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The tournament is an eleven-round competition played at 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game and a 30-second increment as of move one. The first round is on May 15 with rounds every day until round eleven on May 24, including a double-round on May 17. Play typically starts at 5PM.
Although there are tiebreak scoring systems in place, starting with direct encounter, Buchholz, and more, in the event of a draw at the top, the top four qualifiers will be decided by a rapid tiebreak match or tournament, depending on the number, starting at 15 minutes plus a ten-second increment.
The prizes are US$5000 for first, $3400 for second, $2400 for third with prizes all the way to 20th place. Note that as FIDE events of this caliber, all norms scored count double, thus a player who scores a norm at the end of the competition will be considered to have earned two norms, not one.
No matter where you go in Montevideo, José Artigas is watching you. You will find him on banknotes, streets, and oh so many monuments.
The most impressive and imposing is the one in the Plaza Independencia,
which occupies a central position. (Click image for high-res version)
José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (June 19, 1764 – September 23, 1850) is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood". In his lifetime he fought for Montevideo seeking its freedom from the colonial interests of Spain, England and even Brazil. Artigas was a staunch democrat and federalist, opposed to monarchism. His history is long and chaotic, much like the times he lived in, and is a worthy read in Wikipedia for a start.
Beneath the statue is the Artigas Mausoleum. It was built in the 1930s
and Artigas's remains are kept in a container not a little reminiscent of
the opening scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The container with his remains
An educated and eloquent man, Artigas authored many famous passages, some of which
are reproduced above his remains.
The passages above state:
"The question is only between freedom and despotism"
"My authority emanates from you and it ceases before your sovereign presence. You are in the full enjoyment of your rights: behold there the fruit of my desire and efforts and behold also its full reward."
The quotes come from a famous speech he made on April 5th, 1813
The monument is guarded by a traditional guard called "Blandegues de Artigas"
On the walls are highlighted moments from his career in relief (Click image for high-res version)
A look at the mausoleum and its prominent contents
IM Rodi reports, "Round seven was a spectacular day for the American delegation. The victories by Aleksander Lenderman and Alexander Shabalov allowed them to take over the lead, while Alexander Yermolinsky (a lot of Alexanders...) over the top-seed Julio Granda Zuñiga secured him a share of the stage."
Lenderman showed great technique as he converted a complicated endgame with rook and minor piece
It was a great day for US chess as Alexander Shabalov also joined Lenderman in the lead
GM Carlos Hevia Alejano from Cuba (Click image for high-res version)
The friendly GM Alexander Yermolinsky defeated top-seed Julio Granda
Zuñiga in an efficient game
Fellow Carioca (Rio de Janeiro resident) Diego Di Berardino (right) has been having an excellent
tournament and is chasing down the GM norm missing for the title
The stage where the top action takes place
| Rk | SNo | Ti. | Name | FED | Rtg | Pts | TB | rtg+/- |
| 1 | 21 | GM | Shabalov Alexander | USA | 2523 | 6.0 | 32.5 | 22.0 |
| 2 | 4 | GM | Lenderman Aleksandr | USA | 2636 | 6.0 | 32.0 | 8.7 |
| 3 | 8 | GM | Cori Jorge | PER | 2609 | 5.5 | 35.0 | 9.0 |
| 4 | 11 | GM | Hansen Eric | CAN | 2580 | 5.5 | 31.0 | 3.5 |
| 5 | 22 | IM | Pichot Alan | ARG | 2504 | 5.5 | 30.5 | 18.4 |
| 6 | 19 | GM | El Debs Felipe De Cresce | BRA | 2527 | 5.5 | 29.5 | 8.6 |
| 7 | 23 | IM | Di Berardino Diego Rafael | BRA | 2489 | 5.5 | 29.0 | 10.7 |
| 8 | 18 | GM | Yermolinsky Alex | USA | 2531 | 5.5 | 28.0 | 2.5 |
| 9 | 13 | GM | Flores Diego | ARG | 2567 | 5.5 | 28.0 | 2.1 |
| 10 | 3 | GM | Bachmann Axel | PAR | 2636 | 5.0 | 34.0 | -1.2 |
| 11 | 6 | GM | Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo | VEN | 2613 | 5.0 | 32.0 | -1.6 |
| 12 | 17 | GM | Perez Ponsa Federico | ARG | 2533 | 5.0 | 31.0 | 4.8 |
| 13 | 10 | GM | Mareco Sandro | ARG | 2581 | 5.0 | 30.5 | -0.5 |
| 14 | 12 | GM | Mekhitarian Krikor Sevag | BRA | 2572 | 5.0 | 30.5 | -4.2 |
| 15 | 2 | GM | Quesada Perez Yuniesky | CUB | 2645 | 5.0 | 30.0 | -7.6 |
| 16 | 16 | GM | Hevia Alejano Carlos Antonio | CUB | 2535 | 5.0 | 30.0 | 0.2 |
| 17 | 20 | GM | Matamoros Franco Carlos S. | ECU | 2525 | 5.0 | 28.5 | 2.6 |
| 18 | 29 | IM | Molina Roberto Junio Brito | BRA | 2455 | 5.0 | 28.5 | 3.0 |
| 19 | 14 | GM | Kaidanov Gregory S | USA | 2566 | 5.0 | 27.5 | -6.2 |
| 20 | 15 | GM | Gonzalez Vidal Yuri | CUB | 2550 | 5.0 | 27.5 | -5.5 |
The top eight boards of the event can be followed live at both the official site and on Playchess.
All photos by Albert Silver
LinksThe 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 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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