Gibraltar: Opening ceremony and drawing of lots

by Johannes Fischer
1/26/2016 – For the Financial Times the Tradewise Gibraltar Open "is the strongest and best-organised event of its kind in the world". The Masters tournament, in which players such as Vishy Anand, Hikaru Nakamura, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Yu Yangyi and many more strong players compete, begins Tuesday, 15.00 local time. The drawing of lots took place the evening before.

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Pictures: Sophie Triay (Tournament page)

Opening Ceremony

Group portrait with lady (from left to right): Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Vishy Anand,
Miss Gibraltar Hannah Bado, Tradewise Chairman James Humphreys, Hikaru Nakamura,
Hon Steven Linares Minister for Sport, Culture, Heritage & Youth and Festival Organiser Brian Callaghan.

Miss Gibraltar: Hannah Bado

Top seed and winner of the Tradewise Gibraltar Open 2015: Hikaru Nakamura

Former World Champion Vishy Anand. Anand's last open with classical time control is some time ago.

Tournament director GM Stuart Conquest

Hannah Bado and Stuart Conquest

Hannah Bado and Steven Linares Minister for Sport, Culture, Heritage & Youth

Anna Kashlinskaya and Radoslaw Wojtaszek

Valentina Gunina and Natalia Pogonina

The Chinese sent a young and strong delegation to Gibraltar...

...as did the Indians.

A passion for chess

Pairings of Round 1

Bo. No.   Name Rtg Result   Name Rtg No.
1 1 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2787   IM Bellin Robert 2350 132
2 129 FM Shachar Ehud 2353   GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2785 2
3 3 GM Anand Viswanathan 2784   IM Lazarne Vajda Szidonia 2359 127
4 134 FM Tate Alan 2345   GM Harikrishna P. 2755 4
5 5 GM Li Chao B 2751   IM Wemmers Xander 2352 130
6 128 IM Vuilleumier Alexandre 2356   GM Yu Yangyi 2747 6
7 7 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2732   WGM Vojinovic Jovana 2352 131
8 133 GM Arakhamia-Grant Ketevan 2346   GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw 2727 8
9 9 GM Rapport Richard 2721   IM Gara Anita 2339 135
10 136 IM Foisor Cristina-Adela 2338   GM Fressinet Laurent 2700 10
11 11 GM Bacrot Etienne 2697   WGM Pourkashiyan Atousa 2338 137
12 138 FM Mihajlov Sebastian 2335   GM Ni Hua 2697 12
13 13 GM Naiditsch Arkadij 2696   IM Mannion Stephen R 2334 139
14 140 FM Zwahr Paul 2333   GM Ragger Markus 2689 14
15 15 GM Howell David W L 2685   IM Perez Garcia Rodney Oscar 2332 141
16 142 FM Lombaers Peter 2328   GM Almasi Zoltan 2684 16
17 17 GM Short Nigel D 2684   IM Kharous Ernest 2314 143
18 144 FM De Haan Eric 2313   GM Bruzon Batista Lazaro 2666 18
19 19 GM Kamsky Gata 2665   FM Ripari Marcelo 2310 145
20 146 WGM Papp Petra 2308   GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof 2660 20
21 21 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2660   FM Bach Matthias 2301 147
22 148 FM Goriatchkin Jouri 2300   GM Sutovsky Emil 2647 22
23 23 GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi 2642   FM Bergstrom Rolf 2297 149
24 150 FM Plotkin Victor 2291   GM Anton Guijarro David 2639 24
25 25 GM Sethuraman S.P. 2639   WIM Pratyusha Bodda 2278 151
26 152 IM Piasetski Leon 2277   GM Grandelius Nils 2635 26
27 27 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2627   IM Watson John L 2277 153
28 154 FM Perez Garcia Alejandro 2273   GM Jones Gawain C B 2625 28
29 29 GM Iturrizaga Bonelli Eduardo 2624     Vea Odin Blikra 2271 155
30 156   Henderson De La Fuente Lance 2270   GM Edouard Romain 2617 30
31 31 GM Erdos Viktor 2613   FM Sanchez Jerez Emilio Miguel 2265 157
32 158 FM Nava Pereda Carlos 2262   GM Gupta Abhijeet 2613 32
33 33 GM Lenic Luka 2611   FM Gavilan Diaz Mario 2261 159
34 160 FM Cordes Hans-Joerg Dr. 2257   GM Bachmann Axel 2610 34
35 35 GM Maze Sebastien 2591     Weisbuch Udi 2254 161
36 162 FM Menna Barreto Felipe Kubiaki 2247   GM Sandipan Chanda 2583 36
37 37 GM Tregubov Pavel V. 2582   IM Mohota Nisha 2245 163
38 164   Hommerson Paul 2240   GM Grigoriants Sergey 2580 38
39 39 GM Perez Ponsa Federico 2577     Heinemann Josefine 2233 165
40 166   Saber Yasser 2230   GM Vazquez Igarza Renier 2572 40
41 41 GM Donchenko Alexander 2570   FM House Glenn L 2226 167
42 168   Fiala Vaclav 2217   GM Oparin Grigoriy 2565 42
43 43 IM Tari Aryan 2556     Midonet Matthieu 2211 169
44 170 WGM Nebolsina Vera 2208   GM Muzychuk Mariya 2554 44
45 45 GM Lalith Babu M R 2553   CM Walton Alan J 2206 171
46 172   Verneuil Pascal 2205   GM Kosteniuk Alexandra 2550 46
47 47 GM Muzychuk Anna 2537     Pinho Paulo 2197 173
48 174   Guthrie David 2187   GM Demuth Adrien 2535 48
49 49 GM Handke Florian Dr. 2533   FM Baert Andy 2184 175
50 176   Semprun Martinez Fernando 2178   GM Al-Sayed Mohammed 2530 50
51 51 GM Gopal G.N. 2525     Byron Alan M 2175 177
52 178   Tscharotschkin Michael 2169   GM Cramling Pia 2523 52
53 53 GM Vishnu Prasanna. V 2518     Hill Alistair 2167 179
54 180   Ajele Rotimi 2163   IM Pichot Alan 2517 54
55 55 GM Libiszewski Fabien 2515   IM Ranaivoharisoa Alain 2160 181
56 182   Blodig Reinhard 2158   GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2515 56
57 57 IM Gledura Benjamin 2515   CM Campbell Charles 2157 183
58 184 FM Dougherty Michael 2149   GM Harika Dronavalli 2511 58
59 59 GM Sundararajan Kidambi 2508     Vanheirzeele Daniel 2149 185
60 186   Lobersli Henrik Oie 2146   GM Bai Jinshi 2507 60
61 61 GM Zhao Xue 2506     Spence David J 2140 187
62 188   Seyfried Claus 2137   WGM Tan Zhongyi 2504 62
63 63 GM Khotenashvili Bela 2502     Veltkamp Gerben 2135 189
64 190   Kalthoff Peter 2132   WGM Goryachkina Aleksandra 2502 64
65 65 GM Aravindh Chithambaram Vr. 2500   CM Osuna Vega Enrique 2127 191
