Basel Chess Festival launches 2014

by ChessBase
1/4/2014 – Right after the Zurich Open that concluded the year 2013 comes the Basel Chess Festival, also in Switzerland, launching the new year in fine style. The event has grown each year and in the 230 players, are no fewer than seventeen grandmasters, many who came directly from Zurich. The top seed is Radoslaw Wojtaszek once more, but sharing the lead are Robin van Kampen and Ivan Popov.

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

The Basel Chess Festival has been growing year after year, and the number of participants has risen from 201 to 230 players. The level has also risen with an impressive starting lineup that included seventeen grandmasters, fourteen International Masters and four Women's Grandmasters.

The favorite is top seed Radoslaw Wojtaszek, rated 2711, who is fresh from a win at the Zurich Christmas Open. However with so many grandmasters, it is anything but certain, and a single moment of weakness can hand the victory to another.  

He managed to win the Zurich Christmas Open at the last
minute, can top-seed Wojtaszek make it two for two?

After three rounds the leaders had been reduced to six players with a perfect 3.0/3, including Fier, Popov, van Kampen, Sengupta, Popilski, and Wojtaszek. Trailing them were no fewer than thirteen players with 2.5/3.

Brazilian GM Alexandre Fier has had a strong start

Indian GM Deep Sengupta

In round four, Wojtaszek and Fier played a hard attacking game, but neither was able to prevail and they drew. Nineteen-year-old Robin van Kampen and Ivan Popov were the only players able to keep an impeccable record.

Russian GM Boris Grachev is one of the top ratings in the event

Round five saw that end, as the two leaders drew against each other, giving Wojtaszek the chance to catch up with them at 4.5/5. They are trailed by eleven players at 4.0/5 and it may end in a photo finish.

Russian Ivan Popov hopes to for another good result

Nineteen-year-old Robin van Kampen has also had a great start

Pictures by U. Zinke

Standings after five rounds

Rk
Ti.
Name
Rtg
Fed
Pts
 TB
1
GM
Popov Ivan
2644
RUS
4.5
32.0
2
GM
van Kampen Robin
2601
NED
4.5
32.5
3
GM
Wojtaszek Radoslaw
2711
POL
4.5
31.0
4
GM
Fier Alexandr
2572
BRA
4.0
30.5
5
GM
Popilski Gils
2490
ISR
4.0
30.0
6
GM
Kovalenko Igor
2643
LAT
4.0
26.5
7
GM
Sengupta Deep
2570
IND
4.0
33.0
8
IM
Heimann Andreas
2511
GER
4.0
33.0
9
GM
Grachev Boris
2669
RUS
4.0
30.0
10
GM
Mareco Sandro
2581
ARG
4.0
30.0
11
GM
Bartel Mateusz
2649
POL
4.0
30.0
12
GM
Sengupta Deep
2570
IND
4.0
28.0
13
GM
El Debs Felipe de
2520
BRA
4.0
28.0
14
GM
Rodshtein Maxim
2683
ISR
4.0
28.0
15
GM
Sethuraman S P.
2553
IND
4.0
27.0

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register