Iweta Rajlich tops two World Champions at First Saturday

by ChessBase
4/21/2012 – After taking time off for maternity leave, IM Iweta Rajlich returned to competitive chess last December, anxious to play again. She entered in the First Saturday GM tournament held in Budapest, Hungary, and promptly scored a GM norm, despite two world champions. Her secret? 'When my son Waclav Andrej appeared in the room in the arms of my husband, I was lifted to heaven.'

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Iweta Rajlich tops two World Champions at First Saturday

By IM Miklos Orso

Playing in the First Saturday GM tournament held April 9-16, the greatest inspiration for Iweta Rajlich was her lovely 21 month old little son while successfully fighting for her second GM norm. “I was in a difficult situation against GM Miso Cebalo (Senior World Champion 2009) but when my son Waclav Andrej appeared in the room in the arms of my husband, I was lifted to heaven and found all the saving moves that proved to be so important later.


IM Iweta Rajlich, married to Vasik Rajlich, author of Rybka, found
divine inspiration seeing her baby boy.

She returned to competitive chess last December and achieved her second GM norm (the first was achieved also at the First Saturday held in Budapest 2006) winning this unique GM event that could boast of the participation of two active World Champions.


GM Miso Cebalo (CRO) was Senior World Champion in 2009. In addition Fodor
Tamas Jr. who was U10 Word Champion (Oropesa del Mar 2001) was also playing.

Final standings of First Saturday GM tournament

Rk
Name
Pts
Fed
M/F
Rtg
Perf
1
IM Rajlich, Iweta
7.0
POL
F
2422
2616
2
GM Simonian, Hrair
6.0
ARM
M
2469
2516
3
FM Fodor, Tamas Jr.
5.5
HUN
M
2482
2470
4
GM Cebalo, Miso
5.0
CRO
M
2442
2437
5
GM Varga, Zoltan
5.0
HUN
M
2440
2437
6
Szabo, Bence
4.5
HUN
M
2317
2408
7
IM Rodriguez, Rafael
4.0
ESP
M
2266
2371
8
GM Flumbort, Andras Dr.
3.5
HUN
M
2530
2304
9
IM Estrada Nieto, Julian
3.5
MEX
M
2306
2329
10
FM Bach, Matthias
1.0
GER
M
2315
2057

The IM section brought no norms since fighting against seven experienced IMs was too hard a task for the candidates. The closest to succeeding was Padhya Saumil (IND).


Padhya Saumil

The winner was IM Szeberenyi Adam who came ahead of IM Galyas Miklos, winner of the Budapest Spring Festival Open just a week earlier.


IM Szeberenyi Adam won the IM tournament

Final standings of First Saturday IM tournament

Rk
Name
Pts
Fed
Rtg
Perf
1
IM Szeberenyi, Adam
6.5
HUN
2305
2432
2
IM Galyas, Miklos
6.0
HUN
2445
2376
3
IM Kislik, Erik Andrew
5.5
USA
2403
2335
4
Padhya Saumil
5.0
IND
2187
2322
5
IM Szalanczy, Emil
5.0
HUN
2249
2281
6
Melkonyan, Vardan
4.5
ARM
2230
2275
7
IM Eperjesi, Laszlo Dr.
4.0
HUN
2206
2281
8
IM Lengyel, Bela
4.0
HUN
2257
2229
9
IM Farago, Sandor
3.0
HUN
2296
2142
10
Vrhovnik, Damir
1.5
CRO
2124
2013

There were two more groups with intense fights for rating points. The event was played in the recently renewed large Conference Hall of the MEDOSZ Hotel in Budapest which welcomes chess-players now with a bright, air-conditioned playing site.


MEDOSZ hotel tournament hall after the renovation


Legendary GM Pal Benko, 84 years young, observes the game of Ms. Wang

The next First Saturday tournaments are scheduled for May 5-16. See the First Saturday website for more information.


Links

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