Zurich Chess Challenge begins today

by ChessBase
2/23/2013 – It's a category 21 four-player double round robin event, with two World Champions, a WCh challenger and the one of the brightest young talents in the current chess scene. The venue is the elegant Savoy Hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. The event started on Friday with an opening ceremony and a Blitz tournament, which was won by the youngest participant.
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Press Release

World Champion Viswanathan Anand and Three Challengers

In one of the Sixty years after the epic Candidates’ Tournament, Zurich is again hosting a clash among the world’s leading chess masters.


The elegant Savoy Baur en Ville hotel in Zurich, Switzerland

For Kramnik and Gelfand this will be their last trial of strength before the Candidates’ Tournament in London, where both are hoping to qualify for another World Championship match against Anand. The World Champion has been struggling a little of late, but he returned to good form earlier this year in Wijk aan Zee and in Baden-Baden. The 21-year-old Fabiano Caruana was the rising star of 2012, temporarily shooting up to fifth place in the world rankings. Based in Lugano, the Miami-born Italian will no doubt be a favourite among thestrongest tournaments of the year the World Champion Viswanathan Anand (India) will be facing the former title-holder Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), last year’s World Championship challenger Boris Gelfand (Israel) and the rising star Fabiano Caruana (Italy). At the Savoy Hotel, Paradeplatz, Zurich, the four masters will play a double round-robin tournament from 23 February to 1 March 2013. local spectators.

All the games will be broadcast with live commentary on the Internet. Spectators are very welcome to come to the Savoy Hotel, where admission is free of charge. In case of a draw before move 40, an additional exhibition game will be played (result not counting).

Participants

Player
Country
Rating
w-rank
Vladimir Kramnik
Russia
2810
2
Viswanathan Anand
India
2780
6
Fabiano Caruana
Italy
2757
13
Boris Gelfand
Israel
2740
17

Schedule: Play daily from 23 February to 1 March 2013 (free day: 26 February).
The rounds start at 15.00 local time (CET), except for the last round, which begins at 13.00 CET.

Main sponsor: IGC International Gemological Laboratories is a Russian institute providing gemological services, such as diamond grading reports, enhanced diamonds identification, man-made/synthetic diamonds and imitation detection, as well as certification of diamonds, gemstones and jewelry in the Russian Federation. IGC is the Russian branch of "GCI", a group of gemological laboratories located worldwide.

Co-sponsor: HVK International Private Limited, Mumbai; Sur Jewel, Antwerp, and the Savoy Chess Corner, Zurich.

Organization: Zurich Chess Club

Opening ceremony


The participants Gelfand, Anand, Kramnik and Caruana at the opening ceremony


Dr Christian Issler of the organisation speaks to players and guests


Spotted in the audience: the convalescing Viktor Korchnoi, right in a wheel chair

Report on the Opening Ceremony and Blitz by Vijay Kumar

Opening Blitz – Caruana ahead of Kramnik

The time control was of the blitz was four minutes per game with a two second increment for each move. The tournament was broadcast with live video.


Fabiano Caruana finished the Blitz tournament with +4, =2, a full point ahead of...


Viadimir Kramnik, who scored +3, =2 and –1 (to winner Caruana)


Last year's World Championship challenger Boris Gelfand with 1.5/6 points, same as...


World Champion Vishy Anand, who is normally one of the best rapid players in the
world, but who scored a dismal +1, =1, –4 at the Opening Blitz

Replay all the blitz games on our JavaScript player

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 Be6 9.d3 0-0 10.Be3 Nd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12.Qa4 Bd6 13.Rac1 Kh8 14.Rfe1 a6 15.Ng5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qe7 17.Qh4 h6 18.Nf3 Qxh4 19.Nxh4 Ne7 20.Bc5 Rac8 21.b4 b6 22.Be3 f5 23.Bd2 Kh7 24.f4 exf4 25.gxf4 Nd5 26.Kf3 Be7 27.Ng2 g5 28.Rc6 g4+ 29.Kg3 Nf6 30.Bc3 Nh5+ 31.Kf2 Bd6 32.e3 Rce8 33.Bd4 Re6 34.Rec1 Rf7 35.Nh4 Re8 36.R1c2 Rg8 37.Be5 Bxe5 38.fxe5 f4 39.Rxc7 g3+ 40.hxg3 fxe3+ 41.Kxe3 Rxg3+ 42.Ke4 Rg4+ 43.Kd5 Nf4+ 44.Kd6 Rxc7 45.Rxc7+ Kg8 46.Nf5 Rg6+ 47.Kd7 Kh8 48.Rc8+ Kh7 49.Rf8 Nxd3 50.e6 Ne5+ 51.Kd6 Nc4+ 52.Kd5 Nxa3 53.Rf7+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kramnik,V2810Gelfand,B27401–02013A20Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz1.1
Anand,V2780Caruana,F27570–12013B42Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz1.2
Gelfand,B2740Caruana,F27570–12013B40Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz2.1
Kramnik,V2810Anand,V27801–02013A20Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz2.2
Anand,V2780Gelfand,B27401–02013D45Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz3.1
Caruana,F2757Kramnik,V2810½–½2013B06Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz3.2
Gelfand,B2740Kramnik,V2810½–½2013A45Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz4.1
Caruana,F2757Anand,V27801–02013C67Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz4.2
Caruana,F2757Gelfand,B2740½–½2013B30Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz5.1
Anand,V2780Kramnik,V28100–12013C42Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz5.2
Gelfand,B2740Anand,V2780½–½2013A37Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz6.1
Kramnik,V2810Caruana,F27570–12013A22Zurich Chess Challenge Blitz6.2

Round 1 starts on Saturday at 3 p.m. European time with Kramnik-Gelfand and Caruana-Anand.

Photos provided by Kurt Pauli, SGZ und Webmaster of the event

Links

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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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