Author: BCC

IM Venkatesh Surprise Leader after 5 Rounds at BCC Open 2012

BCC

Alexander J. Klemm

Indian IM Ventakesh is the surprise leader after 5 rounds
Indian IM Ventakesh is the surprise leader after 5 rounds

 

The third day of play at the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 was the second but last double round. The morning round began at 9 a.m. sharp, so the maxim was “The early bird catches the worm.” Some players had to dig deep to find their top form shortly after breakfast. No doubt, for some of us chess is not a morning sport. Among the wide-awake, however, were tournament favorites GM Nigel Short, title defender GM Jan Gustafsson, Indian IM M.R. Venkatesh, and former champion GM Xiu Deshun all of whom took advantage of middle- and endgame inaccuracies by their opponents to squeeze out full points. Rather unexpectedly, GM Hou Yifan and GM Farrukh Amonatov both dropped half a point. The surprise leader after four rounds was IM Venkatesh from India, remaining the only player with a clean sheet. He was followed by a pack of eleven players with 3½ points.

The results of the top boards from round 4:

  1. GM Hou Yifan (CHN) ½ -½ IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE)
  2. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) ½-½ GM Amonatov (TJK)
  3. IM Venkatesh M. R. (IND) 1-0 IM Wynn Zaw Htun (MYA)
  4. GM Short (ENG) 1-0 FM Voigt (GER)
  5. Severino (PHI) 0-1 GM Gustafsson Jan (GER)
  6. IM Contin (ITA) 0- 1 GM Xiu Deshun (CHN)

With players from 34 nations the BCC Open 2012 is as internationally diverse as ever. IM Venkatesh is one of 33 tournament participants from India, making this the best-represented nation and proving the tournament’s lasting popularity with Thailand’s big neighbor to the West. While there are also numerous players from China and the Southeast Asian countries, players travelled from as far away as Europe, the USA, and Australia to be part of one of Asia’s foremost chess events, hosted by the outstanding Dusit Thani Hotel which offers terrific playing conditions and accommodation. Many players have stated this time and in previous years that they appreciate the BCC Open because it allows them to combine their love for the game with a vacation in the “Land of Smiles.”

The following is IM Venkatesh’s fourth-round win against the Burmese IM Wynn Zaw Htun. 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Bg5 Nf6 8.0–0–0 e6 9.f4 Be7 10.Nf3 0–0 11.Qd3 Qc7 12.Nd4 Rfd8 13.f5 Ng4 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qg3 Ne5 16.Rhf1 Kh8 17.Rf2 Rac8 18.Rdf1 a6 19.Kb1 Bd7 20.b3 b5 21.fxe6 fxe6 22.Nce2 Kg8 23.Nf4 Rf8 24.Nf3 Nxf3 25.Rxf3 Bc6 26.Re1 e5 27.Nh5 g6 28.Ref1 Bxe4 29.Nf6+ Rxf6 30.Rxf6 Rxc2 31.Ka1 Rxg2? (31… Rc1+ 32.Rxc1 Qxf6 with equal chances) 32.Qh4 (White is better.) 32… Qc7 33.Rf8+ Kg7 34.Qf6+ Kh6 35.Qh4+ Kg7 36.R1f7+ Qxf7 37.Rxf7+ Kxf7 38.Qxe4 1-0

Here are the round 5 results of the first six boards:

  1. GM Gustafsson (GER) 0-1 IM Venkatesh M. R. (IND)
  2. IM Liu Qingnan (CHN) 0-1 GM Short (ENG)
  3. Wan Yunguo (CHN) ½ -½ GM Hou Yifan (CHN)
  4. GM Amonatov (TJK) ½ -½ GM Sriram Jha (IND)
  5. GM Xiu Deshun (CHN) ½ -½ Stany G. A. (IND)
  6. IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (VIE) ½ -½ IM Nguyen Van Huy (VIE)

After five rounds IM Venkatesh is the sole leader with 5 points, followed by GM Nigel Short (4.5) and 16 others (4). Full results and latest standings at chess-results.com

Competition Is Heating Up at the 12th BCC Open

BCC

Bangkok, 14 April 2012

Alexander J. Klemm

The playing hall at the Dusit Thani Bangkok

Thailand is celebrating its joyous and rowdy Songkran Festival when Thais and tourists throng in the streets and splash each other with water to cool off from the fierce summer heat. A popular location to “play Songkran” is Bangkok’s Silom District where the Dusit Thani Hotel is hosting the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012. While the crowds go wild with buckets of water outside the hotel, the competition inside is more restrained but heating up. The tournament’s top seeds, GMs Nigel Short, Hou Yifan, Jan Gustafsson and Farrukh Amonatov won their round-two games in convincing fashion. Surprises included draws between Chinese GM Xiu Deshun (champion 2008 and 2009) and Burmese Sie Thu, as well as German GM Gerhard Schebler and Thai FM Boonsueb Saeheng.

