80th Ukrainian Chess Championship
Photo report by Nikolay Gavljuk and Yaroslav Mazurenko
The twelve participants of this round robin event were all grandmasters, three
with a rating above 2700 and six other participants with a rating higher than
2600. The average rating was 2650.5, which corresponds to a Category 17 tournament,
making it the strongest Championship ever in the history of independent Ukraine.
The last game to finish was a 75-mover between Alexender Kovchan and Pavel
Eljanov
Eljanov won it in a rook ending lasting over forty moves and took clear
second place
The three prize winners, Ruslan Ponomariov, Pavel Eljanov and Zahar Efimenko...
... won these three trophies for in the 80th Ukrainian Chess Championship
Eljanov and Efimenko with their trophies
The President of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, world-famous sportsman Sergey
Bubka, FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov, Head of the State Agency for Sport
and Youth Ravil Safiullin, President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Viktor
Kapustin, and the chief arbiter of the Championship Leonid Bodankin at the closing
ceremony.
The legendary pole vaulter Sergey
Bubka speaks to participants and guests
Sergey Bubka and Viktor Kapustin
Ruslan Ponomariov with his special awards
GM Mikhail Golubev received an award as the trainer of Ponomariov
GM Alexander Moiseenko took a floor and on behalf of the players emotionally
thanked the organizing committee and the President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation
Viktor Kapustin for the outstanding event
Ruslan Ponomariov is interviewed by national TV, wirth Marketing Director
of the UCF
Olena Boytsun looking on
After the closing ceremony a banquet took place at the restaurant
“Panorama”,
which is located on the 12th floor of the Dnipro Hotel and is famous for its
views of Kiew
Zahar Efimenko and girl-friend Angelina in the Panorama Restaurant
The trainer of the Ukrainian national team Alexander Sulypa, Olena Boytsun,
Ruslan Ponomariov
The youngest participant of the Championship, GM Yuriy Vovk with Vladimir
Grabinskiy
Previous reports by ChessBase
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Promoting a country with chess
03.05.2011 – The game of chess, with its air
of intellectual sophistication, has been used to brand almost any activity,
product or business. Now it will be used to promote an entire country
– Ukraine, which has two heavy-weight boxing world champions (who play
chess) and the Chess Olympiad gold medalists. So don't be surprised to
see chess and sports promoting
Ukraine in the world media. |
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Ponomariov leads 80th Ukrainian Chess Championship
17.06.2011 – After a long break the Ukrainian
Chess Federation has organized the Ukrainian Chess Championship 2011 in
Kiev, from June, 9th until June 21st. It is the strongest event in the
history of the independent Ukraine. After seven rounds former FIDE world
champion Ruslan Ponomariov leads with 5.0/7 and a 2814 performance. We
have received a big
pictorial report by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich. |
| 
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Ponomariov wins 80th Ukrainian Championship with
2853 performance
22.06.2011 – The strongest championship ever
was full of exciting chess. That can be especially said of the winner,
27-year-old Ruslan Ponomariov, who showed aggressive, fighting spirit
to the very last game. Only needing a draw to clinch the championship
he went on to beat his main rival with the black pieces. He has gained
thirteen points and will appear in the top ten in the next rating list.
Final
report. |
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