World Junior Championships: Niemann and Yip head lineups in Mexico City

Eleven days, eleven rounds

Winning the World Junior Championship has traditionally been considered as a reputable achievement. The prestige linked to the event prompted FIDE to make it a demanding tournament, with 11 rounds a long-enough distance for luck not to play a prominent role.

As of late, however, given how the prodigious talents climb up the rating ladder at ever younger ages, fewer of the strongest under-20 players decide to take part in the event.

This year, for example, the seven highest-rated junior players in the world are skipping the event — understandably, given the level they have reached in the main circuit. Alireza Firouzja is already a regular in the Grand Chess Tour and Praggnanandhaa recently qualified to the 2024 Candidates Tournament, while Vincent Keymer and Nihal Sarin will participate in the European Club Cup, starting on October 1.

Master advanced Tactics and Calculations like a super Grandmaster

The Indian chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi with an ELO of over 2700 (June 2023) is one of the best 20 players in the world. For the first time, the sympathetic top player presents himself in a video course. Let a world-class player show you tactical moti

Notwithstanding, the tournament will be extremely competitive and entertaining. The top seeds in the open section are Hans Niemann (United States), Frederik Svane (Germany) and Arseniy Nesterov (FIDE), while the lineup in the women’s section is headed by Carissa Yip (United States), Candela Francisco (Argentina) and Mariam Mkrtchyan (Armenia).

Unfortunately, five Indian players who intended to participate will not make it to Mexico City due to visa issues. These players do not have a Schengen visa nor a valid United States visa — both of which would grant them the right to enter Mexican territory — and have failed to access the Mexican online system to solicit the visa, according to Indian GM Pravin Thipsay.

The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes until the end of the game, with 30-second increments from the start.

Schedule

• The tournament lasts 11 days, as it includes a double-round day (September 22) and a rest day (September 25).
• Rounds start daily at 16.00 local time (0.00 CEST, 18.00 ET, 3.30 IST), except for round 11, which starts six hours earlier than usual.
• On the double-round day (September 22), round 2 starts at 10.00 local time and round 3 starts at 17.00 local time.

Top Choice Repertoire: Play the French Defence Vol.1 & 2

In this two-volume video course former world-champion and startrainer Rustam Kasimdzhanov shows you the ins and outs of this hugely complex opening.

Mexico City’s ‘Palacio de Bellas Artes’ (Palace of Fine Arts)

Participants - Open

...146 players

Participants - Women’s

...85 players

Links

• Official site
• Full technical information on Chess-Results
• Gadimbayli and Beydullayeva win World Junior Championships (2022)