IM Venkatesh Surprise Leader after 5 Rounds at BCC Open 2012

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

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.

 

Brunei Campomanes Memorial Grandmaster Open 2012

Brunei Campomanes Memorial 2012The Brunei Chess Federation (BCF) is pleased to invite chess players from all federation to participate in the Brunei Campomanes Memorial Grandmaster Open 2012 from the 7th April 2012 (Arrival) to the 12th April 2012 (Departure). The organising committee for this tournament is the Brunei Chess Federation in collaboration with FIDE (World Chess Federation) and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Brunei Darussalam.

The tournament will be held at the Orchid Garden Hotel, Jalan Berakas, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.

The Prize Fund is 10,000 US Dollars. Entry fees are as follows:

  1. No registration fee for chess players with international titles GM, IM, WGM and WIM
  2. For chess players with ELO rating 2400-2499 — 50 US dollars,
  3. For chess players with ELO rating 2300-2399 — 75 US dollars,
  4. For chess players with ELO rating 2200-2299 — 100 US dollars,
  5. For chess players with a rating below 2200 and unrated players — 125 US dollars,
  6. 50% discount are provided for veterans above 50 and students U16.
  7. Entry fee for BCF members are 50 US dollars.

The deadline for registration is 24th March 2012. After this, a late registration penalty of 50% will be added. However, organizers reserve the right to refuse or decline late registrations.

Interested players can REGISTER into the tournament by contacting the BCF General Secretary, Mr Leong Voon Choon via email: leongvc@live.com or Tournament Director, Pg Abd Rahman PLW Yussof via email: parwijaya@live.com

Accommodation

Special rates between the Brunei Chess Federation and specific hotels in Brunei Darussalam have been organized. Interested players can contact the organizers to acquire further details. Below are examples:

Tournament Format

  • The tournament will be played according to the Swiss System of 9 rounds.
  • Rate of play will be 90 minutes for the whole game + 30 seconds increment for every move played starting from the first move.
  • The latest rules and regulations of FIDE shall apply.

Download the full details here

BCC Open Press Conference

Hotel Manager Alex Willats shakes hands with Thailand Chess Association Prajuab Nimityongskul
Hotel Manager Alex Willats shakes hands with TCA President Prajuab Nimityongskul

A Press Conference was held at the Champagne Bar of the Dusit Thani Bangkok, presenting the BCC Open to the press. Speakers included representatives from organisers, sponsors and chess players; K. Prajuab, President of the Thailand Chess Association; Alex Willats, General Manager of the hotel; Kai Tuorila, Tournament Organiser and others.

You can download a copy of the press release here. For more information and pictures, please contact us through our web form here.

World Champion Hou Yifan confirms for BCC Open

Ladies World Chess Champion Grandmaster Hou Yifan

Ladies World Champion Grandmaster Hou Yifan has confirmed her participation in the 12th BCC Open tournament.

This is the first time for a reigning World Champion to play chess in Thailand, and is sure to create quite a stir here, and will be an inspiration for all juniors (GM Yifan is still only 17 years old) as well as lady players. Yifan has had an amazing run in the last year – as Leonard Barden wrote in the Guardian: “Hou Yifan’s astonishing result at Tradewise Gibraltar last week marks a highly significant break-through for women’s chess. China’s 17-year-old beat four elite grandmasters, outplayed the great tactician Alexei Shirov at his own game, and performed far above expectations.

There is no doubt that Hou is getting stronger, and she must surely be the favourite for the 12th BCC Open despite the participation of GM Nigel Short who defeated her in the playoff. It is excellent news for the BCC Open that GM Nigel Short and GM Hou Yifan,  joint winners of the strongest open tournament in history (Gibraltar), are confirmed for the tournament!