Tomsk wins the Russian Team Championships

The Russian Team Championships are taking place in the Dagomys, Sochi, from May 1st to 12th, 2007. The men are playing in two league sections, with six players per team. The champion will be decided in a match between the winners of each section. The rate of play is 100 minutes / 40 moves, 50 min/20 moves and 10 min for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move.

Final results and report

The team from Tomsk-400 won the Russian Team Championship with a perfect 9/9 score (i.e. they won all nine matches). The victorious team consisted of Alexander Morozevich (scored 6/8), Dmitry Jakovenko (4.5/7), Sergey Karjakin (5.5/8), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (1.5/3), Ernesto Inarkiev (3.5/7), Vladislav Tkachiev (4/7), Victor Bologan (4.5/6) and Pavel Smirnov (6/8). The average rating of the team was 2692.

Second was Ural Ekaterinburg, which fielded Radjabov, Grischuk, Shirov, Akopian, Malakhov, Zvjaginsev, Motylev and Sakaev, averaging an incredible 2701 rating points.

Final standings in the Premier League (match and board points given):

• All available games in zipped PGN

The women's section was won by Ladya Kazan, which fielded a team including IM Alisa Galliamova, IM Elena Zaiatz and IM Inna Gaponenko. In second place was Economist -SGSEU with WGM Zhao Xue, IM Elisabeth Pähtz, IM Irina Vasilevich and WGM Maria Kursova. You will find all individual results, from all the different sections, in the English part of the official web site.

Picture Gallery by Sergey Tiviakov

The first section of this extraordinary photo report was made by Galina Tiviakov, Sergey's mother. She stayed mainly in the men's section, where the strongest players were battling each other. When son Sergey got hold of the camera he would rush off to the women's section to get shots of the participants there. You've got to admire the loving care he took while capturing images of the ladies at the chessboard.

Elara Cheboksary vs Economist-SGSEU-1 Saratov, Bareev vs Tiviakov

Economist - SGSEU-1 vs POLITECHNIK Nizhniy, with Galliamova vs Novikova

Karen Asrian, 2635, from Armenia, playing for Southern Ural Chelyabinsk

Vlastimil Babula, 2586, of Slovakia, playing for FINEC Saint-Petersburg

Teammate Marat Makarov, 2515, Russia, celebrated his 44th birthday this week

And this, I'm telling you, was the size of the mate that got away! Alexei Shirov (right), 2699, Latvia, playing for Ural Ekaterinburg, analyses with Pavel Tregubov, 2605, Russia, playing for Shatar Buryatia.

Alexander Zlochevskij (standing) with Elara Cheboksary team colleagues Boris Gelfand, 2733, Israel and Evgeny Bareev, 2643, Russia

Testing the waters: our reporter Sergei Tiviakov, 2663, Netherland, who plays for Economist-SGSEU-1, at the Black Sea, before getting the camera to go on a hunting spree of his own.

Sometimes chess is so sad – WFM Tatevik Airapetian, 2234, Russia (Debut-DVGTU Vladivostok)

... unless you can zip over to Merry England for weekend fun:
WFM Karina Ambartsumova, 2201, Russia (RSSU Moscow)

WFM Anastasia Bannikova, 2185, Russia (IZHPLANETA Izhevsk)

I know, I am often mistaken for her – WIM Elizaveta Bronnikova, 2287, Russia (IZHPLANETA Izhevsk)

WIM in a tree – Eugenia Chasovnikova, 2288, Russia (Debut-DVGTU Vladivostok)

Straight in the eyes, Sergey – IM Kristina Cherenkova, 2249, Russia (RSSU Moscow)

What's a nice girl like you doing playing for a team called Economist SGSEU-2?
WFM Maria Fominykh, 2306, Russia

GM Alisa Galliamova, 2477, Russia (Economist - SGSEU-1 Saratov)

Sometimes you wonder why you are doing this – WFM Valentina Gunina, 2308, Russia (RSSU Moscow)

WIM Olga Iljushina, 2281, Russia of Economist - SGSEU-2

WIM Baira Kovanova, 2331, Russia – playing for Economist - SGSEU-1

Teammate WIM Maria Kursova, 2324, Russia

Photographers! Watch it, Tiviakov, or you'll soon be missing body parts –
Evgenia Kuzevanova, 2176, Russia, playing for FINEK-2 Saint-Petersburg

Marina Lupik, 2215, Russia – Chigorin Chess Club Saint-Petersburg

WGM Evgenia Meshcheriakova, 2309, Russia – Debut-DVGTU Vladivostok

WGM Anna Muzychuk, 2474, Slovenia – ABC Krasnoturyinsk

WGM, IM Evgenija Ovod, 2384, Russia – Chigorin Chess Club Saint-Petersburg

WGM Elena Tairova, 2414, Russia – ABC Krasnoturyinsk

WGM Anna Ushenina, 2475, Ukraine – Economist - SGSEU-2

IM Irina Vasilevich, 2380, Russia – Economist - SGSEU-1

IM Elizabeth Paehtz, 2442, Germany – Economist - SGSEU-1 Saratov

Links

• Official web site (Russian), with results in English
• Online live coverage (also on Playchess)
• Previous report on Sochi 2007