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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.
One warning given to me by a friend who had already been to Montevideo on more than one occasion was to be aware it would be considerably cooler than Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I reside, and that it was ‘always cloudy’.
The coolness was not a big concern, since all things are relative. If a city were ever to be labeled with the term ‘endless summer’ Rio would be it, and a bit of variety would actually be welcome.
A week before leaving I had enjoyed the Rio Cup of Beach Soccer (Click on image for high-res version)
I do not doubt the warnings, and it seems many players were told much the same, but it also appears we arrived in one of the exceptional periods, where it has been sunny all day, and quite warm. This is all wonderful ... except if you packed mostly warm clothes in anticipation.
Still, this has also meant it has been a great time to go for long walks exploring the city’s sites and stores, and as an unabashed shutterbug, it makes it far more photogenic.
On the Plaza Independencia (Independence Square), there are several
noteworthy points to visit and see. The most conspicuous aside from the
statue of Artigas is the breathtaking Palacio Salvo. The tower's unusual
and beautiful architecture stands out, in the way it does not simply rise
to the sky ever thinner.
The fascinating structure begs to be ogled from all angles. The building,
which is now a mixture of offices and private residences, is 95 meters tall
and was erected in 1928. (Click on image for high-res version)
At the Plaza is the Presidential Building, a modern structure, both impressive and with its own cultural items. In the front window, before going through the expected security checks, there is a metal statue of three card players with an empty seat. You might expect this to be a ‘don’t touch’ display, and as we approached, prepared for an act of delinquence to take a picture, we notice a small sign that neutralized our planned naughtiness saying it was an interactive display. In other words it was meant to be shared and enjoyed.
My good friend FM Ricardo Teixeira did the honors, and took out a couple of cards from his wallet to play the part
On the way back to the hotel, as we chatted, an Uruguayan suddenly chipped up, "Who do you think will win the Continental Cup?" (referring to football)
The friendly fellow, typical of the people we have seen here, had no qualms about striking up
a conversation out of the blue for some friendly banter on football, and some tips for our visit
As we drew closer to our destination, we heard some fellow yammering at full speed with the audible sound of a gavel. Either they were holding speed trials, or….
The entrance announcing it is an Auction House
The first thing we saw at the entrance was this retired buggy carriage for sale. No doubt
someone may find it interesting, but it is not the most practical item to buy.
As the auctioneer announced the items, an assistant would lift and show the object on offer.
This led to the rather curious image above in which it almost seems as if his arms and body are
an extension of the painting. (Click on image for high-res version)
The auctioneer went very fast and clearly had a great number of lots to go through as he
cycled through them almost one per minute if not faster
In the evening, we returned to the Plaza Independencia, and noticed the second display in the Presidential Building now enjoyed several well place spotlights that gave it a new dimension.
This tribute to the times long past was built from pieces of tree trunk, branches, seashells
and more. One could easily miss this, caught up in the impression of movement it conveys.
Also benefitting greatly from the lights is the Teatro Solis, one of the two main theaters
and concert halls, where great performances and even operas are performed. In the late
evening with the lights all lit, it is something to behold.
One cannot help noticing also the remarkable number of bookstores. Twenty-plus years ago, this would have been a normal sight in many cities, but nowadays, with the number dwindling around the world, the view stuck out.
It is not simply large racks of bestsellers, but the small bookstore that
knows it has a welcome audience who will keep it afloat. This one also
had a group meeting above, discussing philosophy.
Not three blocks away there was indeed a very large bookstore, beautifully decorated, and
working well into the night.
A welcome change of pace, and a reminder of the joy of books. (Click on image for high-res version)
A special mention must be made to Lourenço Cordioli who passed away a few days ago. Readers will understandably be wondering who that is, but in Brazil, this player was easily the Methuselah of chess. Lourenço was a remarkably strong player in his own right, having won the São Paulo Championship three consecutive times in 1947-48-49, a record he still holds to this day. He participated in three Brazilian finals, and he once declared his most memorable moment was in the 1948 InternationalTournament in São Paulo, when he defeated Sousa Mendes, the 7-time Brazilian Champion, among others.
This picture with Lourenço Cordioli, aged 93, playing IM Herman Claudius Van Riemsdijk
was taken in 2009 (picture by Herman Claudius Van Riemsdijk)
What stands out however, are not these accomplishments before most of us were even born, but his undying love of chess, and love of competition. The venerable Cordioli continued to compete until the very end, and even in 2014, at age 97, played in two official tournaments with a rating over 1900 FIDE. His continued activity in chess unquestionably helped him keep such a healthy mind, and as can be expected he was lucid and sharp until his very last days. He passed away on May 14, 2015 at age 98.
The second round of competition still saw huge disparities between the ratings, though now, instead of 500 Elo, the difference was chopped down to 300. This might still seem like a huge advantage, and of course it is, but the grandmasters were now facing masters, whether FIDE masters or IMs, and the danger of an upset had increased enormously.
For the most part, the pecking order was respected, and the top boards won their games,
but not all. Brazilian FM Francisco Ernant (2361) held his Cuban opponent, GM Yuniesky
Quesada Perez (2645) to a draw.
IM Rodrigo Disconzi was unable to break his opponent GM Axel Bachman
GM Emilio Cordova also kept an immaculate start
In the main room, other unexpected results included FM Federico Matsuura (2270), not to be
confused with his brother GM Everaldo Matsuura, who held GM Gregory Kaidanov to a draw.
A few other grandmasters were also unable to impose their will as they would have liked, but this is but the beginning of the event, with plenty of time to recover and prevail.
WGM Cori Deysi may not have begun on the stage, but will soon after a 2.0/2 start
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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