
Impressions from Odessa
ACP Cup final report by Anastasiya Karlovich
The Fourth ACP World Rapid Cup was organised by the Pivdenny Bank and the Association
of Chess Professionals in Odessa, Ukraine. This knockout tournament took place
from 27-29 May 2010 in the Odessa National Academy of Law. The prize fund was
US $70,000, with 16 grandmasters participating. In the final round Sergey Karyakin
defeated Dmitry Jakovenko and became the winner of the ACP Cup. All four rapid
games between players ended in draws and Karyakin was able to win the match
only in Armageddon.

Before the final Sergey Karyakin had to face the strongest Spanish player
Alexei Shirov

Pavel Eljanov could not stop Dmitry Jakovenko on his way to the final

Mikhail Gurevich, the biggest sensation of the event, defeated the two GMs
over 2700…

One of his victims: Vugar Gashimov from Azerbaijan

In this semifinal match Sergey Karyakin needed a bit of good luck to win
the second
blitz game and the match against Alexander Grischuk

GM Sergei Movsesian, Ali Nihat Yazici, GM Pavel Tregubov and Olena Boytsun
watch semifinal games in the playing hall

Vassily Ivanchuk and Valery Beim comment on the semifinal games

Dmitry Jakovenko and his wife waiting for the next games

The final game between Sergey Kayakin and Dmitry Jakovenko

The terror of the clock: Dmitry Jakovenko in the final

Concentration and determination: Sergey Karyakin wins the event

Players and organizers watch the games on the screens

The new President of Ukrainian Chess Federation, Viktor Kapustin, and the
President of the ACP, Vadim Morokhovsky, during the press conference.

Vassily Ivanchuk with his latest trademark green cap

A round table on the “Popularization of the Chess Game: Experience,
Perspectives
and Plan of Action”, organized by ACP

During the closing ceremony of the ACP World Rapid Cup

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov during the press conference
Commenting on the
situation with Russian Chess Federation in Moscow he said it was a private
problem of Russian Chess Federation – he just follows it in the news,
like everybody.

The organizer of the event, Masha Klinova, confers with the personal assistant
to
FIDE President Ilyumzhinov, Berik Balgabaev, during the press conference

Ali Nihat Yazici speaks about achievements of Turkish Chess Federation

Vadim Marakhovky announces a decision between the Turkish Chess Federation
and the ACP to organize the next Woman ACP World Rapid Cup on December 2010

The prize-giving: Alexei Shirov with his diploma

Sergey Karyakin shares his victory with wife Katerina
Blindfold matches

Traditional blindfold matches between talented children from Odessa and
grandmasters

Vugar Gashimov has his eyes covered for the blindfold match...

... in which he takes on a young Ukrainian talent

Pavel Tregubov preps Pavel Eljanov for his match against a young lady...

... and then operates the board, executing and dictating moves to Eljanov

Young Yulia maintains her poise while facing two grandmasters
About the author: WGM Anastasiya (Nastja) Karlovich
was Ukrainian champion and vice-champion among girls under 16, 18 and
20. She was European Champion with the Ukrainian team in the Youth Team Championships.
She is also a candidate officer in the National Law Academy “Yaroslav the Wise”;
a member of the chess club “Law Academy”; a member of the German club Grosslehna;
the organiser of the WGM and GM closed tournaments “Cup of Rector”; a Woman
Grandmaster since 2003.
Links
The games were broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess
server Playchess.com.
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