19th Fajr Open under way

2/28/2011 – This exotic open tournament is staged regularly in the north-western part of Iran, very close to eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, southern Armenia and Azerbaijan. Amongst the participants are 25 GMs, 15 IMs and 10 FMs. Nine GMs are rated 2600+. After three rounds there are 24 players with perfect scores. One of them, GM Sergey Tiviakov, sent us this pictorial report from Fajr.

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The 19th Fajr Open is taking place from 26th February – 7th March 2011 in Mashhad, Iran. There are no rest days, and two rounds played on Feb. 26 and Mar. 4, with the first game starting at 09:00 a.m., as does the single game in the final round on March 7. Amongst the participants are 25 GMs, 15 IMs and 10 FMs. Nine GMs are rated 2600+.

Top participants (2400+)

No. Ti. Player FED Rtng
1 GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam UZB 2681
2 GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2670
3 GM Mchedlishvili Mikheil GEO 2641
4 GM Tiviakov Sergey NED 2623
5 GM Gagunashvili Merab GEO 2619
6 GM Sumets Andrey UKR 2619
7 GM Filippov Anton UZB 2604
8 GM Ghaem maghami Ehsan IRI 2604
9 GM Volkov Sergey RUS 2602
10 GM Fedorov Alexei BLR 2593
11 GM Guseinov Gadir AZE 2591
12 GM Gleizerov Evgeny RUS 2581
13 GM Mamedov Nidjat AZE 2580
14 GM Shanava Konstantine GEO 2560
15 GM Moradiabadi Elshan IRI 2558
16 GM Ulibin Mikhail RUS 2547
17 GM Dizdar Goran CRO 2544
 
18 GM Abbasov Farid AZE 2537
19 IM Sebenik Matej SLO 2526
20 IM Benidze Davit IRI 2522
21 GM Kotanjian Tigran ARM 2519
22 GM Mahjoob Morteza IRI 2519
23 GM Neverov Valeriy UKR 2516
24 GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2493
25 IM Guliev Logman AZE 2464
26 IM Grover Sahaj IND 2462
27 IM Maghalashvili Davit GEO 2453
28 IM Darini Pouria IRI 2423
29 IM Vaibhav Suri IND 2421
30 FM Ahmadinia E IRI 2417
31 IM Alavi Seyed Javad IRI 2415
32 FM Abbasifar Hasan IRI 2411
33 GM Gaprindashvili Valeriane GEO 2404
34 IM Bodiroga Predrag SRB 2400
35 IM Morchiashvili Bachana GEO 2400

Standings after three rounds

Rk. Ti. Name FED Rtng Pts.
1 GM Tiviakov Sergey NED 2623 3.0
2 GM Volkov Sergey RUS 2602 3.0
3 GM Moiseenko Alexander UKR 2670 3.0
4 GM Guseinov Gadir AZE 2591 3.0
5 GM Mamedov Nidjat AZE 2580 3.0
6 GM Moradiabadi Elshan IRI 2558 3.0
7 GM Ulibin Mikhail RUS 2547 3.0
8 IM Sebenik Matej SLO 2526 3.0
9 IM Benidze Davit GEO 2522 3.0
10 GM Kotanjian Tigran ARM 2519 3.0
11 GM Neverov Valeriy UKR 2516 3.0
12 GM Dzhumaev Marat UZB 2493 3.0
13 IM Guliev Logman AZE 2464 3.0
14 IM Maghalashvili Davit GEO 2453 3.0
15 IM Darini Pouria IRI 2423 3.0
16 FM Ahmadinia E IRI 2417 3.0
 
Rk. Ti. Name FED Rtng Pts.
17 IM Alavi Seyed Javad IRI 2415 3.0
18 Khademi Mohammad IRI 2242 3.0
19 Abedi Ali IRI 2159 3.0
20 IM Bodiroga Predrag SRB 2400 3.0
21 GM Ghaem maghami Ehsan IRI 2604 3.0
22 GM Gleizerov Evgeny RUS 2581 3.0
23 GM Ghane Shojaat IRI 2398 3.0
24 IM Morchiashvili Bachana GEO 2400 3.0
25 GM Fedorov Alexei BLR 2593 2.5
26 IM Grover Sahaj IND 2462 2.5
27 IM Azaladze Shota GEO 2456 2.5
28 Bolourchifard Farzad IRI 2139 2.5
29 IM Darban Morteza IRI 2320 2.5
30 Mosadeghpoor Mohsen IRI 2121 2.5
31 FM Sharbaf Mohsen IRI 2392 2.5
32 Ryahi Naser IRI 2217 2.5

We have not been able to obtain the games from the 19th Fajr Open yet. The organisers have promised to send them, but were not immediately forthcoming. If anyone is able to locate games please inform us.

Impressions from Mashhad

By GM Sergey Tiviakov

Mashhad is located 850 kilometres (530 miles) east of Tehran, close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. It is the second largest city in Iran with a population of about 2½ million. It is also one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world, known as the resting place of the Imam Reza.


Explore the area in eastern Iran in the window above or on a larger map

Panorama veiw of Mashhad – source: Mazi Ahmadi for Wikipedia (where a stunning full-res version is available)


The Imam Reza shrine, which dominates the city (source: Wikipedia)

Imam Reza shrine is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Imam Ridha, the eighth Imam of Twelver Shi'ites. It is the second largest mosque in the world, 267,000 sq.m. in size and able to accommodate 700,000 worshippers (compared to the 357,000 sq.m. of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, which accommodates up to four million during the Hajj period). The Imam Reza complex includes the Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries, a cemetery, the Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, a dining hall for pilgrims, vast prayer halls, and other buildings.


GM Sergey Volkov inside the Imam Reza shrine complex


Repair work on some of the many the minarets


A blue mosque in the city


The Mashhad city center


Pedestrian area


The Reza Bazaar


A store with sweets and groceries


GM Volkov in a carpet store


A gallery of carpet pictures


The tournament location in the Mashad Torghabeh Grand Hotel


A round of the 19th Fajr Open under way


Second seed GM Alexander GM Moiseenko of Ukraine, rated 2670, faces a youngster Vojdani Siavosh, 11, rated 1753, in the first round. In the background: Rustam Kasimdzhanov waits for his opponent.


Top seed GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov, UZB, rated 2681.


The poster of the event (click to get it in full resolution)

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