Matsuura wins second Brazilian Championship after 26 years

All photos by Albert Silver

(click on photos for high-resolution versions)

The 83rd Brazilian championship was remarkable on many levels, and will be one that is remembered for the large number of improbabilities that took place. Then first is not event the headline at the top of the article, but the unequivocal fighting spirit that transpired through and through. After the daunting 74% draw rate in the elite FIDE Grand Prix in Sharjah, it is almost comical to share the nearly 73% win rate in the Brazilian Championship. To be fair, this is highly atypical.

Everyone added to this statistic, and all played uncompromisingly. In fact, in some cases, it was taken to extremes that even Tal would have smiled at.

Vitor Carneiro was party to one of the wildest games in round ten, courtesy of...

... Carlos Pinto who just refused to hold anything back. One thing was clear, no matter how right or wrong the play was, with no engines to supply easy answers, it forced his much higher rated opponent to focus with the utmost care.

Vitor Carneiro - Carlos Pinto

After the game, players who had observed the madness, could not help themselves and were seen pitching in, and just as quickly shooed away by the arbiter.

IM Maximo Macedo was another who contributed generously to the win-rate, as his final score of 4.5/11 included only three draws

One cannot fault the effort that went into trying to take home one of these trophies...

... and especially the champion's trophy above.

GM Krikor Mekhitarian, the previous year's champion, had hoped to compound his title with a run, but two unexpected losses dashed that dream to pieces.

GM Felipe El Debs came in third just a half point behind the leaders, and were it not for his loss in round two, he might have had a greater say in the title

Fier - Macedo (annotated by Alexandr Fier)

In the final round, Alexandr Fier tried his utmost to trip Renato Quintiliano, but to no avail

After a fast and furious 6.0/6 start, Everaldo Matsuura had the luxury of not needing to press for the win in every game. In the final round he drew with Krikor Mekhitarian.

Everaldo Matsuura vs Krikor Mekhitarian (annotated by FM Ricardo Teixeira)

Vitor Carneiro came in 5th with 6.5/11, which was good enough for an IM norm

GM Felipe El Debs receives his third place trophy from the former club director

Tournament director, and president of the Brazilian Federation, Darcy Lima, gives the second-place trophy to Alexandr Fier

A special commendation must be made to the Brazilian Federation regarding the tournament this year. For one thing, this year's event brought in the largest prizefund in the championship's history, 20 thousand Reals (roughly $6000), and promises to increase that to 36 thousand Reals next year, when the structure will be organized as a knockout event with mini-matches. However, more than this, I spoke with several of the players to ask about their impressions or gripes, and was pleased to hear them all state extreme satisfaction with the conditions as they highlighted the pleasant playing room, the hotel where they stayed, and even the food. This was further repeated a couple of weeks later in the female championship (see below), when Regina Ribeiro commented in her closing ceremony speech that it had easily been the best championship she had been in after 33 years of competing in it.

Claudia Aquino, who coordinated the life transmission, daily photos, and more, had the pleasure of giving the champion's trophy to Everaldo Matsuura

Everaldo Matsuura’s win truly was one worthy of a fairy tale. Consider that by all measures he should not even have been there. In the Semifinal event he played in to qualify for the final, he had come in behind GM Andre Diamant and failed to make the cut. This effectively made him a reserve, which usually means that was that. However, as fate would have it, Diamant was forced to withdraw before the event started, and suddenly the vacant seat was given to him.

Everaldo Matsuura, born in 1970, had won the event in 1991 at the budding age of 21, but his progress had never been the streaking one that we read about every month as a prodigy or other produces an amazing result. He became an IM at the age of 26, and for years remained a strong IM, but no more. Inch by inch he made his way forward, with the diligence and patience that only the most iron-willed are capable of, and at the age of 40, fourteen years later, he finally locked all the conditions necessary and became a GM.

FM Ricardo Teixeira, himself a mutiple finalist, and one-time vice-champion, chats with friend and oft rival over-the-board, Matsuura.

When he arrived in Rio de Janeiro, fifth in the starting list, there was no burning fire that promised to leave everyone in the dust as he won the title. Sure he wanted to win it, but his attitude towards the game had changed. As he explained after, he no longer approached an event with the result as his main goal. He was now more accepting of the cards he might get, and sought only to play a good game. As is typical of all perfectionists, when asked what his best game had been in the championship, he said none met his criteria of a ‘good game’, but that was ok. His peers will no doubt have strong words of disagreement on this, as will his perfect 6.0/6 start where everything seemed to work for him. He explained also that this approach was not limited to the event, but to his games. While he understands that ideally, he will be in full control, calculating like mad and working out all the lines and nitty gritty, he feels this is an illusion and now relies more on his instinct and understanding of the positions. The result is a second title, 26 years after his first. The only other player in the history of the Brazilian Championship to rival (and beat) it is the legendary Souza Mendes, who was also the first Brazilian Champion ever.

Your author and photographer, Albert Silver, together with the champion

A group photo with the players and organizers

Final standings

The women's championship was won by top-seed Juliana Terão. Not only did she smash the field with a merciless 8.5/9, but she also became the first Brazilian woman to break 2300. (photo by Claudia Aquino)

The three top finishers Vanessa Feliciano (second), Juliana Terao (first), and Vivian Heinrichs (third) (photo by Claudia Aquino)

Group photo with all the participants of the Brazilian Women Championship (photo by Claudia Aquino)

Final standings

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN All women's games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess 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 14 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.