World Junior Championships begin...

by ChessBase
11/11/2005 – Well, actually with a wedding, between Turkey's greatest player and a WGM from Russia. For which our reporter, who incidentally was Best Man, had to cross a bridge from Europe to Asia. Which, together with the late-night celebrations did not leave him at his effervescent best. Anyway, you will probably enjoy the report by our man in Istanbul.

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World Junior Championships begin

A report from Istanbul by Nigel Short

Apologies to all and sundry: this report is a day late. Not only is it lacking in punctuality, but your scribe is nursing a mild hang-over and is perhaps not at his effervescent best. At least I have a good excuse: I was best man at a wedding – that of Turkey’s greatest player, Suat Atalik, to woman grandmaster, Ekaterina Polovnikova, of Russia.

More of that later, but we shall begin with the boisterous opening ceremony at the Golden Age Hotel, just off Taksim Square in the heart of Istanbul. An accomplished quartet struck up some energetic Eastern rhythms to kick off proceedings – the vocalist’s mournful lamentations contradicted somewhat by his permanently grinning visage. It was good stuff, but a little loud both for the doddery aged and for the youthful participants who had to play shortly afterwards.

Thankfully the music ceased eventually, which was the cue for Mehmet Ali Erbil, a caped avenger and TV personality, to burst onto the stage and deliver 20 minutes of extravagant narcissism and cringeworthy humour, in which he assailed various members of the audience with a combination of spontaneous mini-interviews and pre-prepared gags. The Turks in particular seemed to love it though, which is doubtless why he is the most famous and highly paid showman in the country.


The president of the Turkish Chess Federation Ali Nihat Yazici

At the end of this whirlwind, I was dragged up to face Mr. Erbil in a brief King’s Gambit. He successfully avoided blundering any pieces in the half a dozen moves played before peace was mercifully concluded. He then disappeared as abruptly as he had appeared. The ceremony concluded with a few short and worthy speeches from the sponsors and other dignitaries.


Connecting two continents: the Bosporus Bridge between Europe and Asia [Google Earth]

Those invited to the wedding then dashed downstairs and into two cars. Changing continents, but staying within the same city (where else can you do that?) the second group cunningly took a ferry across the Bosporus to avoid the hellish traffic, thus arriving at Okan University – the scene of the civil ceremony – well ahead of the others who laboriously crossed by bridge.


The wedding, with Bekir Okan, Chairman of Okan University Foundation, Nigel Short, Ali Nihat Yazici, the groom and bride, and Selami Öztürk, the Major of Kadikoy, who conducted the ceremony.

The nuptials were preceded by a union of a different sort – a signed agreement between the University and the Turkish Chess Federation, represented naturally by the supremely dynamic Ali Nihat Yazici, to collaborate on all manner of grand projects.

The bride looked lovely in traditional white, while the groom wore a dignified grey. The best woman was Ekaterina Korbut – coincidentally the reigning World Girls’ Champion. The short ceremony was lengthened a smidgen by the necessity of translating a few key phrases into English, but the bride delighted the onlookers by her emphatic “I do” in Turkish. (Non-alcoholic) drinks were served immediately afterwards.


After the marriage there was a conjugal blitz game ...


... to decide who is the boss in this marriage [it was a Solomonic draw in a Marshall]

A little later the core of the party adjourned to a restaurant for dinner. Curiously this was to be another non-alcoholic affair, but thankfully I was seated at a table of Russians (or ex-Russians), including Alex Yermolinsky and Alexander Shabalov, who had engaged in a wicked act of subterfuge by smuggling in a few bottles of vodka and cognac. Needless to say our table was both vibrant and very popular.


Crossing back to Europe – the Bosporus Bridge at night

A small group of around a dozen were invited back at the newlyweds’ flat for some further imbibitions and merry making before being rightly turfed out at an appropriate hour, thus allowing the tired but happy couple their precious moments of conjugal bliss. Your scribe crawled into bed at 2 am, leaving the rest to go on partying the night away.

