Reply #17: Update (Tuesday): Doubleheader starts in Nanjing; 3-way tie at Texas Tech [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

Chess Doubleheader Begins in Nanjing



The second annual Pearl Spring Chess Tounament and the second leg of of the 2009-10 FIDE Women's Grand Prix began yesterday (Monday) afternoon at the Pearl Spring Holiday Resort Hotel in the former Chinese capital of Nanjing.

The Pearl Spring Tournament is a double round robin among six players: Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia), Peter Leko (Hungary), Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), former FIDE champion Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) and Wang Yue (China). As was the case last year, the Pearl Spring is a grand slam tournament. The winner will play in Bilbao, Biscay Province (Spain) next August against the winners of the Corus A in Wijk aan Zee, the international tournament in Linares and the MTel Masters in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

So far, Magnus Carlsen has won both of his first two games, yesterday against Leko and today against Topalov. No other play has won a game.

The grand prix is being played among 12 women: nana Dzagnidze (Georgia), Martha Fierro (Ecuador), Ju Wengen (China), Bara Kovanova (Russia), Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenia), Batkuyag Munguntuul (Mongolia), Marie Sebag (France), Shen Yang (China), Xu Yuhua (China), Yildiz (Turkey), Zhao Xue (China) and Zhu Chen (Qatar).

After two rounds, Ms. Dzagnidze is the only player with a perfect score. She is followed the two former world women's champions, Zhu Chen and Zu Yuhua, with a point and a half each.

The first leg of the Women's Grand Prix was play earlier this year in Istanbul and was won by Indian GM Koneru Humpy. The four remaining tournaments in the series will be played in Nalchik in the Russian Caucaus in April; Jermuk, Armenia in June and July; the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator in July and August; and Santiago, Chile, in Octobe and November, 2010.

The action in both tournaments begins at 3 pm Nanjing time (Midnight PDT) and may be followed on the official website of the both tournaments.


SPICE Cup Group A Ends in 3-Way Tie

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Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan defeated Norway's Jon Ludvig Hammer to join Ukrainian GM Yuriy Kuzubov and Dmitry Andeikin of Russia as co-champions of the 2009 SPICE Cup at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Jon Ludvig had been leading the tournament with Kuzubov and Andeikin most of the way. but dropped each of his last two games to fall back.

The event saw a number of fighting draws but few decisive game. Mamedov, Kuzubov and Andeikin each won only one game while drawing nine to share first place.