The incredibly strong Russian Team Championship is under way in Sochi, Russia. The single round robin tournament features the strongest Russian squads. The matches are 6v6, with each team having six player in their line-up plus two reserves.
Siberia Novisibirsk had no problems wrapping up the tournament. They rested their top two players, Aronian and Kramnik, and still had no issue winning 4.5-1.5 against the relatively weak team of Yamal, who finished in last place.
Meanwhile the exciting race for second place proved to be somewhat disappointing. Six draws in games that did not seem particularly hard fought gave University of Belorechensk second place while Bronze Horsemen from Saint Petersburg clinched third.

All darws in Saint Petersburg vs. University of Belorechensk

Ian Nepomniachtchi scored a slightly disappointing 3.0/7

Alexander Grischuk only played four games, but scored three points

Peter Svidler for Saint Petersburg

If there was a brilliancy prize, it was probably this very game pictured above. Najer playing black against Motylev. This was the pretty ending to this attacking miniature:
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14...f5!? 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Qxe6+ Kb8 17.Ng1 Re8 18.Qf5 Nb4 19.Bxb4 cxb4 20.Nf3 b3 21.axb3 Re3 22.Ne5 22.Bg2 22...Qxb3 23.Ng6? 23.Rh2!∞ 23...Bb4! 24.Rh2 24.Nxh8 Bd2+! 25.Rxd2 25.Kxd2 Qxb2# 25...Re1+ 24...Rc8! 25.Ne5 a6?! 26.Nd7+ Nxd7 27.Qxd7 Rxc4+! 28.dxc4 Rc3+! 29.bxc3 Ba3+ 29...Ba3+ 30.Kd2 Qxc3+ 31.Ke2 Qe3# 0–1
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Motylev,A | 2653 | Najer,E | 2634 | 0–1 | 2015 | B11 | TCh-RUS Men 2015 | 6.3 |
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Goryachkina scored 3.5/7 playing third board for Yamal
Final Standings
Rk. |
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
TB1 |
TB2 |
TB3 |
1 |
Sibir (Novosibirsk) |
* |
4 |
3½ |
4½ |
3½ |
3½ |
4½ |
4½ |
14 |
28.0 |
0 |
2 |
University (Belorechensk) |
2 |
* |
3 |
3½ |
3½ |
4 |
4 |
4½ |
11 |
24.5 |
0 |
3 |
Bronze Horseman (St. Petersburg) |
2½ |
3 |
* |
3½ |
2½ |
3½ |
4 |
6 |
9 |
25.0 |
0 |
4 |
SHSM-Our Heritage (Moscow) |
1½ |
2½ |
2½ |
* |
3½ |
3½ |
3½ |
3½ |
8 |
20.5 |
0 |
5 |
Malachite (Sverdlovsk region) |
2½ |
2½ |
3½ |
2½ |
* |
4 |
2½ |
4 |
6 |
21.5 |
0 |
6 |
Lada (Samara region) |
2½ |
2 |
2½ |
2½ |
2 |
* |
4 |
3½ |
4 |
19.0 |
0 |
7 |
Rook (Kazan) |
1½ |
2 |
2 |
2½ |
3½ |
2 |
* |
3 |
3 |
16.5 |
0 |
8 |
Yamal (YaNAO) |
1½ |
1½ |
0 |
2½ |
2 |
2½ |
3 |
* |
1 |
13.0 |
0 |
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Women's Section
Meanwhile in the Women's section things were a little more interesting. The matches were 4v4 instead of 6v6. In this section SHSM was the clear favorite, basically fielding the Russian Women's Olympic team:
Bo. |
|
Name |
Rtg |
FED |
FideID |
Pts. |
Games |
1 |
GM |
Kosteniuk Alexandra |
2530 |
RUS |
4128125 |
3.5 |
6.0 |
2 |
GM |
Gunina Valentina |
2535 |
RUS |
4167570 |
5.0 |
5.0 |
3 |
WGM |
Girya Olga |
2479 |
RUS |
4195752 |
4.5 |
6.0 |
4 |
IM |
Kovalevskaya Ekaterina |
2450 |
RUS |
4116704 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
5 |
IM |
Kashlinskaya Alina |
2423 |
RUS |
4198026 |
2.5 |
5.0 |
The second rated team was Yugra
2. Югра (ХМАО) (RtgAvg:2448 / TB1: 10 / TB2: 19.5) |
Bo. |
|
Name |
Rtg |
FED |
FideID |
Pts. |
Games |
1 |
GM |
Ushenina Anna |
2467 |
UKR |
14110911 |
4.0 |
6.0 |
2 |
WGM |
Pogonina Natalija |
2474 |
RUS |
4147855 |
3.5 |
6.0 |
3 |
IM |
Mkrtchian Lilit |
2459 |
ARM |
13300601 |
4.0 |
6.0 |
4 |
IM |
Guseva Marina |
2391 |
RUS |
4149351 |
3.5 |
5.0 |
5 |
WGM |
Kovanova Baira |
2384 |
RUS |
4164083 |
4.5 |
5.0 |
However the big surprise of the tournament was the team from Saint Petersburg:
4. СДЮСШОР ШШ (Санкт-Петербург) (RtgAvg:2297 / TB1: 11 / TB2: 18.5) |
Bo. |
|
Name |
Rtg |
FED |
FideID |
Pts. |
Games |
1 |
IM |
Bodnaruk Anastasia |
2402 |
RUS |
4181751 |
5.5 |
7.0 |
2 |
IM |
Ovod Evgenija |
2320 |
RUS |
4131827 |
4.5 |
7.0 |
3 |
WFM |
Belenkaya Dina |
2235 |
RUS |
24142654 |
3.0 |
7.0 |
4 |
WIM |
Balaian Alina |
2230 |
RUS |
24115347 |
5.5 |
7.0 |
Amazing performances by Balaian and Bodnaruk, with 5.5/7 each, allowed the Saint Petersburg team to really fight for first place. They beat SHSM in round two and the top team had to play catch-up for the rest of the tournament. All the Saint Petersburg team needed in the last round was a 2.5-1.5 score against the weak team of Donchanka. However disaster struck, and they only managed a 2-2 draw.
SHSM took full advantage of their gift: they destroyed the University of Belorechensk 3.5-1.5, caught up to Saint Petersburg on match points and surpassed them with the better tie break (game points).
Perhaps a disappointing last round for the team from Saint Petersburg, but an excellent tournament nonetheless for them. Yugra took clear third with 10.0/14.