I promise that I will get around to reporting on the chess tournament properly at some point. I did not, however, notice too many surprises at the very top of the boys’ event in the first round. Top seed, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, of Azerbaijan cruised through comfortably, but number two, Evgeny Alekseev, dropped a half point with Black to young Negi Parimarjan – although I am not sure that really constitutes an upset. Further down though Ildar Khairullin (also of Russia), rated 2537 lost with White to Li Chao of China (2320), and Stephen Jessel of Ireland (2304) defeated Andrey Zhigalko (2537).

In the girls’ event there were even fewer surprises at the top. Nana Dzagnidze, Anna Ushenina and Bathuyag Mongantuul collected the full points, but Elisabeth Paehtz, Natalia Pogonina and Harika Dronavalli all drew. There is a very long way to go though, and I don’t suppose anyone will be too concerned about being adrift by half a point at this stage.

Links

  Boys Girls
Services Live broadcastList of players Live broadcastList of players
Results/Pairings Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 1Rd 2Rd 3
Official web sitePicture gallery

Picture gallery


WIM Dana Aketaeva, KAZ, 2256


Sandra Djukic (right), SCG, 2140


Selim Citak, TUR, 2291


IM Nana Dzagnidze, GEO, 2443 (top women's seed)


GM Vugar Gashimov, AZE, 2608 (third seed)


IM Evgeny Romanov, RUS, 2479


Emil Agdestein, NOR, 2057


FM Malkhaz Sulashvili (GEO, 2386) vs IM Alexandr Kharitonov (RUS, 2545)


Wen Yang (CHN, 2374) vs GM Jan Smeets (NED, 2531)

Participants

Boys

1 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar AZE 2674
2 GM Alekseev Evgeny RUS 2632
3 GM Gashimov Vugar AZE 2608
4 GM Wojtaszek Radoslaw POL 2606
5 GM Berkes Ferenc HUN 2596
6 GM Wang Yue CHN 2585
7 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny RUS 2564
8 GM Nyback Tomi FIN 2563
9 GM Stellwagen Daniel NED 2561
10 GM Predojevic Borki BIH 2558
11 IM Kharitonov Alexandr RUS 2545
12 IM Lami Erwin NED 2541
13 IM Khairullin Ildar RUS 2537
14 IM Zhigalko Andrey BLR 2537
15 GM Smeets Jan NED 2531
16 GM Kurnosov Igor RUS 2523
17 - Wang Hao CHN 2519
18 IM Laznicka Viktor CZE 2517
19 IM Mamedov Nidjat AZE 2517
20 GM Bartel Mateusz POL 2513
21 GM Moradiabadi Elshan IRI 2497
22 IM Zhigalko Sergei BLR 2490
23 IM Zinchenko Yaroslav UKR 2485
24 IM Romanov Evgeny RUS 2479
25 IM Lenic Luka SLO 2476
26 IM Heberla Bartlomiej POL 2465
27 FM Barnaure Vlad-Victor ROM 2454
28 IM Magalashvili Davit GEO 2448
29 FM Kuderinov Kirill KAZ 2432
30 - Babujian Levon ARM 2429
31 FM Papin Vasily RUS 2425
32 IM Rau Hannes GER 2421
33 IM Cornette Matthieu FRA 2418
34 FM Sanikidze Tornike GEO 2411
35 - Rohit Gogineni IND 2401
36 IM Sengupta Deep IND 2400
37 IM Poobesh Anand S IND 2397
38 - Karakehajov Kalin BUL 2396
39 FM Wei Chenpeng CHN 2390
40 FM Sulashvili Malkhaz GEO 2386
41 IM Esen Baris TUR 2384
42 IM Livshits Gaby ISR 2381
43 - Grecescu Gabriel-Andrei ROM 2380
44 - Wen Yang CHN 2374
45 FM Perdomo Leandro ARG 2373
46 FM Terrieux Kevin FRA 2365
47 - Krivokapic Marko SCG 2361
48 - Negi Parimarjan IND 2352
49 FM Glud Jacob Vang DEN 2349
50 - Tikkanen Hans SWE 2343
51 FM El Debs Felipe De Cresce BRA 2341
52 FM Xie George Wendi AUS 2340
53 FM Jojua Davit GEO 2337
54 - Gopal G N IND 2327
55 - Aleskerov Faik AZE 2321
56 - Macak Stefan SVK 2319
57 - Nava Roderick PHI 2317
58 FM Carron Julien SUI 2314
59 - Li Chao(B) CHN 2305
60 - Jessel Stephen IRL 2304
61 - Kvon Andrey UZB 2293
62 FM Citak Selim TUR 2291
63 FM Kurmann Oliver SUI 2287
64 - Can Emre TUR 2287
65 - Maenhout Thibaut BEL 2282
66 - Akshat Khamparia IND 2275
67 - Amanov Mesgen TKM 2273
68 - Lettieri Giuseppe ITA 2265
69 - Moosavian S Hamed IRI 2263
70 - Pileckis Emilis LTU 2255
71 - Ouakhir Mehdi MAR 2239
72 - Shlykov Vitali EST 2238
73 - Laval Brice FRA 2214
74 - Samakov Nurdin KGZ 2209
75 - Yagiz Yasin Emrah TUR 2206
76 - Bekkat Azeddinne ALG 2202
77 - Tulay Berkay TUR 2179
78 - Zeynalov Farid AZE 2179
79 - Tanrikulu Erhan TUR 2151
80 IM Stander Heinrich RSA 2128
82 - Cil Hasan Kivanc TUR 2067
81 - Uzun Fuat TUR 2070
 

