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Chess Classic Mainz 2007
The event takes place from August 13 to 19 in the Rheingoldhalle of the
Congress Centre, Hilton Hotel in Mainz, Germany. It includes matches and
Opens in traditional and Random Chess, with stars like the current world's
number one Anand, who will play in Chess960 (Fischer Random) and in rapid
chess tournaments together with Levon Aronian, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and
Etienne Bacrot.
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Aronian wins FiNet Chess960 World Championship
It was an exciting day in Mainz: Anand and Aronian played the four-game Chess960
match at the Chess Classic for the title of FiNet Chess960 Rapid World Champion.
The final started at 8:30 p.m. and ended just a few minutes before midnight.

The final of the FiNet Chess960 World Championship
The match was drawn after four exciting games, with Aronian winning the first
and Anand equalising in the fourth. Now a two-game blitz tiebreak had to be
played, and it was Aronian who won the first and drew the second. He now has
the title of Chess960 World Champion.

The winner: Levon Aronian or Armenia

Came very close in his first Chess960 match: Vishy Anand

The match for third place between Etienne Bacrot was dominated by Bacrot,
who won 3:1.
Full standings
Qualifier
Finals

Replaying the games
Due mainly to the specially castling rules (see below) Chess960 games
recorded in PGN cannot be easily replayed with regular chess programs
or applications. However Fritz 10 can handle these files, in PGN or ChessBase
formats. ChessBase 9 or ChessBase Light can also do the same, using the
games in ChessBase format.
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How about a nice game of Chess960?
Note that with Fritz 10 you can also play Chess960 against the or on
the Playchess server. With ChessBase
Light you can do the latter.
To do this you should enter the special rooms reserved for Chess960.
You can go there to watch the broadcasts of the games being played at
the Mainz Chess Classic, or you can play games against other users yourself.
You can also stage tournaments, for humans or for chess engines which
know the game. |
Picture gallery: 6th FiNet Open
World's biggest Chess960 Rapid Chess Tournament
The 6th FiNet Open, also played with shuffled pieces, started on August 16
and will be concluded on August 17. There is a large number of sterling players
participating, as our picture report shows.
Standings after five rounds
Rnk |
Player |
Rtn |
Pts |
1. |
GM Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar |
2755 |
5.0 |
1. |
GM Kamsky,Gata |
2717 |
5.0 |
3. |
GM Almasi,Zoltan |
2682 |
5.0 |
4. |
GM Gashimov,Vugar |
2655 |
4.5 |
5. |
GM Volokitin,Andrej |
2698 |
4.5 |
6. |
GM Shirov,Alexey |
2735 |
4.5 |
7. |
GM Sargissian,Gabriel |
2667 |
4.5 |
8. |
GM Lysyj,Igor |
2578 |
4.5 |
9. |
GM Sasikiran,Krishnan |
2674 |
4.5 |
10. |
GM Bacrot,Etienne |
2703 |
4.5 |
11. |
GM Grischuk,Alexander |
2726 |
4.5 |
12. |
GM Bologan,Victor |
2650 |
4.5 |
13. |
GM Naiditsch,Arkadij |
2644 |
4.0 |
14. |
GM Karjakin,Sergey |
2678 |
4.0 |
15. |
GM Balogh,Csaba |
2567 |
4.0 |
16. |
GM Pentala,Harikrishna |
2664 |
4.0 |
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Rnk |
Player |
Rtn |
Pts |
17. |
GM Ivantschuk,Vassili |
2766 |
4.0 |
18. |
GM Czebe,Attila |
2519 |
4.0 |
19. |
GM Moiseenko,Alexander |
2641 |
4.0 |
19. |
GM Petrosian,Tigran L. |
2613 |
4.0 |
21. |
GM Bischoff,Klaus |
2535 |
4.0 |
22. |
GM Iljin,Artem |
2569 |
4.0 |
23. |
IM Al-Sayed,Mohammed |
2469 |
4.0 |
24. |
GM Döttling,Fabian |
2537 |
4.0 |
24. |
IM Leon Hoyos,Manuel |
2484 |
4.0 |
26. |
GM Meier,Georg |
2552 |
4.0 |
26. |
GM Horvath,Peter |
2445 |
4.0 |
28. |
GM Horvath,Adam |
2491 |
4.0 |
28. |
GM Akesson,Ralf |
2477 |
4.0 |
30. |
WGM Zhukova,Natalia |
2452 |
4.0 |
31. |
GM Gutman,Lev |
2408 |
4.0 |
31. |
FM Meinhardt,Maximilian |
2378 |
4.0 |
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Game links are given above

You think this is funny? Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs Sergey Karjakin (Shakh
won)

The one who does not (boo!) get to play in Mexico: Vassily Ivanchuk

As ever intense: Indian GM Krishnan ("Shashi") Sasikiran

Young Indian GM (and GM killer) Parimarjan Negi

Parimarjan Negi, India, vs Andrej Volokitin, Ukraine (0-1)

Top US GM Gata Kamsky (second from right), posing with the tournament mascots

GM Mohamad Al-Modiahki of Qatar

... and his wife, former women's world champion Zhu Chen
(get her a new, leak-proof pen, Modiakhi!)

Former junior world champion Elisabeth Pähtz, Germany

Indeed you can't, Viktorija Cmilyte, as you showed in Predeal

Top Czech GM David Navara

Veteran GM Vlastimil Hort (in red) facing the daughter Ekaterina of veteran
GM Artur Jussupow

Due for a Medal of Bravery: Mainz Lord Mayor Jens Beutel, right, faces Shakh
Mamedyarov

And the little ones are calle "pawns" – just kidding, Jens Beutel
is a strong tournament player and is discussing the technicalities of the ceremonious
first move with chief organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt
All pictures by Carsten Straub