FIDE Grand Prix in Elista 2008
The Third FIDE Grand Prix tournament is taking place in Elista from December
13 to 29, 2008. Despite the recent withdrawals (Carlsen, Adams) and the absence
of players like Anand, Kramnik and Topalov the tournament is very strong, with
a category of 19. The venue, originally Doha, is now "City Chess"
in Elista, Kalmykia. There are 14 players from nine different countries:
Sd |
Name |
Surname |
Nation |
Rating |
1 |
Teimour |
Radjabov |
AZE |
2751 |
2 |
Peter |
Leko |
HUN |
2747 |
3 |
Dmitry |
Jakovenko |
RUS |
2737 |
4 |
Yue |
Wang |
CHN |
2736 |
5 |
Shakhriyar |
Mamedyarov |
AZE |
2731 |
6 |
Pavel |
Eljanov |
UKR |
2720 |
7 |
Alexander |
Grischuk |
RUS |
2719 |
8 |
Evgeny |
Alekseev |
RUS |
2715 |
9 |
Etienne |
Bacrot |
FRA |
2705 |
10 |
Vugar |
Gashimov |
AZE |
2703 |
11 |
Ivan |
Cheparinov |
BUL |
2696 |
12 |
Vladimir |
Akopian |
ARM |
2679 |
13 |
Rustam |
Kasimzhanov |
UZB |
2672 |
14 |
Ernesto |
Inarkiev |
RUS |
2669
|
Results
Round 2: Monday, December 15, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
½-½ |
Pavel Eljanov |
Evgeny Alexeev |
½-½ |
Vugar Gashimov |
Wang Yue |
½-½ |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Vladimir Akopian |
½-½ |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Alexander Grischuk |
1-0 |
Peter Leko |
Ivan Cheparinov |
½-½ |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Etienne Bacrot |
0-1 |
Teimour Radjabov |
|
Standings

Interview with the CEO of Global Chess Geoffrey Borg
Monday, 15th December 2008
Global Chess CEO Geoffrey Borg in his interview talks about the FIDE
Grand Prix Series and the company’s further chess promotion plans
Mr. Borg, when did your company begin to collaborate with the International
Chess Federation?
- We have been working together with FIDE for two years already and in my opinion
we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve done a great deal of work with FIDE
and concluded a commercial agreement. The legal agreement between FIDE and Global
Chess was confirmed in November 2007. The first part was implemented in June
this year. We did the marketing part, administer the FIDE website, created the
new design which simplifies the communication with national federations and
chess-players. Global Chess participates in all FIDE projects, and helps organize
various contests – club tournaments, club championships, woman championships,
blitz tournaments.
So, your company cares for the interests of not only the chess elite,
as one may consider on the ground of FIDE Grand Prix series organization?
Yes, we do understand that chess can arouse interest in potential sponsors
only in the event that a special platform attractive for most of the players
is created. I had meetings with the representatives of national chess federations
and elaborated a deeper understanding of our strategic targets. We exert every
possible effort to promote chess in the regions. I did a study of a number of
suggestions concerning chess promotion at schools and via TV. This is one of
the priority aims in the matter of chess development.
What is the total prize fund of the Grand Prix series tournaments? Who
secures the funds?
The prize fund of each Grand Prix tournament is 212,000 Euro – every
tournament has a 162 thousand Euro prize money (every player is rewarded). Besides
tournament prizes, a large sum is allocated at the end of the event and awarded
to the top ten players. The Grand Prix winner will get the prize of 75 thousand
Euros. Basically the funds are provided by the host venue.

During the Grand Prix last May in Baku Geoffrey Borg chats with Peter Svidler.
Oxana Kosteniuk, the sister of women's world champion Alexandra, looks on.
Will there be a new Grand Prix 2010-2011 cycle organized?
We are currently carrying out negotiations on the following Grand Prix series:
Russian, Azerbaijan, China, Oman, UAE and other cities who wish to host the
tournaments. The negotiations are under way in different phases: some of the
potential organizers signed preliminary agreements with us, some of them show
slight signs of interests. We will collaborate only with those who will be able
to secure financial guarantees for tournaments organization.