Boys (cont.)

83 - Agdestein Emil NOR 2057
84 - Uesugi Shinsaku JPN 2040
85 - Lauda Alexandr MDA 2010
86 - Acuner Emrah TUR 1903
87 - De Bruyn Leon W RSA 0
88 - Khuseinkhodzhaev M. TJK 0
89 - Mosetlhe Kgaugelo RSA 0
90 - Sarwary Hamidullah AFG 0
91 - Tasdelen Deniz Murat TRK 0
92 - Villa Ronald COL 0

 

Girls

1 IM Dzagnidze Nana

GEO

2443

2 WGM Ushenina Anna

UKR

2409

3 WGM Mongontuul Bathuyag

MGL

2408

4 IM Paehtz Elisabeth

GER

2408

5 WGM Pogonina Natalija

RUS

2401

6 WGM Harika Dronavalli

IND

2392

7 WGM Zdebskaja Natalia

UKR

2390

8 IM Vasilevich Irina

RUS

2389

9 WGM Zawadzka Jolanta

POL

2381

10 WGM Tania Sachdev

IND

2379

11 WIM Guseva Marina

RUS

2363

12 WGM Khukhashvili Sopiko

GEO

2362

13 WIM Kadziolka Beata

POL

2352

14 WIM Karavade Eesha

IND

2348

15 IM Purtseladze Maka

GEO

2338

16 WIM Zhang Jilin

CHN

2334

17 WGM Gu Xiaobing

CHN

2330

18 WGM Melia Salome

GEO

2318

19 WFM Motoc Alina

ROM

2313

20 WIM Sharevich Anna

BLR

2305

21 - Khotenashvili Bela

GEO

2288

22 - Liu Pei

CHN

2283

23 WIM Nebolsina Vera

RUS

2278

24 WFM Szczepkowska Karina

POL

2278

25 WIM Pourkashiyan Atousa

IRI

2271

26 WIM Andriasian Siranush

ARM

2263

27 WFM Ciobanu Camelia

ROM

2262

28 WIM Muhren Bianca

NED

2260

29 WFM Ding Yixin

CHN

2260

30 WIM Aketaeva Dana

KAZ

2256

31 WGM Paridar Shadi

IRI

2237

32 WIM Nadig Kruttika

IND

2224

33 WIM Mamedjarova Turkan

AZE

2223

34 WGM Corke Anya

HKG

2222

35 WIM Ortiz Nadya Karolina

COL

2218

36 - Raeva Elitsa

BUL

2213

37 WIM Bensdorp Marlies

NED

2199

38 WIM Meshcheriakova Evgenia

RUS

2197

39 - Gregorova Zuzana

SVK

2183

40 WIM Bashkite Viktoria

EST

2173

41 - Zhang Xiaowen

CHN

2153

42 WFM Gilbert Jessie

ENG

2148

43 - Hoolt Sarah

GER

2144

44 - Djukic Sandra

SCG

2140

45 WFM Gutierrez Castillo

ESP

2127

46 - Bulmaga Irina

MDA

2122

47 WFM Topel Zehra

TUR

2105

48 - Raghavi N

IND

2104

49 - Umudova Nargiz

AZE

2101

50 - Gevorgyan Irina

UZB

2099

51 - Bensdorp Laura

NED

2090

52 - Plazaola Maria

ARG

2087

53 - Xu Ruoyin

CHN

2079

54 - Alimova Maral

TKM

2053

55 - Ursic Simona

SLO

2040

56 - Chaumont Adeline

FRA

2035

57 - Tilenbaeva Janyl

KGZ

2019

58 - Dudas Eszter

HUN

2010

59 - Levacic Melissa

