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Usually the “Thinkers Cup” takes place on Thursdays and Fridays. As I mentioned in my previous article, Friday is the sole weekend in Iran, but this time it was on Wednesday and Thursday that the participant clubs fought each other. On Friday there was a rapid tournament. The third round was supposed to start at nine o’clock, but owing to a small opening ceremony the clocks were started with half an hour's delay. The leading club, Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh, a financial institute, played against province Markazi. The club of super galaxies lost their first half-point: Armenian Grandmaster Tigran Petrosian 2616 drew with the white pieces against Mehdi Atabaki, rated 2054. A very surprising result, considering their rating difference is 562!!
2 |
Fajr Shams Atieh Tehran |
Rtg |
3½:½ |
10 |
Markazi |
Rtg |
GM |
Ghaem Maghami Ehsan |
2604 |
1-0 |
- |
Menhaj Ali |
2039 |
GM |
Petrosian Tigran L. |
2616 |
½-½ |
- |
Atabaki Mehdi |
2054 |
GM |
Moradiabadi Elshan |
2499 |
1-0 |
- |
Shamsi Mohammadhassan |
2002 |
GM |
Mahjoob Morteza |
2488 |
1-0 |
- |
Bagheri Mehrab |
0 |
GM Morteza Mahjoob, 2488, at breakfast in Asram Hotel
Mahjoob is the champion of Iran in the year 1384 (according to the Iranian calendar, that is). He plays on board five of Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh. As far as I can remember, this is the first time ever in the Iranian League that a grandmaster is playing on this board. Morteza is the father of a gorgeous one-year-old girl.
Editorial noteWikipedia tells us that the Iranian calendar is an astronomical solar calendar and one of the longest chronological records in history and is currently used in Iran and Afghanistan as the main official calendar. Beginning each year on the vernal equinox as precisely determined by astronomical observations from Tehran (or the 52.5°E meridian, which also defines IRST), this makes it more accurate than the Gregorian Calendar in being synchronized with the solar year. The official Iranian calendar was last changed in 1925 by a law of the Iranian Majlis to have fixed month lengths for the first eleven months of the year, with only the final month iterating between 29 and 30 days based on the year being leap or not. The current Iranian Calendar year is AP 1387 (AP = Anno Persico/Anno Persarum = Persian year). The Iranian year usually begins on March 21 of the Gregorian calendar. Add 621 or 622 (depending on the time of the year) to an Iranian year to find the corresponding year of the Gregorian calendar. Here is a translation table for the years given by Arash Akbarinia: 1384 = 2005 The conversion is valid after March 21st. Before that date you must add one year, e.g. Feb. 1384 is already 2006 in the Gregorian system. For anyone fanatically interested there are a number of Iranian Calendar utilities here. You will notice that Arash captions his pictures from right to left. This is because like Arabic, Farsi is written backwards. Judging by the glottals you hear it is spoken that way as well. |
Mohandesi-e-Ab Zangan-e-Zanjan was defeated 4-0 against Rahahan, the Iranian railway company.
5 |
Rah Ahan Tehran |
Rtg |
4:0 |
8 |
Mohandesi Abzangan Zanjan |
Rtg |
FM |
Toufighi Homayoon |
2426 |
1-0 |
- |
Khalesi Vahid |
2219 |
FM |
Roghani Arash |
2373 |
1-0 |
- |
Moradi Mostafa |
2149 |
FM |
Akbarinia Sayed Arash |
2322 |
1-0 |
- |
Hosseinzadeh Nima |
2054 |
- |
Noroozi Omid |
2274 |
1-0 |
- |
Mousavi Emadeddin |
0 |
Twenty-year-old Omid Noroozi, 2274, member of Rahahan Club,
former bronze medalist of Asian U10, has won all of his games so far. He was
my roommate in the hotel, and believe me it was not an easy task to wake him
up.
Daneshgah-e-Azad, Azad University, also lost an important half a point against Mazandaran, the host club. IM Mehrdad Ardeshi, 2377, on board four, did not manage to win against his unrated opponent.
