
Before the round started there was a minute of silence for the Russian plane that fell the day before
The start of the round
It was the coldest day during the tournament, and several children came down with colds.
Though warm inside the hall, it was cold outside.
In round six, Nguyen Quoc Hy (1583) from Vietnam defeated Javokhir Sindarov (2299) the top
seed of the Boys Under-10, with some spectacular tactics. Even with monthly ratings, they are
sometimes slow to keep up with the kids. Bear in mind that in the first five rounds, he had scored
4.5/5 with four opponents rated around 1900 average.
German star Vincent Keymer has been struggling in the tournament,
unable to produce his best game. It is always a very different experience
playing these youth tournaments as opposed to adults.
Last year FM Nodirbek Abdusattarov had arrived at the Boys Under-10 as the top seed, but
a loss in round three had left him playing catchup all the rest of the tournament. In the end,
he had only been able to get silver. This year he isn't letting that title out of his sights, in spite
of a much harder level of opposition, and he is leading the Boys Under-12 with 6.5/7.
Alireza Firouzja (2364) has also been a force to reckon with in the Boys
Under-12, with 6.0/7 and the only player to obtain a draw against the
leader Abdusattarov, the image above.
Wondering who the youngest participant is? Meet 5-year-old Ezizova Hatija playing in the
Girls Under-8. Her sister won the Bronze in the World Youth held in Durban last year.
If John McEnroe played chess...
Kiriil Shevchenko from Ukraine was the early leader in the Boys Under-14 with 5.0/5, but a
loss in round six and a draw in round seven have placed him in the pack chasing the leaders
Egyptian FM Adham Fawzy has also been the star of his group the Boys Under-16 and is the
sole leader with 6.5/7 with a 2774 performance so far
Olga Badelka hails from Belarus and is currently in 3rd in the Girls Under-14
with 5.5/7, just a half point behind the leaders
Team Hungary
The King of the Boys Under-18 is Masoud Mosadeghpour from Iran. He is on a roll that has placed
him a full point ahead of his nearest rival, and 1.5 points ahead of the rest. He stands alone with
an amazing 7.0/7. Move over Fabiano, you have company.
Kirril Alekseenko, fresh from his win at the Chigorin Memorial, is the only player
who has been able to stay within yelling distance, and is sole second with 6.0/7
Adam C. Taylor came from England and is at 50% after seven rounds
A wide array of keychains, pens, and pins are for sale at the gift shop/stand
There are also jackets, t-shirts, and further wearable memorabilia
Chief Arbiter IA Panagiotis Nikolopoulos: president, king, and emperor all
Coming with her crown
Poise beyond her years
"Biting your knuckles" isn't just an expression
Mobina Alinasab (front) represents Iran in the Girls Under-16, where she has scored 4.5/7
The timeless reflection of chess
All photos by Reint Dykema
![]() |
About the photographer Reint Dykema is a passionate chess dad. Both his two sons Dirkho and Joshua compete this year in the World Youth championships. |
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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |