80th Ukrainian Championship – pictorial impressions

by ChessBase
6/23/2011 – We had completed our report on this championship, the stongest ever in the country, when we received a special report by its tournament director Yaroslav Mazurenko. The details on the final rounds and the fantastic triumph of Ruslan Ponomariov had been told, but the pictures by Yaroslav and Nikolay Gavljuk are worth sharing with our readers. Enjoy.
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80th Ukrainian Chess Championship

Photo report by Nikolay Gavljuk and Yaroslav Mazurenko

The twelve participants of this round robin event were all grandmasters, three with a rating above 2700 and six other participants with a rating higher than 2600. The average rating was 2650.5, which corresponds to a Category 17 tournament, making it the strongest Championship ever in the history of independent Ukraine.


The last game to finish was a 75-mover between Alexender Kovchan and Pavel Eljanov


Eljanov won it in a rook ending lasting over forty moves and took clear second place


The three prize winners, Ruslan Ponomariov, Pavel Eljanov and Zahar Efimenko...


... won these three trophies for in the 80th Ukrainian Chess Championship


Eljanov and Efimenko with their trophies

The President of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, world-famous sportsman Sergey Bubka, FIDE President Kirsan Iljumzhinov, Head of the State Agency for Sport and Youth Ravil Safiullin, President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Viktor Kapustin, and the chief arbiter of the Championship Leonid Bodankin at the closing ceremony.


The legendary pole vaulter Sergey Bubka speaks to participants and guests


Sergey Bubka and Viktor Kapustin


Ruslan Ponomariov with his special awards


GM Mikhail Golubev received an award as the trainer of Ponomariov

GM Alexander Moiseenko took a floor and on behalf of the players emotionally thanked the organizing committee and the President of the Ukrainian Chess Federation Viktor Kapustin for the outstanding event


Ruslan Ponomariov is interviewed by national TV, wirth Marketing Director of the UCF
Olena Boytsun looking on


After the closing ceremony a banquet took place at the restaurant “Panorama”,
which is located on the 12th floor of the Dnipro Hotel and is famous for its views of Kiew


Zahar Efimenko and girl-friend Angelina in the Panorama Restaurant


The trainer of the Ukrainian national team Alexander Sulypa, Olena Boytsun, Ruslan Ponomariov


The youngest participant of the Championship, GM Yuriy Vovk with Vladimir Grabinskiy

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 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

Previous reports by ChessBase

Promoting a country with chess
 03.05.2011 – The game of chess, with its air of intellectual sophistication, has been used to brand almost any activity, product or business. Now it will be used to promote an entire country – Ukraine, which has two heavy-weight boxing world champions (who play chess) and the Chess Olympiad gold medalists. So don't be surprised to see chess and sports promoting Ukraine in the world media.

Ponomariov leads 80th Ukrainian Chess Championship
 17.06.2011 – After a long break the Ukrainian Chess Federation has organized the Ukrainian Chess Championship 2011 in Kiev, from June, 9th until June 21st. It is the strongest event in the history of the independent Ukraine. After seven rounds former FIDE world champion Ruslan Ponomariov leads with 5.0/7 and a 2814 performance. We have received a big pictorial report by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich.

Ponomariov wins 80th Ukrainian Championship with 2853 performance
22.06.2011 – The strongest championship ever was full of exciting chess. That can be especially said of the winner, 27-year-old Ruslan Ponomariov, who showed aggressive, fighting spirit to the very last game. Only needing a draw to clinch the championship he went on to beat his main rival with the black pieces. He has gained thirteen points and will appear in the top ten in the next rating list. Final report.

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