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This is what transpired: GM Wang Hao, rated just under 2700, had won most of his games and was clearly in the lead for practically the entire tournament. Following him at a distance of 1.5 points was teenager Ding Liren, with two rounds to play. The two faced each other in round ten, and Ding won.
In the final round Wang had 8.0/10 and Liren at 7.5 points. Wang needing to win to take the championship, since if Liren won and he drew the younger player had the better tiebreak standing. So tensions were high. The round started and Ding Liren's opponent, Zhou Jianchao, was not at the board. These days with FIDE's new "zero tolerance" rule that means instant forfeit. And thus the Chinese Championship was decided.
The arbiter comes to the game Zhou Jianchao-Ding Liren and awards it to the
latter, who is clearly delighted to...
...win the game, the tournament and the championship without playing a move!
The clock on the giant screen shows why Ding won: At one minute and 47 seconds his opponent has not yet taken his seat. The untitled Ding Liren, rated 2458, thus became the new Chinese Chess Champion, at sixteen the youngest ever! Congratulations (we suppose).
On the adjacent table the distraught leader Wang Hao (2696, left) loses to tail-ender
Liang Chong (2511). This was Wang's second consecutive loss and it cost him
the championship.
Incidentally the youngest player and the only female in the event, Hou Yifan, was also forfeited in round eight, against tailender Liang Chong. Hou was in the hall, we are told, had filled out her scoresheet and was waiting for the game to start. But when it did, at 14:00:00h, she was not actually sitting on her chair in front of the board. 0-1.
Hou Yifan was forfeited in round eight against Liang Chong for not
being actually seated in her chair at at the start of the game.
Tie Breaks: 1. The results of the players in the same point group; 2. Sonneborn-Berger-Tie-Break (with real points); 3. The greater number of wins.
Bu Xiangzhi, third in the championship with 7.0/11 points
The winner of the women's section, with 9.0/11 and a 2600 performance: Shen
Yang
Second: Zhao Xue with 8.5/11 points
Tan Zhongyi, third in the women's section with 8.0/11 points
Gu Xiaobing, seventh with 6.0/11
All these pictures are by courtesy of the Sina Chess News blog
Links
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and a selection on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse the PGN games. |
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