Diego Flores Champion of Argentina 2017

Flores finishes first

Played at the Auditorium Centro de Diagnostico (DIM) in downtown Buenos Aires, the 92nd Championship of Argentina was a 14-player single round-robin, and included the top four Argentinian grandmasters. First prize was 30,000 Argentinian pesos (about €1,450 euro).

Diego Flores previously won the Argentinian Championship in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2016, making this his sixth title. His win qualifies him for the national Olympiad team, although he would have done so by rating in any case.

Diego Flores in 2017 and 2009

Diego Flores (left) today is no stranger to the championship trophy as seen (right) in 2009 | Photo: Carlos Ilardo

Final Standings (13 rounds)

Rk.		Name	Rtg	FED	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Pts.	TB1
1	GM	Flores Diego	2574	ARG	*	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	9,5	0,0
2	GM	Perez Ponsa Federico	2594	ARG	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	8,0	1,5
3	IM	Real De Azua Ernesto	2484	ARG	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	8,0	1,0
4	GM	Mareco Sandro	2644	ARG	0	0	½	*	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	8,0	0,5
5	GM	Pichot Alan	2571	ARG	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	1	½	0	1	½	7,5	1,5
6	GM	Krysa Leandro	2545	ARG	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	½	7,5	1,0
7	IM	Sosa Tomas	2466	ARG	0	½	½	1	0	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	7,5	0,5
8	IM	Villanueva Mario	2451	ARG	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	½	1	1	7,0	0,0
9	GM	Slipak Sergio	2437	ARG	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	1	0	1	6,5	0,0
10	GM	Valerga Diego	2452	ARG	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	5,5	0,0
11	IM	Dolezal Cristian	2426	ARG	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	*	1	0	½	4,5	1,0
12	IM	Acosta Pablo Ismael	2409	ARG	0	½	0	0	1	0	½	½	0	½	0	*	1	½	4,5	0,0
13		Cuberli Emiliano	2248	ARG	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	1	0	*	1	4,0	0,0
14	IM	Pierrot Facundo	2405	ARG	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	*	3,0	0,0

Flores started with draws in five of his first six games, but scored an important win in the seventh round facing top seed GM Sandro Mareco with the black pieces.

In an unusual English opening (by transposition), Flores quickly equalized and then began to expand in the center, leveraging his lead in development. Mareco was soon worse, and by move 25 decided that he needed to give an exchange to try to free his position.

Play through the variations on the live diagram!

Here Mareco played 27.Ba3, but after 27.Nxc2 28.Qxc2 Bd4+ he had precious little in the way of compensation.

It turns out the other option, 27.Rxc3 Rxc3 28.Qd2 would have fared better. Black seems to be forced to give back the exchange, and white is holding the balance whether black goes for 28...Nxa2 29.Qxa2 Qxb3, or 28...Nxe4 29.Bxe4 Rxc1 30.Bxh7!+ Kxh7 31.Rxc1, when black is playing for two results, but White has good drawing chances.

All games

The English Opening Vol. 1

Williams main teaching method behind this set of two DVDs is to teach you some simple yet effective set ups, without the need to rely on memorising numerous complicated variations.

All results

Round 1

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	1 - 0	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
2	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
3	GM	Diego Flores	2574	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
4	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	½ - ½	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
5	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	1 - 0	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
6	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452
7		Facundo Pierrot	2405	0 - 1		Emiliano Cuberli	2248

Round 2

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	½ - ½	GM	Diego Flores	2574
2	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452
3	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	½ - ½	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
4	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	1 - 0		Facundo Pierrot	2405
5	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	½ - ½	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594
6	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	½ - ½	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	0 - 1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644

Round 3

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	1 - 0	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
2	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
3	GM	Diego Flores	2574	½ - ½	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
4	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	0 - 1	GM	Alan Pichot	2571
5	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	½ - ½	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
6	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	1 - 0		Emiliano Cuberli	2248
7		Facundo Pierrot	2405	½ - ½	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426

Round 4

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Diego Flores	2574	1 - 0	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
2	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	½ - ½	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594
3	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	1 - 0	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
4	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	1 - 0		Facundo Pierrot	2405
5	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	½ - ½	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
6	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	0 - 1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452

Round 5

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
2	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	GM	Diego Flores	2574
3	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	½ - ½	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
4	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	½ - ½	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
5	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	1 - 0	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
6	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	1 - 0		Emiliano Cuberli	2248
7		Facundo Pierrot	2405	½ - ½	GM	Alan Pichot	2571

Round 6

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Diego Flores	2574	½ - ½		Facundo Pierrot	2405
2	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	½ - ½	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644
3	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	1 - 0		Emiliano Cuberli	2248
4	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	½ - ½	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
5	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	½ - ½	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594
6	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	1 - 0	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
7	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452

Round 7

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	0 - 1	GM	Diego Flores	2574
2	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
3	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
4	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	½ - ½	GM	Alan Pichot	2571
5	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	0 - 1	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
6		Facundo Pierrot	2405	0 - 1	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	1 - 0	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437

Round 8

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	1 - 0		Facundo Pierrot	2405
2	GM	Diego Flores	2574	1 - 0	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
3	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	1 - 0	GM	Diego Valerga	2452
4	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	½ - ½	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
5	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	1 - 0	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
6	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	1 - 0	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644
7	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	0 - 1		Emiliano Cuberli	2248

Round 9

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	0 - 1	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594
2	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	½ - ½	GM	Diego Flores	2574
3	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	½ - ½	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
4	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	1 - 0	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
5	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	1 - 0	GM	Alan Pichot	2571
6		Facundo Pierrot	2405	½ - ½	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	0 - 1	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484

Round 10

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
2	GM	Diego Flores	2574	1 - 0	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
3	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	1 - 0		Emiliano Cuberli	2248
4	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	½ - ½	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
5	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	½ - ½	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
6	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452
7		Facundo Pierrot	2405	0 - 1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644

Round 11

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	1 - 0	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
2	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	0 - 1	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594
3	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	1 - 0		Facundo Pierrot	2405
4	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	½ - ½	GM	Alan Pichot	2571
5	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
6	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	½ - ½	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	0 - 1	GM	Diego Flores	2574

Round 12

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644	½ - ½	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451
2	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594	½ - ½	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409
3	GM	Diego Flores	2574	1 - 0	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437
4	GM	Alan Pichot	2571	½ - ½	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426
5	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545	½ - ½	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484
6	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466	1 - 0		Emiliano Cuberli	2248
7		Facundo Pierrot	2405	½ - ½	GM	Diego Valerga	2452

Round 13

Tabl.	Title	Name	Elo	Result	Title	Name	Elo
1	IM	Ernesto Real de Azua	2484	½ - ½	GM	Alan Pichot	2571
2	GM	Diego Valerga	2452	½ - ½	GM	Sandro Mareco	2644
3	IM	Mario Nicolas Villanueva	2451	0 - 1	GM	Leandro Sergio Krysa	2545
4	GM	Sergio Slipak	2437	½ - ½	IM	Tomas Sosa	2466
5	IM	Cristian Dolezal	2426	½ - ½	GM	Diego Flores	2574
6	IM	Pablo Ismael Acosta	2409	½ - ½		Facundo Pierrot	2405
7		Emiliano Cuberli	2248	½ - ½	GM	Federico Perez Ponsa	2594

Photos: Official site
Information: Víctor Rodríguez Mendieta (official site)
Translation from Spanish (and additional reporting): Macauley Peterson

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Najdorf: A dynamic grandmaster repertoire against 1.e4 Vol.1

Flores finishes first

Final Standings (13 rounds)

All games

All results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

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