This event is taking place from March 6th to 18th 2010 in Rijeka, Croatia.
Top players include Almasi, Bacrot, Movsesian, Navara, Vallejo, Motylev, Adams,
Tomashevsky, Alekseev, Baadur, Naiditsch, Akopian, Volokitin, Bologan and Caruana.
Zero tolerance protest in Rijeka
At the Dresden Olympiad in 2008 some players forfeited their games when they
appeared too late – sometimes by a few seconds – at their boards.
Last June the Chinese Championship was effectively
decided by a player not being present on his seat at the board when the
start gong was sounded. All this is the result of a new "zero tolerance"
rule introduced by FIDE to force players to be seated at their boards when the
games are scheduled to start. The traditional one hour grace period (with the
clock running) that was granted to players was reduced to zero seconds –
be there or forfeit the game.
The participants of the 11th European Individual Championships in Rijeka have
submitted a petition to the organisation committee and to the European Chess
Union president requesting a change: instead of the zero seconds the players
should be allowed a grace period of up to thirty minutes. A total of 110 participants
have signed this petition. The decision of FIDE, the ECU and the organisation
committee is pending.
Round four leaders
Thirteen players went into round four with a perfect 3.0/3 score, and two came
out with an additional point: Baadur Jobava, who beat Michal Karsenkow with
the black pieces, and Zahar Efimenko, who beat Arkadij Naiditsch, also with
the black pieces.

The leader after four rounds: Georgian GM Baadur Jobava
Krasenkow,M (2652) - Jobava,Ba (2695) [B38]
11th EICC Men Rijeka CRO (4), 09.03.2010
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be2
b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.f3 Qb8 11.Qd2 Rd8 12.Rad1 e6 13.f4 Ne7 14.Bf3 Ne8 15.Qf2 Qc8
16.Qh4 Bf6 17.Qh3 Bg7 18.Rc1 f5 19.g4 Nd6 20.gxf5 Nxc4 21.Ncb5 exf5 22.Be2 d5
23.exd5 Bxd5 24.b3 a6 25.Bxc4 Qb7 26.Nc7 Bxc4 27.Rxc4 b5 28.Rcc1 Rxd4 29.Nxa8
Qxa8 30.Rc7 Re4 31.Rd1 Nd5 32.Rd7 Rxe3
White is doing well enough, and after Qh4 and Rxd5 he might be playing for
a win. But not after 33.Qg2?? Bd4! 34.Rxd4 Re1+ 35.Qf1 Ne3
and White is going to be mated. 0-1.

Sharing first with Jobava: Ukrainian GM Zahar Efimenko
In the women's section four players had perfect scores after three rounds,
but only one of them was able to win the fourth game in a row:

GM Monika Socko of Poland with 4.0/4 in sole first place
Top scorers in the men's section
# |
Ti. |
Name |
FED |
RtgI |
Pts. |
1 |
GM |
Jobava Baadur |
GEO |
2695 |
4.0 |
2 |
GM |
Efimenko Zahar |
UKR |
2640 |
4.0 |
3 |
GM |
Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter |
ROU |
2661 |
3.5 |
4 |
GM |
Inarkiev Ernesto |
RUS |
2667 |
3.5 |
5 |
GM |
Pelletier Yannick |
SUI |
2611 |
3.5 |
6 |
GM |
Adams Michael |
ENG |
2704 |
3.5 |
|
GM |
Lupulescu Constantin |
ROU |
2598 |
3.5 |
8 |
GM |
Timofeev Artyom |
RUS |
2655 |
3.5 |
|
GM |
Maiorov Nikita |
BLR |
2510 |
3.5 |
10 |
GM |
Sokolov Ivan |
BIH |
2638 |
3.5 |
|
GM |
Szabo Gyula |
ROU |
2525 |
3.5 |
12 |
IM |
Skoberne Jure |
SLO |
2509 |
3.5 |
13 |
GM |
Mamedov Rauf |
AZE |
2639 |
3.5 |
14 |
GM |
Nepomniachtchi Ian |
RUS |
2656 |
3.5 |
15 |
|
Nabaty Tamir |
ISR |
2485 |
3.5 |
16 |
GM |
Vallejo Francisco |
ESP |
2708 |
3.5 |
17 |
GM |
Iordachescu Viorel |
MDA |
2621 |
3.5 |
|
|
Top scorers in the women's section
# |
Ti. |
Name |
FED |
RtgI |
Pts. |
1 |
GM |
Socko Monika |
POL |
2465 |
4.0 |
2 |
GM |
Arakhamia-Grant Ket. |
SCO |
2447 |
3.5 |
3 |
IM |
Cmilyte Viktorija |
LTU |
2485 |
3.5 |
4 |
IM |
Muzychuk Anna |
SLO |
2533 |
3.5 |
|
IM |
Skripchenko Almira |
FRA |
2456 |
3.5 |
6 |
GM |
Cramling Pia |
SWE |
2523 |
3.5 |
7 |
GM |
Kosintseva Tatiana |
RUS |
2524 |
3.5 |
8 |
WGM |
Galojan Lilit |
ARM |
2380 |
3.5 |
|
Links
A selection of 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 the free PGN reader ChessBase
Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program
to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009! |
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