26th time's the charm: Jiri Stocek takes Pardubice trophy

Stocek finishes first after 26 attempts

The 31st Czech Open International Chess Festival was held in Pardubice from 16^th to 28^th July 2019. Being one of the strongest and grandest chess tournaments of the Czech tour series, this event attracts some of the sharpest chess talents from around the world.

The Pardubice festival has various categories of chess tournaments amongst which the Grandmaster Open A is the main event for players with Elo >2100 and Open B is a rating tournament for players with Elo between 1700 and 2300. This year, there were 322 participants in the Grandmaster Open A tournament including 29 GMs, 5 WGMs, 60 IMs, 11 WIMs, 86 FMs and 8 WFMs. There were players from 37 countries with 81 players from various regions of the Czech Republic. There were 29 players from India with GM Deepan Chakravarthy at the top of the pack.

There were six players with 6½ points after the eighth round. Draws on the first two boards was all the eighth seeded Czech GM Jiri Stocek needed, as he defeated GM Deepan Chakravarthy on the third board to comfortably secure the first place in the tournament with 7½/9. I managed to speak with Jiri after the tournament where he stated that this victory was extra special to him, as he had participated in this tournament for 26 years, also tied for first spot, but had never managed to win it with a clear margin! Jiri's patience finally bore fruit! 

Opening Encyclopaedia 2019

Over 1,100 special theoretical databases, 180 new opening surveys, a large number revised — in total 6,680 surveys — and over 38,000 illustrative games.

Jiri Stocek speaks about his victory, life in Czech Republic as a GM and more | Video: Rupali Mullick

The podium finishers | Photo: Rupali Mullick

GM Jiri Stocek with the beautiful trophy; GM Victor Laznicka finished second and the defending champion GM Sergei Movsesian (with his son) stood third.

Stocek's sacrifice in the final round

Jiri Stocek was paired against the Indian GM Deepan Chakkravarthy on board three in the final round. Stocek needed to win, and he also required top two boards to end in draws to have a chance at winning the tournament since he had a low tie-break score. Top two boards ended up in draws and Stocek won his game with a brilliant sacrifice.

Of course if White accepts the sacrifice, he will be absolutely fine. Black won't have enough compensation for it, but can you find a better way for White to refute that sacrifice?

A lifetime repertoire: Play the Nimzo Indian

This DVD provides everything you need to know to be able to play one of the most classical openings with Black, the Nimzo-Indian, arising after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. Nearly every World Championship and top tournament features the Nimzo-Indian.

Top seed Viktor Laznicka needed to win the last round to become champion | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Laznicka's best win came against FM Filip Cukrowski in round four when the Czech no.3 finished the game in just 22 moves.

Power Play 24: A repertoire for black against the Catalan

On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black against the Catalan, based around maintaining the rock of a pawn on d5. Keeping central control ultimately gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king.

Defending champion Sergei Movsesian did not manage to retain his crown, however he won the rapid event | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Movsesian started with five consecutive wins, and then he made four consecutive draws in the final four games.

In total, sixteen norms were made including 2 GM, 11 IM and 3 WGM-norms.

Norm makers receives their norm certificates | Photo: Rupali Mullick

GM-norms: IM Mikhail Demidov (RUS, 2546) and IM Adam Kozak (HUN, 2475).

IM-norms: FM Nikolozi Kacharava (GEO, 2431), FM Filip Cukrowski (POL, 2421), FM Alexey Polschikov (RUS, 2375), FM Nikhil Dixit (IND, 2318), FM Theo Gungl (GER, 2306), FM Andrii Punin (UKR, 2305), FM Peter Keller (GER, 2279), Mariia Berdnyk (UKR, 2247), Amit Moksh Doshi (IND, 2229), FM Yoav Milikow (ISR, 2186) and FM Dushyant Sharma (IND, 2168).

WGM-norms: WFM Sahajasri Cholleti (IND, 2223), WIM Rakshita Ravi (IND, 2112) and WIM Shalmali Gagare (IND, 2058).

All norm makers in one frame | Photo: Rupali Mullick

The evolution of an organizer

IO Jan Mazuch has over the last three decades consistently improved and grown the chess culture in Pardubice, and worked tirelessly to organize international chess tournaments all over the Czech Republic from May to February every year. Pardubice's Czech Open is the most famous of the whole series.

Mazuch's story is quite motivational. He went from organizing the first edition of Czech Open in Pardubice with 40 participants to it becoming one of the most popular tournaments in all of Europe.

IO Jan Mazuch — the pioneer of Czech Tour Chess Tournaments | Photo: Rupali Mullick

Did you know that Jan Mazuch is a deputy Mayor of Pardubice? | Video: Rupali Mullick

Final standings (top 25)

Complete standings

All games