66 192 WGM Dolzhikova Olga 2126   GM Fodor Tamas Jr. 2500 66
67 67 GM Gunina Valentina 2496   AGM Boado Rodriguez Martin 2121 193
68 194   Feldbacher Harald 2121   GM Blomqvist Erik 2492 68
69 69 GM Zhukova Natalia 2484     Amos Frank 2118 195
70 196   Barrenechea Bahamonde Gustavo 2116   IM Nakar Eylon 2479 70
71 71 GM Tarjan James E 2478     Burrows Martin P 2115 197
72 198 FM Kandic Milan 2109   IM Ly Moulthun 2474 72
73 73 WGM Lei Tingjie 2474     Omoifo Osemekhian I 2106 199
74 200   Nordquelle Daniel 2102     Xu Xiangyu 2466 74
75 75 IM Kashlinskaya Alina 2462   FM Weeramantry Sunil 2099 201
76 202   Pakosta Miroslav 2097   IM Carlstedt Jonathan 2461 76
77 77 IM Prasanna Raghuram Rao 2460     Compton Alistair 2094 203
78 204   Havik Victor 2092   IM Galyas Miklos 2459 78
79 79 GM Krush Irina 2458     Pabalan Rocky 2089 205
80 206 WFM De Rosa Mariagrazia 2088   WGM Pogonina Natalija 2454 80
81 81 IM Tan Justin 2446     Mohorea Vasile 2087 207
82 208   Hagesather Arne 2086   IM Kelires Andreas 2444 82
83 83 IM Salomon Johan 2444     Carlsten Peter 2074 209
84 211   Biegel Thomas 2069   IM Shytaj Luca 2443 84
85 85 IM Stark Lars 2440     Dasaolu Rotimi 2060 212
86 213   Hamer Martyn 2058     Kollars Dmitrij 2436 86
87 87 GM Akesson Ralf 2435     Myall Ivan J 2049 214
88 215   Vilarnovo Caamano Jose 2043   GM Tischbierek Raj 2433 88
89 89 GM Carlsson Pontus 2430     Berrocal Ruiz Valentin 2040 216
90 217   Suez-Panama Gilles 2032   IM Almagro Llamas Pablo 2429 90
91 91 IM Padmini Rout 2427     Moradi Kimia 2024 218
92 219   Lindqvist Roland 2018   FM Santos Ruiz Miguel 2427 92
93 93 FM Neef Maximilian 2423     Korning Peter 2015 220
94 221   Odeh Kenneth 2014   IM Nezad Husein Aziz 2422 94
95 95 IM Santiago Yago De Moura 2422     Henrichsen Jens 2012 222
96 223 CM Harding Tim D 2006   IM Esserman Marc 2419 96
97 97 IM Ben Artzi Ido 2418     Burke Mitchell R 2002 224
98 225   Goncalves Jose Antonio Silvei 1984   IM Holm Kristian Stuvik 2417 98
99 99 IM Docx Stefan 2416     Marcos Herrero Francisco 1982 226
100 227   Eagleton Greg T 1981   IM Teran Alvarez Ismael 2416 100
101 101 FM Csonka Balazs 2415     Darnell Anton 1979 228
102 229   Skutta Bernd Dr. 1966   IM Nagy Gabor 2413 102
103 103 FM Rydl Jiri 2412     Zachariassen John 1958 230
104 231   George Lolomari Erekosima 1937   IM Satyapragyan Swayangsu 2410 104
105 105 GM Vogt Lothar 2409     Lafortune Emerick 1923 232
106 233   Boron Anthony 1915   IM Martinez Martin David 2407 106
107 107 IM Codenotti Marco 2406     Slinger Tony J 1915 234
108 235   Lochte Szilvia 1913   IM Kohlweyer Bernd 2404 108
109 109 IM Houska Jovanka 2402     Bajer Renato 1890 236
110 237   Gravett Alan D 1884   IM Kuipers Stefan 2399 110
111 111 IM Gaponenko Inna 2393     Wilson Matthew R 1873 238
112 239   Sajjadi Kimiya 1839   IM Khademalsharieh Sarasadat 2392 112
113 113 GM Solomon Kenny 2390     Winter Kevin 1825 240
114 241   Christophe-Hayot Romain 1824   FM Hauge Lars Oskar 2388 114
115 115 IM Anurag Mhamal 2387     Schimmer Michael 1782 242
116 243   Chidi Lovinia Sylvia 1780   WIM Shvayger Yuliya 2381 116
117 117 IM Galinsky Timofey 2379     Mrabti Yahya 1780 244
118 245   Tarr Steve F 1779   FM Gulamali Kazim 2379 118
119 119 GM Bellon Lopez Juan Manuel 2376     Kristinsson Magnus 1776 246
120 247   Magnusdottir Veronika Steinun 1762   IM Christiansen Johan-Sebastian 2374 120
121 121 GM Paehtz Thomas 2372     Savage Neil 1689 248
122 249   Joachim Rodny 1659     Herman Matthew J 2370 122
123 123   Siva Mahadevan 2370     Beadle John R 1560 250
124 251   Ford Clifton P 0   IM Quillan Gary 2369 124
125 125 IM Bitensky Igor 2362     Nasar El Hassan 0 252
126 253   Sedillo Edward R 0   FM Kavutskiy Konstantin 2360 126
127 210   Kozarcanin Sead 2073 0   not paired

Schedule

The Masters Tournament is played from 26 January to 4 February 2016. On 28 January a four-board-team-blitz-tournament will be played, on 31 January follows a two-board-team-blitz-tournament. The "Battle of the Sexes", a consultation game women against men, will be fought on 30 January.

Prize-fund

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the 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 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
 
Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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