An interesting position arose on board two. Australian FM Tim Reilly with the white pieces had been playing a solid game against the defending champion GM Jan Gustafsson, but then he took a “poisoned” pawn with 28.Bxa7:

If White had played 28. Rxa7, he would have lost a bishop to 28..Rxa7 29.Bxa7 Qa2. Instead 28.Qg3 would have been fine, but the game move was refuted by 28..Nd3 which put black on the attack. 29.Bxd3 made things worse, whilst 29.Qg4 would have put up more resistance. Gustafsson secured a quick victory with 29..Bxa1 30.Rxa1 exd3 31.Qxh6 Qf6 0-1.

Surprise results on the top boards in round three were Sander Severino (PHI) 1/2-1/2 GM Nigel Short (ENG), GM Jan Gustafsson (GER) 1/2-1/2, IM Daniel Contin (ITA), GM Shojaat Ghane (IRA) 0-1 GM Hou Yifan (CHN), GM Farrukh Amonatov (TJK) 1-0 IM Nisha Mohota (IND).

After laborious games in rounds one and two, GM Hou Yifan seemed to have found her comfort zone as in round three she went on the attack with black against Iranian GM Ghane: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 Qe8 7.Nf3 b6 8.e3 Bb7 9.Be2 d6 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.b3 Ne4 12.Qc2 f5 13.Ne1 Rf6 14.f3 Ng5 15.e4 f4 16.Nd3 e5 17.d5 (closing the center allowed Hou Yifan to push on the kingside) 17..Qh5 18.Nf2 Rg6 19.Qd3 Nf6 20.Rd1 Bc8 21.Ra2 (The rook was supposed to protect the second row, but it was soon lost) 21..Rh6 22.h3. A sacrifice was in the air.

And there it was: 22..Bxh3 23.gxh3 Nxh3+ 24.Nxh3 Qxh3 25.Bf1 Qh1+ 26.Kf2 Rh2+ 27.Ke1 Rxa2 28.Rd2 Rxd2 29.Bxd2 Nh5 0-1.

After round three only seven players have a perfect record: GM Hou Yifan (CHN), IM Ngyuen Duc Hoa (VIE), IM Liu Qingnan (CHN), GM Amonatov (TJK), IM Venkatesh (IND), IM Wynn Zaw Htun (MYA) and FM Voigt (GER).

I asked a cheerful GM Farrukh Amonatov: “How did the game against IM Mohota go?”

FA: “I had a small advantage but the position was difficult to play. My opponent got into time trouble and didn’t play well then, so I got the win, but if she had more time I could not have won easily.”

AK: “How did you come to play at this tournament?”

FA: “I signed up for it just a few days before the start because my wife and I have been staying on Koh Samui for four months and the tournament organizers invited me. I’m from Tajikistan but actually live in Moscow. As you know in Russia it’s quite cold sometimes, that’s why we come here. Many people from Russia love to come to Thailand for the warm weather.”

AK: “Since you are participating in the BCC Open for the first time, what’s your impression of the tournament and how do you think the further competition will unfold?”

FA: “It’s very pleasant to be here and the conditions are truly great. As far as the games are concerned, I don’t know whether I can compete with the other GMs because I haven’t played much in the last six months. That’s why I don’t think much about others and just want to play as well as possible.”

BCC President and Chief Organizer Kai Tuorila is satisfied with the second day of play and glad that the Challenger category also got off to a strong start with 95 players, including a great number of youngsters, making this edition of the BCC Open the best-attended so far with a total of 230 players. The top seeds in this 7-round under-2100 Elo contest are S. Bharath (IND, Elo 2074), S. Raghuraman (IND, Elo 2069) and FM Manish Hamal (NEP, Elo 2056). Since in the first round S. Bharath already dropped half a point against Kyz Llantana (PHI, Elo 1672), this group promises interesting battles and upsets too.

 

12th Bangkok Chess Club Open Gets Off to a Flying Start

BCC

Alexander J. Klemm

Jan Gustafsson had no problems in the first round – on the way to retaining his Thailand Crown?
Jan Gustafsson had no problems in the first round – on the way to retaining his Thailand Crown?

Taking place at the high-class Dusit Thani Hotel in the heart of Bangkok, 135 players are competing in the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 9-round Open category, among them 41 titled players. Tomorrow the 7-round Challenger section will start, with 106 participants registered so far. With over 230 players from 34 countries the tournament has broken its attendance record from 2011 to confirm its ever-increasing popularity. German GM Jan Gustafsson has traveled to Thailand to defend his title as the winner of last year’s tournament, but top seed GM Nigel Short, Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan and other professionals are ready to fight him for first place.