FRA

1993

60 - Pavlogianni Despina

GRE

1989

61 - Ozturk Kubra

TUR

1980

62 - Mezioud Amina

ALG

1978

63 - Brekke Jorunn Marie

NOR

1972

64 - Chierici Marianna

ITA

1944

65 - Almer Julia

SWE

1943

66 - Frank-Nielsen Marie

DEN

1919

67 - Reppen Ellisiv

NOR

1850

68 - Coddens Barbara

BEL

0

Previous Junior World Champions

Boys

2004

Pentala Harikrishna

India

2003

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Azerbaijan

2002

Levon Aronian

Armenia

2001

Peter Acs

Hungary

2000

Lázaro Bruzón

Cuba

1999

Alexander Galkin

Russia

1998

Darmen Sadvakasov

Kazakstan

1997

Tal Shaked

USA

1996

Emil Sutovsky

Israel

1995

Roman Slobodjan

Germany

1994

Helgi Gretarsson

Iceland

1993

Igor Miladinovic

Yugoslavia

1992

Pablo Zarnicki

Argentina

1991

Vladimir Akopian

Armenia

1990

Ilya Gurevich

USA

1989

Vasil Spasov

Bulgaria

1988

Joel Lautier

France

1987

Viswanathan Anand

India

1986

Walter Arencibia

Cuba

1985

Maxim Dlugy

USA

1984

Curt Hansen

Denmark

1983

Kiril Georgiev

Bulgaria

1982

Andrei Sokolov

USSR

1981

Ognjen Cvitan

Yugoslavia

1980

Garry Kasparov

USSR

1979

Yasser Seirawan

USA

1978

Sergey Dolmatov

USSR

1977

Artur Yusupov

USSR

1976

Mark Diesen

USA

1975

Valery Chekhov

USSR

1974

Anthony Miles

England

 

1973

Alexander Beljavsky

USSR

1971

Werner Hug

Switzerland

1969

Anatoly Karpov

USSR

1967

Julio Kaplan

Puerto Rico

1965

Bojan Kurajica

Yugoslavia

1963

Florin Gheorghiu

Romania

1961

Bruno Parma

Yugoslavia

1959

Carlos Bielicki

Argentina

1957

William Lombardy

USA

1955

Boris Spassky

USSR

1953

Oscar Panno

Argentina

1951

Borislav Ivkov

Yugoslavia

 

Girls

2004

Ekaterina Korbut

Russia

2003

Nana Dzagnidze

Georgia

2002

Xue Zhao

China

2001

Humpy Koneru

India

2000

Xu Yuanyuan

China

1999

Maria Kouvatsou

Greece

1998

Hoang Thang Trang

Vietnam

1997

Harriet Hunt

England

1996

Zhu Chen

China

1995

Nino Khurtsidze

Georgia

1994

Zhu Chen

China

1993

Nino Khurtsidze

Georgia

1992

Krystina Dabrowska

Poland

1991

Natasa Bojkovic

Yugoslavia

1990

Ketevan Kakhiani

USSR

1989

Ketevan Kakhiani

USSR

1988

Alisa Galliamova

USSR

1986

Ketevan Arakhamia

USSR


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