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The town, which has been known since 202 B.C., was originally Greek and called Prousa, later turned to Brusa and then, by r-metathesis, into today's Bursa. The population is 2.5 million, making it the fourth-largest city in Turkey.
The city is frequently cited as "Yesil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") because of its parks
and gardens, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in its surrounding region
A cable car up to Mount Uludağ, which towers behind the city and is a famous ski resort
This, incidentally, is what Mount Uludağ looks like in winter
Bursa Castle, which was originally built in the first century BC
Ulu Cami (the Great Mosque) is a 14th century landmark of early Ottoman architecture
The World Team Championship, which is organised every four years, but has been delayed by one year this time, is taking place in Bursa from January 3rd to 14th 2010. The teams are from Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, USA, India, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey and Greece. Top players are Levon Aronian (2786), Vugar Gashimov (2758), Boris Gelfand (2758), Alexander Morozevich (2750), Teimour Radjabov (2748), Alexander Grischuk (2736), Dmitry Jakovenko (2736), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2719), Hikaru Nakamura (2715), Evgeny Tomashevsky (2708), Vladimir Malakhov (2706), Vladimir Akopian (2700), Nikita Vityugov (2694), Gabriel Sargissian (2676), Pentala Harikrishna (2672), Alexander Onischuk (2672), Emil Sutovsky (2666) and Krishnan Sasikiran (2653).
The playing hall in Bursa
In the first round Azerbaijan beat Armenia, with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov getting the deciding point from Arman Pashikian. Turkey dutifully lost to the USA, with Nakamura and Onischuk beating Kivanc and Mustafa, but the round was marked by a very nice bishop sacrifice win by the Turkish player IM Emre Can:
Can,E (2442) - Shulman,Y (2624) [C03]
7th World Team Championship Bursa TUR (1), 05.01.2010
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 4.Bd3 c5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Qe2 0-0 7.Ngf3 a5 8.0-0 Na6 9.e5 Nd7 10.c4 Ndxc5 11.Bb1 Nb4 12.Rd1 Qb6 13.Nb3 dxc4 14.Qxc4 Nxb3 15.axb3 Rd8 16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Bg5 Bxg5
18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Nxg5+ Kg8 20.Rd6 Qb5 21.Qe4 f5 22.Qh4 Qxe5 23.f4 Qxb2 24.Rad1 Nd5 25.R6xd5 exd5 26.Re1 Qd4+ 27.Kh1 Qe4 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qxg7+ Kd6 31.Nxe4+ fxe4 32.Qe5+ Kc6 33.b4 Kb6 34.Qd6+ Ka7 35.Ra1 Bc6 36.Qc5+ Kb8 37.b5 Bxb5 38.Qxb5 a4 39.Qb6 Rd7 40.Qe6 Rc7 41.Qe8+ Rc8 42.Qe5+ Ka7 43.Qxd5 1-0. The game has been analysed for the ChessBase Magazine blog by GM Rainer Knaak: Click to replay.
Emre Can, one of the young Turkish talents, in his game against Yuri Shulman
In the second round Armenia beat Israel, with Levon Aronian beating Boris Gelfand in the highest-ranked game of the event. The team from USA beat India 3-1, with Hikaru Nakamura and Alexander Onischuk scoring against Krishnan Sasikiran and Pentala Harikrishna repectively. But the big shocker was the 2½:1½ win of Greece over – would you believe it? – Russia. Morozevich and Tomashevsky both lost, to Papaioannou and Banikas, while Jakovenko was able to beat Kotronias and Vitiugov drew against Mastrovasilis.
Boris Gelfand (right) about to lose against Mr Cool Levon Aronian from Armenia
Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran
In round three India struck back, against Azerbaijan, with Sasikiran beating Vugar Gashimov and Ganguly beating Guseinov (Gopal lost to Mamedyarov). Russia beat the USA, with Malakhov and Vitiugov beating Shulman and Akobian respectively.
Russia beat Azerbaijan, with Grischuk and Malakhov scoring against Gashimov and Mamedov (but with Morozevich losing to Mamedyarov). Here are all results of this round:
| 10 | Armenia |
2½-1½ |
7 | Brazil | ||
| GM | Aronian Levon | 2781 |
1:0 |
GM | Vescovi Giovanni | 2660 |
| GM | Akopian Vladimir | 2678 |
½:½ |
GM | Leitao Rafael | 2620 |
| GM | Sargissian Gabriel | 2680 |
½:½ |
GM | Fier Alexandr | 2601 |
| GM | Pashikian Arman | 2647 |
½:½ |
GM | Milos Gilberto | 2618 |
| 8 | Greece |
1½-2½ |
6 | Israel | ||
| GM | Banikas Hristos | 2608 |
½:½ |
GM | Gelfand Boris | 2761 |
| GM | Halkias Stelios | 2566 |
½:½ |
GM | Roiz Michael | 2657 |
| GM | Mastrovasilis Dimitrios | 2571 |
½:½ |
GM | Smirin Ilia | 2668 |
| GM | Mastrovasilis Athanasios | 2510 |
0:1 |
GM | Sutovsky Emil | 2657 |
| 9 | USA |
3-1 |
5 | Egypt | ||
| GM | Onischuk Alexander | 2670 |
1:0 |
GM | Adly Ahmed | 2591 |
| GM | Akobian Varuzhan | 2628 |
½:½ |
GM | Amin Bassem | 2544 |
| GM | Hess Robert L | 2572 |
1:0 |
IM | Ezat Mohamed | 2471 |
| IM | Robson Ray | 2570 |
½:½ |
IM | Abdelnabbi Imed | 2448 |
| 1 | Azerbaijan |
1½-2½ |
4 | Russia | ||
| GM | Gashimov Vugar | 2759 |
0:1 |
GM | Grischuk Alexander | 2736 |
| GM | Radjabov Teimour | 2733 |
½:½ |
GM | Jakovenko Dmitry | 2730 |
| GM | Mamedyarov Shakhriyar | 2741 |
1:0 |
GM | Morozevich Alexander | 2732 |
| GM | Mamedov Rauf | 2640 |
0:1 |
GM | Malakhov Vladimir | 2716 |
| 2 | Turkey |
1-3 |
3 | India | ||
| GM | Haznedaroglu Kivanc | 2498 |
0:1 |
GM | Sasikiran Krishnan | 2653 |
| IM | Erdogdu Mert | 2513 |
0:1 |
GM | Harikrishna P | 2672 |
| IM | Esen Baris | 2513 |
½:½ |
GM | Arun Prasad S | 2567 |
| FM | Firat Burak | 2413 |
½:½ |
IM | Adhiban B | 2511 |
| Round 1 – 5.1.2010 | Round 2 – 6.1.2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Round 3 – 7.1.2010 | Round 4 – 8.1.2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| # | Team |
win |
draw |
loss |
MP |
BP |
| 1 | Armenia |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10.0 |
| 2 | USA |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
10.0 |
| 3 | Russia |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
9.5 |
| 4 | Israel |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
9.5 |
| 5 | India |
3 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
9.0 |
| 6 | Azerbaijan |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
8.5 |
| 7 | Greece |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
7.0 |
| 8 | Brazil |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
7.0 |
| 9 | Egypt |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
6.0 |
| 10 | Turkey |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
3.5 |
Armenia and USA lead, in match and board points, with Russia, Israel and India tied for 3-5 on match points. Azerbaijan is a disappointing sixth, but will probably demolish Egypt on Saturday, while India battles Armenia and Israel the USA. Russia has an easy opponent, Turkey, and should edge its way to the top.
LinksThe 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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