The first round saw no upsets at the six top boards where Gustafsson, Amonatov and Xiu Deshun with the white pieces, and Short, Hou Yifan and Venkatesh with black won their games within a couple of hours against strong club players. Short and Amonatov in particular played aggressively as they quickly converted positional advantages into material gains and solid wins. While the wins of the professionals were straightforward, one could not fail to notice that the amateur players fought hard. However, their respect for the GMs often led to worries about making mistakes, which then got them into severe time trouble and lost positions between the middlegame and endgame. Tomorrow the top players will face stronger opposition in rounds two and three.

The upset of the day was achieved by 18-year-old Thammasat University freshman Thanadon Kulpruthanon who beat Singaporean GM Wong Meng Kong with white in a Caro-Kann exchange variation. Another result of note was achieved by Tristan Cox from England who drew with Vietnamese IM Nguyen Van Huy on board seven despite almost 400 Elo points rating difference.

Women’s World Chess Champion Hou Yifan in Bangkok

BCC

Women’s World Chess Champion Hou Yifan in Bangkok Ready to Compete in the 12Th Bangkok Chess Club Open

Alexander J. Klemm

World Champion Hou Yifan celebrating Thailand's traditional Songkran festival
World Champion Hou Yifan celebrating Thailand's traditional Songkran festival

GM Hou Yifan (侯逸凡, CHI, Elo 2639), the 18-year-old rising star in the world of chess, arrived in Bangkok earlier this week to compete in the 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open at the Dusit Thani Hotel. While this is her first time in Thailand, many of the approximately 230 players from around the world have returned to participate in either the Open or the Challenger category. Ms. Yifan’s presence, together with that of many other world-class players, gives prestige to a chess event that in recent years has become one of Asia’s best. The women’s world champion will battle for the top spot against strong rivals, including the tournament’s highest-ranked player and longtime supporter of the BCC Open, GM Nigel Short (ENG, Elo 2697). Both GMs demonstrated their great form at last January’s Gibraltar Chess Festival when they finished first and second in a field that included 55 GMs. Other outstanding players who will have a shot at the first prize are the 2011-champion GM Jan Gustafsson (GER, Elo 2642), first-time participant GM Farrukh Amonatov (TJK, Elo 2604), as well as returning champions GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. (PHI, Elo 2557, winner 2003, 2004, 2006) and GM Deshun Xiu (CHN, Elo 2492, winner 2008, 2009). But many other players will not be brushed aside easily, such as Thailand’s hopefuls FM Wisuwat Teerapabpaisit (THA, Elo 2278), FM Nakorn Trisa-ard (THA, Elo 2265), FM Jirapak Pitirotjirathon (THA, Elo 2252) and FM Boonsueb Saeheng (THA, Elo 2207).

On Wednesday, Ms. Yifan met with a great number of VIPs and aspiring chess talents. First, at Shinawatra University’s city campus she visited the library’s chess corner and mingled with university students and young talents. For the second year in a row, SIU is a valuable sponsor of the tournament thanks to chess devotee Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Kittirat Na Ranong. She also met with representatives of SIU, most notably Acting President Assist. Prof. Dr. Prinya Tantaswadi, BCC President and Chief Organizer Kai Tuorila, Deputy Chief Arbiter IA Panupand Vijjuprabha, as well as tournament correspondent Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexander J. Klemm.

Later, in the Blue Room of Thailand’s Government House and under the watchful eyes of chess enthusiasts, Ms. Yifan met with Thailand’s Prime Minister Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, China’s Ambassador to Thailand Mr. Guan Mu, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Kittirat Na Ranong, Minister for the Office of the Prime Minister Ms. Nalinee Taweesin, Deputy Governor of Bank of Thailand Dr. Krirk Vanikul, and Petri Deryng, founder of PYN Fund Management and a valuable sponsor of the tournament. These representatives of Thailand and China honored Ms. Yifan for her outstanding achievements and thanked the young players, sponsors, and organizers for their great efforts. After a well-orchestrated photo session the champion played a chess simul against thirty children, students, and sponsors. While everyone played with passion and skill, Ms. Yifan took this as a welcomed warm-up for the main event as she brushed aside her last opponent after only two hours. The indisputable score:  Yifan 30 – grateful opponents 0. Especially for the children and their proud parents who must have been pleased with the kindness of Yifan and Thailand’s top politicians and impressed with the venue, this was a day they are unlikely to ever forget. And there is no doubt: thanks to the efforts of the BCC, the Thailand Chess Association, schools and universities, chess in Thailand is a sport rapidly on the rise.

Bangkok Chess Club at Government House

BCC

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as taken an interest in our tournament, both as a chess player herself and because of the visiting Women’s World Champion GM Hou Yifan. BCC President Kai Tuorila took the opportunity to present the PM with one of our specially created 12th BCC Open 2012 mugs, made by our sponsor Könitz.

Kai Tuorila meets Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Deputy PM/Finance Minister Kittirat