4 |
Daneshgah Azad Eslami Tehran |
Rtg |
3½:½ |
9 |
Rah Ahan Shomal Mazandaran |
Rtg |
GM |
Bagheri Amir |
2496 |
1-0 |
- |
Amini Amer |
2188 |
FM |
Shaarbaf Mohsen |
2417 |
1-0 |
- |
Lamei Hossein |
2154 |
IM |
Darban Morteza |
2394 |
1-0 |
- |
Valizadeh Ali |
2037 |
IM |
Ardeshi Mehrdad |
2377 |
½-½ |
- |
Sheykh Hassani Bardia |
0 |
The youngest player of tournament, Bardia Sheikh Hassani, sixth
board of the Mazandaran club, drew against IM Mehrdad Ardeshi, rated 2377. Well
done Bardia!
In the other games, Bayat Beton-e-Gilan crushed Esfahan 3.5-0.5. Bank-e-Tose-e-Saderat also flattened Hamedan with the same result.
6 |
Esfahan |
Rtg |
½:3½ |
7 |
Bayat Beton Gilan |
Rtg |
- |
Soleimani Shantiya |
2149 |
0-1 |
FM |
Moradi Behrooz |
2250 |
- |
Ryahi Naser |
2216 |
0-1 |
FM |
Soozankar A.M. |
2221 |
- |
Kalantari B |
2111 |
½-½ |
- |
Vaghar Mohsen |
2225 |
- |
Ghaledar Faraz |
1955 |
0-1 |
- |
Aryanejad Arash |
2178 |
Esfahan, with orange shirts, outclassed by Bayat Beton-e-Gilan
3 |
Bank Tosse Saderat Tehran |
Rtg |
3½:½ |
1 |
Hamedan |
Rtg |
- |
Khaghani Babak |
2314 |
1-0 |
- |
Saba Earaj |
2077 |
FM |
Hashemi S. |
2277 |
½-½ |
- |
Asadi Sadegh |
2090 |
IM |
Ghorbani Mohsen |
2344 |
1-0 |
- |
Lahimi Ariz |
2079 |
- |
Tavakol Alireza |
2085 |
1-0 |
- |
Achak Amir |
0 |
The Bank-e-Tose-Saderat Club. From right to left: IM Mohsen Ghorbani,
2344, one-time champion of Iran, Ali Ramezan Nejad, 2157, Bachelor of Management,
FM Siamak Hashemi, 2277, a clerk of this bank, Ali Reza Tavakol, 2085, a superb
pianist, Mohammad Reza Salehzadeh, 2111, currently busy with teaching chess
to childeren, Babak Khaghani, 2314, his brother is also a good chess player.
The fourth round started on the same day, at five o’clock. Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh won the derby of two financial institutes! On the forth board Alireza Tavakol 2085 remarkably managed to get a winning position against GM Elshan Moradi, 2499, but due to the time trouble he accepted the draw offered byElshan.
Alireza Tavakol, 2085 – Elshan Moradi, 2499, White to move
48.h4?! (48.e5!++–) 48…Ra3. Here Elshan offered a draw, and Alireza accepted it, although 49.Be3 or 49.Qg5 is completely winning.
2 |
Fajr Shams Atieh Tehran |
Rtg |
3½:½ |
3 |
Bank Tosse Saderat Tehran |
Rtg |
GM |
Ghaem Maghami Ehsan |
2604 |
1-0 |
- |
Khaghani Babak |
2314 |
GM |
Petrosian Tigran L. |
2616 |
1-0 |
IM |
Ghorbani Mohsen |
2344 |
GM |
Pashikian Arman |
2537 |
1-0 |
- |
Salehzadeh M.r. |
2111 |
GM |
Moradiabadi Elshan |
2499 |
½-½ |
- |
Tavakol Alireza |
2085 |
Ali Reza Tavakol, 2085, member of Bank-e-Tose-e-Saderat club, and an outstanding
pianist
Rahahan with a convincing victory against Mazandaran and narrowed the point difference with the top of the table to just to half a point.
9 |
Rah Ahan Shomal Mazandaran |
Rtg |
0:4 |
5 |
Rah Ahan Tehran |
Rtg |
- |
Amini Amer |
2188 |
0-1 |
FM |
Toufighi Homayoon |
2426 |
- |
Salar Milad |
2089 |
0-1 |
FM |
Roghani Arash |
2373 |
- |
Valizadeh Ali |
2037 |
0-1 |
FM |
Akbarinia Sayed Arash |
2322 |
- |
Sheykh Hassani Bardia |
0 |
0-1 |
- |
Noroozi Omid |
2274 |
FM Arash Roghani, 2373, second board of Rahhan club, a civil engineer from
Sharif University, and is currently studying MBA at that university. Two and
half a years ago he achieved his third and final International Master norm,
but thus far his rating has not reached 2400, so he is still a Fide Master.
Daneshgah-e-Azad lost another critical half a point against Hamedan. IM Morteza Darban, 2394, on the board three, did not get a better result than draw against Sadegh Asadi, rated 2090.
1 |
Hamedan |
Rtg |
½-3½ |
4 |
Daneshgah Azad Eslami Tehran |
Rtg |
- |
Saba Earaj |
2077 |
0-1 |
GM |
Ghane Shojaat |
2424 |
- |
Manochehri Hamed |
2108 |
0-1 |
FM |
Shaarbaf Mohsen |
2417 |
- |
Asadi Sadegh |
2090 |
½-½ |
IM |
Darban Morteza |
2394 |
- |
Lahimi Ariz |
2079 |
0-1 |
IM |
Ardeshi Mehrdad |
2377 |
Ardabil’s Turk GM Shojaat Ghane, 2424, top board player of Daneshgah-e-Azad.
In the transfer season he left Rahahan and joined Daneshgah-e-Azad.
Bayat Beton-e-Gilan won against Markazi.
10 |
Markazi |
Rtg |
1:3 |
7 |
Bayat Beton Gilan |
Rtg |
- |
Shamsi Mohammadhossein |
2184 |
0-1 |
FM |
Aryanejad Hossein |
2257 |
- |
Menhaj Ali |
2039 |
0-1 |
FM |
Moradi Behrooz |
2250 |
- |
Atabaki Mehdi |
2054 |
0-1 |
FM |
Soozankar A.M. |
2221 |
- |
Bagheri Mehrab |
0 |
1-0 |
- |
Vaghar Mohsen |
2225 |
And finally Mohandesi-e-Ab Zangan-e-Zanjan and Esfahan drew 2-2.
8 |
Mohandesi Abzangan Zanjan |
Rtg |
2:2 |
6 |
Esfahan |
Rtg |
- |
Khalesi Vahid |
2219 |
0-1 |
- |
Soleimani Shantiya |
2149 |
- |
Moradi Mostafa |
2149 |
1-0 |
- |
Ryahi Naser |
2216 |
- |
Hosseinzadeh Nima |
2054 |
1-0 |
- |
Kalantari B |
2111 |
- |
Mousavi Emadeddin |
0 |
0-1 |
- |
Kheiri A.R. |
2177 |
Thursday, June 26th: International Arbiter Naser Kanan Azar blew his whistle and one of the most important games of this league started. Students of Daneshgah-e-Azad lined up against squads of Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh. Thanks to their Armenian legionary, Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh won the duel.
4 |
Daneshgah Azad Eslami Tehran |
Rtg |
1:3 |
2 |
Fajr Shams Atieh Tehran |
Rtg |
GM |
Ghane Shojaat |
2424 |
½-½ |
GM |
Ghaem Maghami Ehsan |
2604 |
GM |
Bagheri Amir |
2496 |
0-1 |
GM |
Petrosian Tigran L. |
2616 |
FM |
Shaarbaf Mohsen |
2417 |
0-1 |
GM |
Pashikian Arman |
2537 |
IM |
Ardeshi Mehrdad |
2377 |
½-½ |
GM |
Moradiabadi Elshan |
2499 |
If Rahahan had won his match 4-0 against Hamedan, they would have jumped to the top of the table, but two draws on boards two and three spoiled this chance.
5 |
Rah Ahan Tehran |
Rtg |
3:1 |
1 |
Hamedan |
Rtg |
FM |
Toufighi Homayoon |
2426 |
1-0 |
- |
Manochehri Hamed |
2108 |
FM |
Roghani Arash |
2373 |
½-½ |
- |
Asadi Sadegh |
2090 |
FM |
Akbarinia Sayed Arash |
2322 |
½-½ |
- |
Lahimi Ariz |
2079 |
- |
Noroozi Omid |
2274 |
1-0 |
- |
Achak Amir |
0 |
Esfahan defeated Mazandaran.
6 |
Esfahan |
Rtg |
3½:½ |
9 |
Rah Ahan Shomal Mazandaran |
Rtg |
- |
Soleimani Shantiya |
2149 |
½-½ |
- |
Amini Amer |
2188 |
- |
Ryahi Naser |
2216 |
1-0 |
- |
Salar Milad |
2089 |
- |
Kalantari B |
2111 |
1-0 |
- |
Valizadeh Ali |
2037 |
- |
Kheiri A.R. |
2177 |
1-0 |
- |
Sheykh Hassani Bardia |
0 |
Bank-e-Tose-e-Saderat overcame Markazi.