Natalia Pogonina playing for Yugra

Llit Mrktchian

Alexandra Kosteniuk had a rough showing, losing 10 rating points

Anastasia Bondaruk had a fantastic tournament

Karina Ambartsumova

Their getting used to winning when playing next to each other: Valentina Gunina and Olga Girya
Final Standings
Rk. |
Team |
1.Rd |
2.Rd |
3.Rd |
4.Rd |
5.Rd |
6.Rd |
7.Rd |
TB1 |
TB2 |
1 |
SHSM-Our Heritage (Moscow) |
8b3 |
2w1½ |
3b3 |
4b2 |
5w4 |
9b3½ |
6w3½ |
11 |
20.5 |
2 |
SDYUSSHOR Hilti (St. Petersburg) |
9w4 |
1b2½ |
4W2 |
6b3 |
3W2 |
7b3 |
8w2 |
11 |
18.5 |
3 |
Yugra (Khanty) |
5w3½ |
6b2 |
1W1 |
9b4 |
2b2 |
4W3 |
10w4 |
10 |
19.5 |
4 |
Boavista (Moscow) |
10b4 |
8w3 |
2b2 |
1w2s |
6b3 |
3b1 |
7W2 |
9 |
17.0 |
5 |
Grozny (Chechnya) |
3b½ |
10w4 |
6in1 |
7b2½ |
1b0 |
8w2½ |
9w3 |
8 |
13.5 |
6 |
University (Belorechensk) |
7b2½ |
3W2 |
5b3 |
2in1 |
4in1 |
10b3 |
1b½ |
7 |
13.0 |
7 |
Rook (Kazan) |
6w1½ |
9b2 |
8w2½ |
5w1½ |
10b4 |
2in1 |
4b2 |
6 |
14.5 |
8 |
Donchanka (Rostov region) |
1W1 |
4b1 |
7b1½ |
10w2½ |
9w2 |
5b1½ |
2b2 |
4 |
11.5 |
9 |
Academy Grandmaster IV Glek (Moscow |
2b0 |
7W2 |
10b2½ |
3w0 |
8b2 |
1w½ |
5b1 |
4 |
8.0 |
10 |
Kuban (Krasnodar region) |
4w0 |
5b0 |
9w1½ |
8b1½ |
7w0 |
6in1 |
3b0 |
0 |
4.0 |
Replay last round games

Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
- Start an analysis engine:
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All pictures in this report were taken by Maria Fominykh

The photographer with a beautiful background in Sochi

WIM Maria Fominykh is a former u16 European Champion and is
now, besides a strong chess player, a chess journalist