Polish Championships in Poznan

by André Schulz
4/5/2016 – This year the Polish Championships offer particularly attractive prizes: the winners of the men's and the women's championships both receive 4,700 Euros, and the top two in each tournament earn a spot on the national teams that will play in the Olympiad in Baku later this year. No wonder both tournaments attracted the best players of the country.

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Host of the championships is the University of Poznan. Both the men's championship and the women's championship are round-robin tournaments with ten players each, and almost all the best Polish players decided that it's worth a try to visit university (again).

Press conference at the start of the tournament

Jan Duda (left) playing an exhibition game

Lotto Men's Championship

After six rounds in the men's tournament three players share the lead with 4.0/6 each: Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Kasper Piorun and Jan Krzysztof Duda. With 2.0/6 top player Grzegorz Gajewski who helped Vishy Anand as a second during the Candidates in Moscow is still looking for his form.

Radoslaw Wojtaszek

Jan Duda

Kamil Dragun

Grzegorz Gajewski (left) before his game against Mateusz Bartel

Autograph hunters everywhere

Results of round six

Br. Tit Name Coun ELO Ergebnis Titel Name Coun ELO
1 IM Marcel Kanarek
 
2533 ½ - ½ GM Jan Krzysztof Duda
 
2660
2 IM Maciej Klekowski
 
2439 ½ - ½ GM Grzegorz Gajewski
 
2635
3 GM Kacper Piorun
 
2651 ½ - ½ GM Mateusz Bartel
 
2613
4 GM Jacek Tomczak
 
2587 0 - 1 GM Dariusz Swiercz
 
2664
5 GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek
 
2727 1 - 0 GM Kamil Dragun
 
2584

Jacek Tomczak and Dariusz Swiercz played a long and interesting game in round six. After the opening Black gave an exchange for which he never seemed to get enough compensation. However, then White blundered a piece which ultimately led to an endgame in which Black had to prove that he knew how to mate with king, bishop and knight against king.

Dariusz Swiercz

 

Rounds 1 to 6

 

Standings after six rounds

Budimex Women's Championship

The field in the women's championship offers a mix of experienced players who have played in many international events and young players such as Mariolo Wozniak, Oliwia Kiolbasa and Ewa Harazinska, who are all younger than twenty. However, clear favorite is still veteran player and long time Polish number one Monika Socko who leads with 4.5/6.

Monika Socko

Iweta Rajlich

Karina Szczepkowska

Results of round six

Br. Tit Name Coun ELO Ergebnis Titel Name Coun ELO
1 WIM Mariola Wozniak
 
2154 1 - 0 WIM Anna Kantane
 
2310
2 WGM Karina Szczepkowska
 
2400 1 - 0 WGM Jolanta Zawadzka
 
2433
3 WFM Oliwia Kiolbasa
 
2318 ½ - ½ WGM Klaudia Kulon
 
2298
4 WGM Joanna Majdan
 
2380 0 - 1 WFM Ewa Harazinska
 
2310
5 IM Iweta Rajlich
 
2389 1 - 0 GM Monika Socko
 
2448

Rounds 1 to 6

 

Standings after six rounds

Pictures: Polish Chess Federation

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André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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