Why did you choose Elista as the host of the current tournament?
The capital of Kalmykia has got a vast experience in hosting world-scale contests.
Local organizers, first and foremost Vice PM of the Republic and Vice-President
of the Russian Chess Federation Valery Bovaev, insistently laboured for the
right to host one of the Grand Prix tournaments. When choosing Elista as the
host we’ve considered a whole array of factors, the celebration of the
400 years of the voluntary entry of the Kalmyks into the Russian state among
them. As you know the Elista tournament was to be held next year in August on
the eve of the anniversary. However due to the cancellation of Doha, the capital
of Qatar, to host the third Grand Prix tournament, the Elista tournament was
brought forward to this period. Nonetheless this tournament is dedicated to
the 400th anniversary, as FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov declared.
Mr. Borg, as far as I know, you were the FIDE Vice President. Why did
you quit?
At that time I became the CEO of Global Chess, and it will not be correct to
work for two companies.
We have no doubt that you are a good chess player. Have you got a title?
I am a FIDE Master. I was playing in the international zonal tournaments, chess
club championships and also at the Chess Olympiads.
 |
Geoffrey D Borg is a Fide Master who was quite active
a number of years ago, winning a silver medal on Board 1 in the Thessaloniki
Olympiad in 1984. He still enjoys playing on the Internet, but in the
past years has been more active in chess organisation and politics.
In 2005 Geoffrey was the Campaign Director for the Dutch-Turkish
bid for the FIDE Presidency, which challenged the incumbent President
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. After the latter had won the election Borg became
one of FIDE's Vice Presidents. Today he is the commercial director of
Global
Chess.
|
FIDE Grand Prix Elista 2008 – Schedule and results
Round 1: Sunday December 14, 2008 |
Etienne Bacrot |
½-½ |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Teimour Radjabov |
½-½ |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
½-½ |
Alexander Grischuk |
Peter Leko |
½-½ |
Vladimir Akopian |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
1-0 |
Wang Yue |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
½-½ |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Vugar Gashimov |
1-0 |
Pavel Eljanov |
|
|
Round 2: Monday, December 15, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
½-½ |
Pavel Eljanov |
Evgeny Alexeev |
½-½ |
Vugar Gashimov |
Wang Yue |
½-½ |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Vladimir Akopian |
½-½ |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Alexander Grischuk |
1-0 |
Peter Leko |
Ivan Cheparinov |
½-½ |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Etienne Bacrot |
0-1 |
Teimour Radjabov |
|
|
Round 3: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Peter Leko |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Wang Yue |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Games – Report |
|
Round 4: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Wang Yue |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Peter Leko |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Games – Report |
|
Round 5: Thursday, December 18, 2008 |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Peter Leko |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Evgeny Alexeev |
- |
Wang Yue |
Games – Report |
|
Round 6: Saturday, December 20, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
- |
Wang Yue |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Peter Leko |
Games – Report |
|
Round 7: Sunday, December 21, 2008 |
Peter Leko |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Evgeny Alexeev |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Wang Yue |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Games – Report |
|
Round 8: Monday, December 22, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Wang Yue |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Peter Leko |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Games – Report |
|
Round 9: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Peter Leko |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Evgeny Alexeev |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Wang Yue |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Games – Report |
|
Round 10: Thursday, December 25, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Wang Yue |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Peter Leko |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Games – Report |
|
Round 11: Friday, December 26, 2008 |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Peter Leko |
Evgeny Alexeev |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Wang Yue |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Games – Report |
|
Round 12: Saturday, December 27, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Wang Yue |
Peter Leko |
- |
Evgeny Alexeev |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Games – Report |
|
Round 13: Sunday, December 28, 2008 |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Rustam Kasimzhanov |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Evgeny Alexeev |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Wang Yue |
- |
Peter Leko |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Games – Report |
|
Monday, December 29, 2008
Departure |
|