chess author in the Netherlands; Boris Gulko, top USA
grandmaster; and the great master Anatoly Bykhovsky, curator of a large part
of Russian chess history, trainer of Russia's top talent Alexander Grischuk.
Joël Lautier of the ACP, talking with Boris Kutin, President of European
Chess Union, during closing ceremony.
Everybody wants to know what is happening in chess world, even the Russian
media, who are seen here interviewing GM Igor Glek, board member of the ACP.
Jordi Lopez, coach of current European champion team Nao Chess Club,
reading fantastic comments of Wijk aan Zee’s game Anand-Bareev, written
by the Indian champion for the latest issue of Europe Echecs
In the Aeroflot Airbus on his way back to Paris, former individual Russian
(and French!) champion Anatoly Vaïsser, reading news about his friend
Kramnik in the last issue of the magazine 64.
In front of Rossija Hotel, facing the Kremlin, legendary Evgeny Sveshnikov
(left) with your reporter Jean-Michel Péchiné, representing the
well-known French magazine Europe Echecs.
Two of 64 magazine’s team: Marina Bossonova, young and talented
photographer, and Oleg Pervakov, reputed to be one of the world's best chess
composers and editor’s of Smyslov’s studies.
In such a complicated men’s world we find the pretty Oxana Kosteniuk
(16 years old, Elo 2113), who impressed everyone by her accuracy, calm, gentleness
in press room. Oxana, who is the sister of Alexandra Kosteniuk. is already
writing regularly for 64!
Three young hopefuls: Youth World Champion from Azerbadjian Mamedyarov (on left, 2646), 18, with Ukrainian GM Sergey Karjakin (2566), 14, and Russian Evgeny Alekseev (2606), 18.
Former French women champion Marie Sebag, 17
Sanan Sjugirov (2260), 11, youth World Champion, with his assistant Sanal Shavapov.
The famous GM Yuri Yakovich is actually the coach of this young Russian future
star!
The latest star of Central America, Alejandro Ramirez (2499) from Costa-Rica,
who won the GM title at the age of 15, with Ukrainian star Kateryna Lahno (2493),
14.
The "Mozart of chess" Magnus Carlsen (2484), 13, who obtained his
second GM norm during the Aeroflot 2004!
Text
and photos by Jean-Michel Péchiné, 
