India Wins World U-16 Chess

India regained the team title in World Youth (Under-16) Chess Olympiad after a gap of five years with a resounding victory over Iran in the final round in Chongqing, China on Monday. The Indian quartet of S A Gagare, Murali Karthikeyan, Diptayan Ghosh and Sayantan Das beat Iran 3.5-0.5 in the 10th round to top the team standings with 30.5 points ahead of heavyweight Russia, who took second spot with 30 points, and Turkey (third with 26 points). 

The Indian team won eight ties while drawing twice. This is India`s third title in this prestigious team event having won it previously in Singapore 2007 and Turkey 2008. International Master Gagare gave India a bright start by defeating Ahmad Asgari Zadeh before Karthikeyan drew his game against woman international master Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. 

That was the only time Iran could pose a challenge in the tie as Ghosh and Das -- both Kolkata-based -- came up with impressive performances to beat Shahin Lorpari Zangeneh and Seyed Khalil Mousavi Palatkaleh respectively. Going through a purple patch, Sayantan, who had recently won Under-10 Nationals, clinched gold in the fourth board that also confirmed his IM title. He had got his first IM norm in 2009 and 3rd-and-last one in Bhubaneswar Grandmasters meet this year. 

Sayantan, who has all age group national titles in his kitty, garnered 7.5 points out of nine games in this 10-round event en route to the gold, while Diptayan clinched a silver in the third board with 8.5 points out of 10. Gagare (6/9) and Karthikeyan (6.5/10) won bronze in the first and second boards respectively. India had started the Olympiad as second seed and also scored an important win against the top seed Russians. (PTI)

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Help Slovenia WIM Vesna Rožič

Appeal: 19.7.2013 (via Chessbase) - Vesna Rožic , 27, has played for her country in six Mitropa Cups, four European Championships and four Chess Olympiads. She is the second strongest Slovenian player, after world number four Anna Muzychuk. Now she has been struck by a very serious condition, metastatic peritoneal cancer. Always a fighter Vesna is determined not to give up but to combat the disease. For this she needs our help. 

Chessbase received this letter from Rožič's father:
Dear Sir,

I turn to you with a request for a donation for the cancer treatment of my 26-year-old daughter Vesna Rožič. Vesna is a final year student of the Faculty of Medicine and a permanent member of the Slovenian chess team. In May this year she became seriously ill. The doctors diagnosed metastatic peritoneal carcinoma. Since Vesna fighter by nature, she has decided that we shall all work together to combat the cancer.

Vesna's treatment was initiated in Slovenia, where she has already received two cycles of systemic chemotherapy. This is not enough to cure the disease. We contacted the Medias Klinikum GmbH, Burghausen, Germany, where Vesna will receive further treatment. Doctors estimate that it will require at least three cycles of local chemotherapy. Each cycle costs between 15,000 and 20,000 Euros. These treatment costs are very high. We are able to pay for the first cycle of local chemotherapy in Germany, but turn to you and ask you to help us collect donations to pay the remaining costs of Vesna's treatment.

Maybe I did not say everything I wanted at the moment, but my distress and the hardship in our family is so great that I cannot do any better.

Yours sincerely,
Adrijan Rožič

The Slovenia Chess Federation has asked Chessbase, on behalf of the Rožič family, to help raise funds needed for Vesna's difficult struggle for life. Every Euro that is donated will be appreciated.

Donations should be addressed to the Regional Association of the Red Cross Maribor, IBAN: SI56 0451 5000 0397 432, Ref: 50751, purpose: Vesna Rožic. All funds received will be reserved exclusively for the payment of expenses for Vesna's treatment in Germany. In the event that more funds than necessary will be raised the remaining money will be allocated to the development of young chess players and chess activities of the Slovenia Chess Federation. – Primoz Kokalj, Secretary of the Slovenian Chess Federation.

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India Sweeps Commonwealth Chess

Port Elizabeth, South Africa: Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta won the Commonwealth Chess Championship after settling for a draw with Indian national title-holder G. Akash in the 11th and final round that concluded here at the Boardwalk. (Photo: Officials and players at the venue)

Putting a solid performance right through the tournament, Gupta scored nine points out of a possible eleven and had the best tiebreak score to win the gold medal in the championship that also incorporated the South African International open.

Expectedly it was a clean sweep of medals as veteran Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua got the silver medal and Grandmaster M.R. Lalith Babu won the bronze.

Among women, Soumya Swaminathan won the silver medal, while national women’s champion Mary Ann Gomes won the bronze. The gold in this category went to International Master Jovanka Houska of England.

The Indians also swept the junior section with G. Akash winning the gold, Sahaj Grover getting silver and Rakesh Kulkarni securing the bronze medal. Kulkarni also won the South African open blitz championship. (PTI)

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Negi is Joint Winner World Open 2013

India's young Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi finished tied first with 10 others and shared the prize money of $43,000 at the World Open Chess in Arlington, Virginia. According to information reaching here, another Indian Grandmaster, Magesh Panchanathan finished 11th in the tournament that concluded Sunday.

The 41st Annual World Open was held from June 29-July 7, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia.

World Open 2013 had a very close and exciting finish Sunday morning with a 10-way tie for the first place in the Open Section. It was the second time that Negi was jointly declared the winner. Earlier this week, Negi won the DC Open title by scoring 7.5/9, clearly half point ahead of his nearest rival at the same venue.

The full list of GMs who tied for first at the 2013 World Open include: GM Lazaro Bruzon, of Cuba; GM Viktor Laznicka, of the Czech Republic; GM Tamaz Gelashvili, of Georgia (the country); GM Varuzhan Akobian, of Kansas; GM Quesada Yunieski, of Cuba; GM Sergey Erenburg, of Pennsylvania; GM Parimarjan Negi, of India; GM Alejandro Ramirez, of Texas; and GM Yury Shulman, of Illinois.

GM Akobian earned the title of World Open champion in a Armageddon game victory over GM Yunieski, in which Akobian had black and draw odds but Yunieski had a 5 to 3 minute time advantage. The tiebreak was played between the two GMs with the best tiebreak score.

Akobian also took a bonus prize for this win, for a total payout of 3990.90. GM Varuzhan Akobian said players usually have to score 7 points to share the World Open first place prize money with just a few players. Akobian won the World Open outright in 2004 with 7.5 points and was one of nine players to win the World Open in 2007 with 6.5 points. (Agencies)

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