Eleventh Karpov Tournament in Poikovsky

6/7/2010 – Who are these people? Bologan and Motylev. What are they doing? Planting a tree. Why? Some kind of green thing. Where? In Poikovsky, Russia. Twelve grandmasters, six rated over 2700, are taking part in a tournament named after former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. We have a big illustrated report, with information and pictures provided by our colleagues from ChessPro.

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Eleventh Poikovsky Tournament

The 11th Poikovsky Karpov tournament is taking place from June 2nd to 14th June, 2010 – in Poikovsky, which is in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of Russia.


Poikovsky, originally an oil drilling village, today has a population of 20,000

Note that Poikovsky (or Poykovskiy) is not far from Khanty-Mansiysk, where the 2010 Chess Olympiad and elections for FIDE Preident are taking place. The area is rich in natural resourses. The name of the town comes from the Poika river. In 1998 Poikovsky became a winner of region's competition as the "most comfortable municipal urban and settlement center".


Poykovskiy church (Photo by filipe)


The hotel, the best in town, is just a block away from the playing site


The sports complex "Neptune", where the games are played (the hotel is visible on the left)


The director of the hotel, Konstantin Petrovich, is a great karaoke fan and likes to entertain
his guests with songs during dinner. That's Ivan Sokolov showing his appreciation on the left.


Participants Georgian GM Baadur Jobava, Yuri Lobanov (arbiter ), Alexander Motylev,
Russia, Emil Sutovsky, Israel, Alexander Ryazantsev, Russia, Viktor Bologan, Moldova


Anatoly Karpov, for whom the tournament and a chess school in Poikovsky are named


Karpov plants a tree in the town...


...waters it and then...


... and then plants his name in front of it


Viktor Bologan and Alexander Motylev follow suit


It's his tree with his name attached to it

This year the field has been expanded and has twelve players, six of whom are rated over 2700.


Sergey Karjakin, at 2739 top seed in this tournament


Second seed Dmitry Jakovenko, 2725, hails from this region


Third seed is Georgian GM Baadur Jobava, 2715


Viorel (Viktor) Bologan, 2668, with Alexander Motylev, 2704, behind him


Emil Sutovsky vs Dimity Jakovenko, which ended in a 58-move draw


Round one with Onischuk vs Motylev (draw) – with a cluster of youthful spectators


Baadur Jobava signing autographs for the kids (which is what they had come for)

The pictures and information in this article orginated at the Russian chess newspage ChessPro. Our colleagues there are doing full pictorial reports with annotated games. Definitely worth a visit, even if it is in Russian. You can use Google Translate to catch the gist.

Standings after five rounds

In round six the game Onischuk-Bologan was not played. We do not know the reason, but probably there was illness involved. We are told it will be played on Tuesday.

Here is the incomplete cross table for six rounds:

Links

The 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 the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!