Moscow Open 2014 attracts over 1700 competitors

Ten days passed in a moment, as the Moscow Open brought chess battles and strong handshakes, old friends and new participants to the chess festival. More than 1700 chess players from all around the world competed in Moscow. This year the Russian State Social University did its best to organize the championship so that every participant felt attended and taken care of.

The Russian State Social University hosted the event and did an admirable job
for such a large competition

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Chairman of the FIDE competition organizing committee Theodoros Tsorbatsoglou, Vice-Chairman of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport of Moscow Alexey Pyzhov, Rector-founder of the RSSU Vasily Zhukov and President of Moscow Chess Federation Vladimir Palikhata were present at the closing ceremony, with the winners and prize-winners, held on the evening of Feb 9 in the RSSU assembly hall.

Left to right: Theodoros Tsorbatsoglou, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and Vladimir Palikhata

Final results

The Men's and Women's Moscow Championship Superfinals were held for two days in the Russian State Social University. These competitions were the first in the Moscow Open 2014 program, and the official opening ceremony of the Cup was held on Saturday Feb 1. Ten men and ten women came to compete for the top honors of the Superfinals.

One of the prestigious participants: Ian Nepomniachtchi

The most titled participant of the tournament, Alexander Grischuk, won the Men's Competition. Alexander is the 2012 World Blitz Champion and multiple gold medalist of the World Chess Olympiad as a member of the Russian National Team. However, in order to achieve this feat he not only had to prove himself good over the distance, but also to win the decisive Armageddon game with white against Evgeniy Najer – both grandmasters having scored 6.5/9.

Alexander Grischuk was not to be denied

Najer took second place, while Boris Grachev finished third. With 5.5/9, he won on tie-break over Alexander Morozevich and Ivan Popov, both of whom also stood at 5.5. They came in fourth and fifth respectively.

Daria Charochkina won the Women's Superfinals. In the next to last round she managed to secure the title by beating her main rival, Valentina Gunina, scoring 7.0/9 for a half point lead at the finish.

Alexandra Kosteniuk took third with 6.0/9 after beating Olga Girya in a decisive
Armageddon game

Valentina Gunina receives her second place trophy, while Daria Charochkina,
who came first, awaits hers

The top finishers of the Superfinal

In the main event, the 2014 Moscow Open, four grandmasters showed their form in the Men’s Premier Cup: Alexander Moiseenko (Ukraine), Maxim Matlakov (Russia), Mateusz Bartel and Michal Krasenkow (both from Poland) with a seven out of nine possible points. The current European Champion, Moiseenko, and one of the strongest chess players of St. Petersburg, Matlakov, came out on top with the tiebreak rules, and shared joint first as their tiebreak was identical in all three criteria used.

Reigning European Champion Alexander Moiseenko continues his good form
by taking the very well attended 2014 Moscow Open

In third was Mateusz Bartel who took bronze, while Michal Krasenkow was fourth. A total of sixteen participants finished with 6.5/9.

The winners of the Men's Premier section, Moiseenko, Krasenkow and Bartel

Junior Champion of Russia, 15-year old Vladislav Artemiev from Omsk won the Men’s Student Grandmaster Cup. This competition was a nine-round round-robin with ten competitors. The young player lost only one point in nine rounds and finished with an impressive two-point lead over silver medalist Andrey Stukopin. His result of 8.0/9 was worth 25 Elo and a 2869 performance. In third was Vladimir Belous.

15-year old Vladislav Artemiev won with a staggering 2869 performance

Meri Arabidze (Georgia) won the Women’s Student Grandmaster Cup. With 6.5/9 and a half point lead over silver medalist Nafisa Muminova (Uzbekistan). Elizaveta Soloviova (Ukraine) was third and took bronze with 5.5/9, edging out Wang Jue (China) on tiebreak.

Meri Arabidze (Georgia) won the Women’s Student Grandmaster Cup

The famed Moscow grandmaster Yuri Balashov took gold in the Senior Tournament. With 7.5/9 he beat International master Evgenij Kalegin on tiebreak.

Olga Girya won the first place at the Moscow Open 2014, Russian Women’s Premier Cup. In a last minute sprint she scored two wins in her final two games, taking clear first with 7.5/9. Behind her were no fewer than seven players just a half point behind her. The tiebreaks favored Daria Charochkina for silver and Baira Kovanova with bronze, both of whom represent Russia.

Although Olga Girya missed out on the podium in the Superfinals, she more than
made up for it by winning the Women's section of the Moscow Open

Daria Charochkina (second), Olga Girya, (first), and Baira Kovanova (third)

Alina Kashlinskaya, Anastasia Bodnaruk (both representing Russia), Ekaterina Atalik (Turkey), Ekaterina Semenova (Russia) and Nino Batsiashvili (Georgia) were the unfortunate players who missed the cut, also on 7.0/9.

More than 700 children from twelve countries, aged five to fifteen also played in the nine days for the right to advance to the European School Championship that will be held this summer in Greece.

The winners and organizers in a collective shot

Links Official tournament site All Moscow Open men's games in PGN All Moscow Open women's games in PGN Men’s Student Grandmaster Cup games in PGN Women’s Student Grandmaster Cup 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 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.