3 |
Bank Tosse Saderat Tehran |
Rtg |
3:1 |
10 |
Markazi |
Rtg |
- |
Khaghani Babak |
2314 |
1-0 |
- |
Menhaj Ali |
2039 |
IM |
Ghorbani Mohsen |
2344 |
1-0 |
- |
Atabaki Mehdi |
2054 |
- |
Salehzadeh M.r. |
2111 |
½-½ |
- |
Pooreraghian Mohammadreza |
1742 |
- |
Ramezan Nejad A. |
2157 |
½-½ |
- |
Bagheri Mehrab |
0 |
Bayat Beton-e-Gilan also beat Mohandesi-e-Ab Zangan-e-Zanjan.
7 |
Bayat Beton Gilan |
Rtg |
3:1 |
8 |
Mohandesi Abzangan Zanjan |
Rtg |
FM |
Aryanejad Hossein |
2257 |
1-0 |
- |
Khalesi Vahid |
2219 |
FM |
Moradi Behrooz |
2250 |
1-0 |
- |
Moradi Mostafa |
2149 |
FM |
Soozankar A.M. |
2221 |
0-1 |
- |
Hosseinzadeh Nima |
2054 |
- |
Vaghar Mohsen |
2225 |
1-0 |
- |
Mousavi Emadeddin |
0 |
Rk. |
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
TB1 |
TB2 |
1 |
Fajr Shams Atieh Tehran |
* |
|
3 |
3½ |
|
|
3½ |
4 |
|
4 |
18.0 |
10 |
2 |
Rah Ahan Tehran |
|
* |
|
|
3½ |
3 |
|
3 |
4 |
4 |
17.5 |
10 |
3 |
Daneshgah Azad Eslami Tehran |
1 |
|
* |
|
2½ |
|
|
3½ |
4 |
3½ |
14.5 |
8 |
4 |
Bank Tosse Saderat Tehran |
½ |
|
|
* |
|
|
3 |
3½ |
2½ |
2½ |
12.0 |
8 |
5 |
Bayat Beton Gilan |
|
½ |
1½ |
|
* |
3½ |
3 |
|
3 |
|
11.5 |
6 |
6 |
Esfahan |
|
1 |
|
|
½ |
* |
2½ |
|
2 |
3½ |
9.5 |
5 |
7 |
Markazi |
½ |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1½ |
* |
1½ |
|
|
5.5 |
0 |
8 |
Hamedan |
0 |
1 |
½ |
½ |
|
|
2½ |
* |
|
|
4.5 |
2 |
9 |
Mohandesi Abzangan Zanjan |
|
0 |
0 |
1½ |
1 |
2 |
|
|
* |
|
4.5 |
1 |
10 |
Rah Ahan Shomal Mazandaran |
0 |
0 |
½ |
1½ |
|
½ |
|
|
|
* |
2.5 |
0 |
In the most important game of round six, Fajr-e-Shams-e-Atieh faces Rahahan, a very decisive game at least for the championship of the first half of the season.
International Arbiter Freidoon Eskandari (iith the white hair and the white
pieces), chief organizer of Iran League, and IA Ahmad Rezaie from the host province.
Who knows, maybe next year a club of arbiters will also join the league!
Tide Water Club, champion of Iranian Premier League in the year 1384.
From right to left with white sport suits: Davoud Mousavi, IM Morteza
Darban, Adel Sadeghi, GM Rasul Ibrahimov, GM Farid Abbasov, FM Behrouz Moradi.
Rahahan Club, champion of the Iranian Premier League in year 1385. From
right to left: IO Ali Akbar Hodhodi, director of the team, IM Javad Alavi, GM
Tigran Kotanjian, GM Tigran Petrosian, IM Mehrdad Ardeshi, FT & FM Arash
Akbarinia, GM Shojaat Ghane.
The famous Veresk Bridge in the way to Sari
The Veresk Bridge in Iran was constructed during the reign of Shah Reza. It is located in Veresk District of Savad Kooh County, in Mazandaran province. During World War II, it was known as the “Pol-e-Piroozi”, or the bridge of victory. The bridge is at an elevation of 110 m and its arch measures 66 m in length. It is one of the masterpieces of the Danish engineering firm Kampsax, serving the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran.