Morozevich early leader in Kazan

by Alejandro Ramirez
12/1/2014 – What a month November has proven to be for chess! As if all the super-tournaments we have witnessed in Russia are not enough, the Russian Super Final has kicked off, along with the Women's section. In the Open tournament, which boasts six 2700s, Alexander Morozevich has taken an early 2.5/3 lead while in the Women's there is a three way tie. Early report of a promising event.

Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

As if November had not had enough high quality chess up until now, one last final Super-Tournament is being hosted, this time in Kazan! The Russian Super Final is currently under way. The tournament is a product of the cooperation between the Russian Chess Federation and the Charity Foundation of Elena and Gennady Timochenko, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Kazan is the capital and largest city of Tatarstan, with a population of about 1.1 million people. It is the eighth most populous city in Russian and it lies at the confluence of the Volga (like the Gambit! known in the west as the "Benko Gambit") and Kazanka rivers in European Russia. The Kazan Kremlin (pictured above) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kazan is famous for having a harmonious community of Muslim and Christian citizens.

The tournament is taking place in the State's Historical and Architectural Museum at the Kazan Kremlin. The Open section is unbelievably strong:

Name Rating
Karjakin, Sergey 2770
Jakovenko, Dmitry 2745
Svidler, Peter 2743
Vitiugov, Nikita 2738
Morozevich, Alexander 2724
Nepomniachtchi, Ian 2714
Lysyj, Igor 2686
Khismatullin, Denis 2679
Grachev, Boris 2663
Zvjaginsev, Vadim 2655

Concurrently the Russian Women's Super Final is also taking place.

Name Rating
Kosteniuk, Alexandra 2541
Gunina, Valentina 2522
Pogonina, Natalija 2480
Galliamova, Alisa 2471
Girya, Olga 2457
Kashlinskaya, Alina 2439
Kovalevskaya, Ekaterina 2439
Goryachkina, Alexandra 2438
Bodnaruk, Anastasia 2411
Gritsayeva, Oksana 2335

Most of the top women players are playing in the Super Final, with the notable exceptions of Kateryna Lagno and the two Kosintseva sisters.

The time control of the event is 90 minutes for 40 moves, 30 minutes until the end of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. Participants are not allowed to offer a draw until move 40.

Opening Ceremony

The City Hall, one of the many beautiful architectural pieces in Kazan

A crowded room awaits the opening ceremony.
How many grandmasters can you recognize?

First off, a film about the Chess in Museums project

No opening ceremony would be complete without FIDE President Ilyumzhinov

The opening ceremony was held at Kazan City Hall. During Superfinals school students will be drawing players while they are playing! By the end of the tournament winners will be selected among the best studies, and the author will get a legitimate reward. In short, this time not only Caissa, but also patron of the arts - the muse - will keenly follow the games.

The opening ceremony held speeches by Andrei Filatov, who read a welcome letter from the President of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Chess Federation, Dmitry Peskov; FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov; Maria Morozova and 12th world champion Anatoly Karpov.

After that it was time for the drawing of lots...

Kosteniuk drew a number 10

Nepomniachtchi's nine gives him more blacks than whites

Alexandra Kosteniuk, Olga Girya nd Anastasia Bodnaruk

During the ceremony, Assistant to the President of Russia Igor Levitin presented the medal Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" to Olympic champion Valentina Gunina while the Russian Chess President presented them to Evgeny Najer (above) and Alexander Riazantsev, coaches for the Russian team.

A rendition of La Primavera from Vivaldi

Standings after Round Three

The players are surrounded by paintings by Kazan artist Nikolai Ivanovich Fechin

Three rounds have so far been played in Kazan, and a few of the results have been surprising.

In the open section Morozevich has bounced back beautifully from a bad performance in Tashir. Zvjaginsev, the lowest rated player in the event, has a superb showing so far with 2.0/3. Nepomniachtchi also has +1 by defeating Sergey Karjakin, who has not won a game yet, with 1.f4!?!?.

Rounds One to Three

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qf3 Rc8 10.0-0-0 Nb4 11.Kb1 Qc7 12.a3 Nxc2 13.Kxc2 Qc6 14.Nd2 d5 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.Nc4 Nxc3 17.Qxc6+ Rxc6 18.bxc3 Bxc4 19.Bxc4 Rxc4 20.Rd5 Be7 21.Rb1 Rc7 22.Rxe5 0-0 23.Bb6 Rd7 24.Rbe1 Bf6 25.R5e4 h5 26.c4 Kh7 27.Rd1 Rxd1 28.Kxd1 Rc8 29.Kc2 Kg8 30.Kb3 Kf8 31.a4 Be7 32.c5 Ke8 33.Kc4 Rc6 34.Re5 g6 35.Ba5 Rf6 36.Bb4 Kd7 37.f3 Rc6 38.Rd5+ Ke8 39.Bc3 b6 40.Bb4 Rc8 41.g4 hxg4 42.hxg4 Rc6 43.g5 f6 44.f4 fxg5 45.fxg5 Re6 46.Kd3 Rc6 47.Kd4 Re6 48.Ba3 Kf7 49.Rd7 Ke8 50.Ra7 bxc5+ 51.Bxc5 Bxc5+ 52.Kxc5 Re5+ 53.Kd6 Rxg5 54.Rxa6 Kf7 55.a5 Rg1 56.Rb6 Ra1 57.a6 Kf6 58.Kc7+ Kf5 59.Rb5+ Kf4 60.Kb6 Rxa6+ 61.Kxa6 g5 62.Rb8 g4 63.Kb5 g3 64.Kc4 g2 65.Rg8 Kf3 66.Kd3 Kf2 67.Rf8+ Ke1 68.Re8+ Kf2 69.Rf8+ ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2770Khismatullin,D2679½–½2014B9067th ch-RUS 20141.1
Grachev,B2669Svidler,P2743½–½2014D7967th ch-RUS 20141.2
Jakovenko,D2745Nepomniachtchi,I2714½–½2014A3467th ch-RUS 20141.3
Zvjaginsev,V2655Morozevich,A2724½–½2014C0767th ch-RUS 20141.4
Vitiugov,N2738Lysyj,I26860–12014A4667th ch-RUS 20141.5
Lysyj,I2686Svidler,P2743½–½2014D8267th ch-RUS 20142.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2714Karjakin,S27701–02014A0367th ch-RUS 20142.2
Khismatullin,D2679Zvjaginsev,V26550–12014A0467th ch-RUS 20142.3
Morozevich,A2724Grachev,B26691–02014B8567th ch-RUS 20142.4
Vitiugov,N2738Jakovenko,D2745½–½2014D3767th ch-RUS 20142.5
Svidler,P2743Morozevich,A27240–12014A0567th ch-RUS 20143.1
Jakovenko,D2745Lysyj,I26861–02014D3067th ch-RUS 20143.2
Zvjaginsev,V2655Nepomniachtchi,I2714½–½2014B2267th ch-RUS 20143.3
Karjakin,S2770Vitiugov,N2738½–½2014A0767th ch-RUS 20143.4
Grachev,B2669Khismatullin,D2679½–½2014E1867th ch-RUS 20143.5

Select from the dropdown menu to replay the games

In the women's section there is no leader right away. The difference between first and last is only of one point. Girya, Kosteniuk and Goryachkina all have 2.0/3, interestingly enough none of them have drawn a single game! Gunina, a pre-tournament favorite, is struggling with only 1.0/3.

Kosteniuk already using a traditional Tartar hat

Goryachkina took out Valentina Gunina with Black in a key game

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.b3 c5 5.Bb2 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Be2 Be7 8.0-0 d4 9.exd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 cxd4 11.d3 0-0 12.Nd2 Bf5 13.Nf3 Bc5 14.Rc1 Qd6 15.Rc4 b5 16.Rxd4 Bxd4 17.Nxd4 Bd7 18.Qd2 Rac8 19.h3 h6 20.Bf3 Rfe8 21.Qa5 a6 22.Bb7 Rb8 23.Bf3 b4 24.Bc6 Bxc6 25.Qxa6 Rbc8 26.Rc1 Nd5 27.Nf5 Qf4 28.Nxg7 Bb7 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kovalevskaya,E2439Kosteniuk,A25410–12014A13ch-RUS Superfinal w 20141.1
Kashlinskaya,A2439Galliamova,A24711–02014D94ch-RUS Superfinal w 20141.2
Gritsayeva,O2335Bodnaruk,A24110–12014A41ch-RUS Superfinal w 20141.3
Girya,O2457Pogonina,N24801–02014D37ch-RUS Superfinal w 20141.4
Gunina,V2522Goryachkina,A24380–12014C67ch-RUS Superfinal w 20141.5
Kosteniuk,A2541Bodnaruk,A24111–02014B07ch-RUS Superfinal w 20142.1
Goryachkina,A2438Kashlinskaya,A24391–02014D85ch-RUS Superfinal w 20142.2
Galliamova,A2471Girya,O24571–02014D10ch-RUS Superfinal w 20142.3
Kovalevskaya,E2439Gunina,V25221–02014B11ch-RUS Superfinal w 20142.4
Pogonina,N2480Gritsayeva,O2335½–½2014A43ch-RUS Superfinal w 20142.5
Gunina,V2522Kosteniuk,A25411–02014D41ch-RUS Superfinal w 20143.1
Girya,O2457Goryachkina,A24381–02014D12ch-RUS Superfinal w 20143.2
Gritsayeva,O2335Galliamova,A2471½–½2014B40ch-RUS Superfinal w 20143.3
Bodnaruk,A2411Pogonina,N24800–12014C65ch-RUS Superfinal w 20143.4
Kashlinskaya,A2439Kovalevskaya,E2439½–½2014A58ch-RUS Superfinal w 20143.5

Select from the dropdown menu to replay the games

Starting tomorrow we will be bringing you a round-by-round recap of the action from Kazan.

Information and pictures provided by Etery Kublashvili

Links

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 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

 


Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.