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2009 World Cup: Semi-Finals
Will Ruslan Ponomariov win another knockout tournament? Photo by Galina Popova courtesy of FIDE. Gallery link, ugra-chess.ru. Only four players remaining. The top-seed is still playing, two Ukrainians stars and one unsung Russian will fight for the crown. Boris Gelfand has played solidly and has lost only one game thus…
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Kassa Korley at Philly Congress
New York’s Kassa Korley has graced these pages several times, but he is perhaps known best for breaking the age record for a player of African desent to earn the National Master’s title. There are a lot of age records falling these days, but Kassa has moved on to vying…
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2009 World Cup: Quarterfinals
Dmitri Jakovenko vs. Boris Gelfand… will the veteran hold off the young lion? The 2009 FIDE World Cup gets serious. Eight 2700-rated players will vie for a chance at qualifying for the World Championship cycle. The balance of power lies in the former Soviet-bloc players with Boris Gelfand, originally of…
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FIDE
2009 World Cup: Round #4
Round #4 will feature a healthy dose of 2700 battles. We can expect shorter draws and perhaps longer matches. A few marquee matches are on tap including Svidler-Shirov, but Ruslan Ponomariov may be lurking in the wings hoping the field has forgotten that he has won this tournament back in…
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Nakamura tops Carlsen in blitz final!
America’s #1 player Hikaru Nakamura is riding a successful year with several strong results including the U.S. Championship title and victories in San Sebastian and Mainz. He flamed out in Melody Amber after falling ill and finishing with a horrible score, but stated that December would be a pivotal moment…
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2009 World Cup: Round #3
Photo by Galina Popova courtesy of FIDE. Gallery link, ugra-chess.ru. Pivotal Round today in Siberia. Boris Gelfand will try to hold onto the board #1 position against Judit Polgar in what may be the marquee matchup of round #3. A deep field means that Polgar is the #32 ranked player…
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Colas shares Nat’l Youth crown!
Scholastic standout Josh Colas continues to climb. Last weekend, Josh got his first taste of a National crown after tying for first in the National Youth Action tournament. He scored 7.5/9 and shared the K-9 crown with Kevin Cao and Jialin Ding. All three are near the top of players…
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2009 World Cup: Round #2
Key matchups are on tap for the FIDE World Cup. While most of the top seeds moved on, they will face stiffer tests in round two. Judit Polgar will start her first match today against Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania. This tournament may see the rise by a number of young…
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FIDE
2009 World Cup: Round #1
Eshan Ghaem Maghami (Iran) chats with fellow-GM Darwin Laylo (Philippines) before action starts. Photo by Galina Popova courtesy of FIDE. Gallery link, ugra-chess.ru. The opening round of the 2009 World Cup had few surprises, but it is clear that the balance of power is shifting. Certainly the Russians still have…
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UTD prepares for 2009 Pan-Ams!
GM Amon Simutowe peeking at NMs Mihail Bantic and Vautvydas Vedrickas. Photo by Daaim Shabazz. The University of Texas-Dallas (UTD) is gearing up for the Pan-Am Intercollegiate tournament with tune-up tournaments featuring most of the team members and a few Grandmasters. UTD has been embroiled in a rivalry with University…
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