Where is Vassily Ivanchuk?

9/10/2016 – The Ukrainian team seems to be in good shape at the Olympiad in Baku. They beat Russia and China and only lost to the USA. After seven rounds they have 12 from 14 possible team points and share second to seventh place, and are only one point behind the leading US team. However, one prominent player is missing in the line-up of the Ukrainians: Vassily Ivanchuk. Where is the Ukrainian top player? Well, he is playing an open in Poland - a draughts tournament.

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Since 1988 Vassily played in every Chess Olympiad, in 14 altogether. 1988 and 1990 he was part of the Soviet team, 1988 as a reserve player, but two years later, in 1990, he played on first board. From 1992 to 2014 Ivanchuk played twelve Olympiads for Ukraine, in eleven of them on board one.

Vassily Ivanchuk

1988 and 1990 Vassily Ivanchuk won gold with the Soviet team, 2004 and 2010 he won gold with the Ukrainian team. In 2010 he scored 80% on board one, had an Elo-Performance of 2890, and not only won gold with the team but also gold for the best individual result on board one.

But at the last Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, he scored only 4.0/9, a moderate result for the outstanding player. Now Ivanchuk decided that it is time for something different. Instead of travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan, to play in the Olympiad, he went to Karpacz, Poland, to take part in a draughts tournament.

It is an open draughts tournament with 104 participants. After eight rounds five players share the lead with 12/16. With three wins, one draw and four losses Ivanchuk (Elo 1956) is 65th with 7/16.

Table after eight rounds

Pl	Name		Rating	Ga	Wi	Dr	Lo	Pt	Whl	Wl
1	Alexander Getmanski	GMI	2376	8	4	4	0	12	63	75
2	Artem Ivanov	GMI	2378	8	5	2	1	12	59	71
3	Alexander Georgiev	GMI	2423	8	4	4	0	12	58	70
	Martijn van IJzendoorn	MI	2319	8	4	4	0	12	58	70
5	Jan Groenendijk	GMI	2363	8	4	4	0	12	57	68
6	Roel Boomstra	GMI	2422	8	3	5	0	11	65	77
7	Raimonds Vipulis	GMI	2284	8	4	3	1	11	62	74
8	Murodullo Amrillaev	GMI	2330	8	3	5	0	11	60	72
9	Mariusz Slezak		2107	8	5	1	2	11	59	71
10	Yuriy Anikeev	GMI	2345	8	3	5	0	11	58	70
11	Ron Heusdens	GMI	2285	8	3	5	0	11	56	67
12	Wouter Sipma	MI	2362	8	3	5	0	11	55	66
13	Rob Geurtsen		2191	8	4	3	1	11	52	62
14	Elena Cesnokova	MFF	2099	8	3	4	1	10	60	72
15	Wouter Wolff	MF	2213	8	3	4	1	10	57	69
16	Olga Fedorovich	GMIF	2217	8	3	4	1	10	56	67
17	Jakub Gazda		2044	8	3	4	1	10	54	66
	Danny Staal		2200	8	3	4	1	10	54	65
19	Darja Fedorovich	MIF	2198	8	3	4	1	10	53	65
	Vadim Virny	GMI	2365	8	2	6	0	10	53	64
21	Jitse Slump	MF	2232	8	3	4	1	10	51	63
	Elena Kychkina		1991	8	3	4	1	10	51	62

... 104 players

Vassily Ivanchuk, a strong draughts amateur (Photo: heerhugowaardopen.nl)

Ivanchuk has been playing in draughts tournaments before. Last year, the chess grandmaster took part in the Dutch Draughts Open, in May 2016 he started in the Salou Open.