The Fourth International Open Chess Festival «Moscow Open 2008» is taking place in the Russian State Social University (RSSU) from the 2nd to the 10th of February 2008. The Festival consists of four tournaments: Open A, Tournament B, the Women's Open C and a Children Tournament D. Each of these tournaments is a nine-round Swiss. The total guaranteed prize fund is 5,000,000 rubels = US $205,760.

Report after five rounds

After four rounds of play GM Alexander Riazantsev had a perfect score, having won all his games. He was followed by 16 players with 3½ points each. In round five Riazantsev played one of them, Artyom Timofeev, and the game was drawn. Since a number of 3½-pointers won their games the table now has five players in the lead with 4½/5 points. Twenty players follow half a point behind.

In the women's section we see four players in the lead with 4½/5 points, twelve players follow half a point behind.

Picture Gallery

Russian chess journalist Evgeniy Atarov is in Moscow and producing extensive text and pictorial reports. Links to them are given at the bottom of the page. The pictures in this section are all by him.

Venue, where big banner welcomes guests and participants to festival

The main hall of the festival, with the games in the A Group under way

The intensity of the tournament leader GM Riazantsev Alexander, rated 2628

4½/5 points: 23-year-old Zahar Efimenko, who is said to be "ruthless and uncompromising"

11-year-old Ukrainian FM Ilya Nyznhyk, 2405, gets a draw from GM Chernyshov Konstantin, rated 2543

The women's section, with GM Kateryna Lahno giving us a smile

Links

Official tournament site Reports by Eugene Atarov: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 All availabale games in PGN Download free PGN reader ChessBase Light A selection of games are being broadcast on Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use it to read, replay and analyse the PGN games.