Aeroflot Open 2013 starts as Rapid and Blitz festival

by ChessBase
2/12/2013 – The popular Aeroflot Open, which for eleven years has been staged as a classical chess event, has this year become rapid and blitz tournament, taking place from 12 to 17 February 2013 in Moscow. After four rounds there are six players with perfect scores, followed by thirteen who have conceded a single draw. From Friday there is a 32-player knockout followed by the Grand Final. Big illustrated report.
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The venue is the International informational exhibition centre “InfoProstranstvo” (above) in Moscow, and the total prize fund of all tournaments in the festival amounts to US $150,000. This year's event is especial because it is the 90th anniversary of the leading Russian airline that lends it its name.

Schedule

  • February 12-13: qualifying rapid tournament, a nine round Swiss played at 15 minutes per game plus 10 seconds per move increment.

  • February 14: massive blitz tournament with eight guest stars (e.g. Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Dmitry Andreikin, Sergey Karjakin, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wang Hao and Shahriyar Mammadyarov). Nine round Swiss, three minutes per game plus two seconds increment per move. Prize fund US $50,000.

  • February 15: Knockout tournament with 32 winners of the qualifying rounds. In each round two games are played, at 15 minutes per game plus 10 seconds increment per move. In case of a draw there will be an Armageddon blitz – 5 minutes (White) vs 4 minutes (Black) + 3 seconds increment, which White must win. Eight winners go into the main final. Participants who took places 9-16 get $1,500, places 17-32 get $ 1,000.

  • February 16-17: Grand Final with eight guest stars (Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Dmitry Andreikin, Sergey Karjakin, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Wang Hao and Shahriyar Mammadyarov) and the eight winners of the qualifying competition. Knock-out system, with two games at 15 minutes per game plus 10 seconds per move and Armageddon tie break. Prize fund $72,000 (1st 16,000, 2nd 10,000, 3-4 $6,000, 5-8 $3,500, 9-16 $2,500).

  • February 17: closing ceremonies (February 18 departure).


February 11th was the day of arrival of the participants and, at 8 p.m. the opening ceremony was
held. It started with images from previous tournaments projected on a giant video screen.

Arkady Dvorkovich, who is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Chess Federation and also Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, spoke to the visitors. On the right in the above pictures is Vitaly Savelyev, the Director General of Aeroflot Airlines.


Guest of honour at this year's tournament: 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov


In the audience: US GM Gata Kamsky, top seed in this event with a rating of 2760


The playing venue of the 2013 Aeroflot Open in Moscow


In the lead after four rounds: Ukrainian GM Anton Korobov, rated 2733


In third place: GM Surya Ganguly winning his fourth game against Pavel Tregubov


4th: GM Inarkiev Ernesto, RUS, rated 2628, with 4.0/4 points


6th: GM Sanan Sjugirov from Kalmykia, 2633, with 4.0/4 points


7th: Le Quang Liem, Vietnam, 2011 winner of the Aeroflot Tournament


11th: French GM Laurent Fressinet, second seed in the event, rated 2750, 3.5/4


12th Gata Kamsky (background) and 29th Rustam Kasimdzhanov


30th: Ukrainian GM Natalia Zhukova, rated 2428, with 3.0/4 points

Top rankings after Round Four

Rk. Ti. Name FED Rtg
Pts.
1 GM Korobov Anton UKR 2733
4.0
2 GM Mamedov Rauf AZE 2651
4.0
GM Ganguly Surya IND 2626
4.0
4 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2628
4.0
5 GM Eljanov Pavel UKR 2678
4.0
GM Sjugirov Sanan RUS 2633
4.0
7 GM Le Quang Liem VIE 2686
3.5
8 GM Riazantsev Alexander RUS 2674
3.5
9 GM Guseinov Gadir AZE 2623
3.5
GM Yilmaz Mustafa TUR 2547
3.5
11 GM Fressinet Laurent FRA 2750
3.5
12 GM Kamsky Gata USA 2760
3.5
13 GM Efimenko Zahar UKR 2670
3.5
14 GM Kokarev Dmitry RUS 2637
3.5
GM Nyzhnyk Illya UKR 2605
3.5
GM Chadaev Nikolai RUS 2590
3.5
17 GM Popov Ivan RUS 2634
3.5
GM Ponkratov Pavel RUS 2608
3.5
GM Aleksandrov Aleksej BLR 2583
3.5
20 GM Vorobiov Evgeny E. RUS 2568
3.0
21 GM Zvjaginsev Vadim RUS 2662
3.0
22 GM Maletin Pavel RUS 2585
3.0
23 GM Andriasian Zaven ARM 2569
3.0
GM Kunin Vitaly GER 2468
3.0
25 FM Apryshko Gleb RUS 2335
3.0
26 GM Gupta Abhijeet IND 2612
3.0
GM Rakhmanov Aleksandr RUS 2592
3.0
28 GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam UZB 2709
3.0
29 GM Khusnutdinov Rustam KAZ 2549
3.0
GM Zhukova Natalia UKR 2428
3.0
31 GM Evdokimov Alexander RUS 2584
3.0
GM Ipatov Alexander TUR 2569
3.0
GM Tregubov Pavel V. RUS 2564
3.0
34 GM Iturrizaga Eduardo VEN 2646
3.0
35 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2714
3.0
36 GM Smagin Sergey RUS 2551
3.0
GM Gabrielian Artur RUS 2546
3.0
38 GM Frolyanov Dmitry RUS 2591
3.0
39 GM Khismatullin Denis RUS 2685
3.0
GM Savchenko Boris RUS 2622
3.0
41 GM Bukavshin Ivan RUS 2551
3.0
GM Gabuzyan Hovhannes ARM 2517
3.0
43 GM Deviatkin Andrei RUS 2549
3.0
44 GM Vaisser Anatoly FRA 2548
3.0
IM Antipov Mikhail Al. RUS 2523
3.0
IM Potapov Pavel RUS 2492
3.0
47 GM Smirnov Pavel RUS 2619
3.0
48 GM Kobalia Mikhail RUS 2625
3.0
GM Bryzgalin Kirill RUS 2566
3.0
50 GM Potkin Vladimir RUS 2697
3.0
GM Sasikiran Krishnan IND 2677
3.0
52 GM Shomoev Anton RUS 2543
3.0
53 GM Tukhaev Adam UKR 2634
3.0
54 GM Naumkin Igor RUS 2495
3.0
IM Firat Burak TUR 2375
3.0
56 GM Domogaev Sergey RUS 2510
3.0
57 GM Kazhgaleyev Murtas KAZ 2586
3.0
58 GM Shimanov Aleksandr RUS 2630
3.0
59 GM Smirin Ilia ISR 2654
3.0
GM Lintchevski Daniil RUS 2563
3.0
IM Kovalev Vladislav BLR 2533
3.0
62 FM Pasiev Rakhim RUS 2368
3.0
63 GM Petrosian Tigran L. ARM 2657
3.0
64 GM Vorotnikov Vladislav RUS 2433
3.0
IM Airapetian Gor RUS 2432
3.0


Russian GM Tatiana Kosintseva, rated 2509, with 2.5/4 points


Indian GM Harika Dronavalli, rated 2507, with 2.0/4 points


A young unidentified player (please send us the name!)


Spectators around a particularly interesting game

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 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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