EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

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Tim Harding
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EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Sun Jun 05, 2016 3:57 pm

The European Senior Individual Championships began today in Yerevan, Armenia.
The top boards are live on chess24 (but have mostly finished).

In the 50+, top seed Vaganian was held to a draw. There are three other GMs in that tournament but Karen Movsziszian lost with White to Yasin Hur of Turkey who is a regular in these events.

England's Peter M. Gayson has chances of a draw with Black against an IM rated over 2400. (R and B of opp ending with equal pawns at move 41, approx 3.55pm BST. There are no other players from our side of Europe so far as I can see.

In the 65+, top seed Sveshnikov has won his first game. Octogenarian grandmaster Vasiukov (another regular) is still playing on board 3. Kupreichik has won on board 5.
Roger Scowen from England is playing but his board is not live.

These are nine round tournaments. The World Senior Teams Championships, a much bigger event which will involve about 500 senior players, begins in three weeks and some of the same people will be playing in those.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:24 pm

Interesting top board pairing tomorrow in the 65+: Nona Gaprindashvili - Evgeny Sveshnikov.

Peter Gayson unfortunately lost in the ending yesterday but won in round 2. The English representative in the 65+ has yet to score; better luck tomorrow.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Chris Rice
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Chris Rice » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:27 pm

Slightly at a tangent but I notice the Turkish guy, Hur Yasin leading in the over 50s is listed in the results service as an Arena Grand Master. Looks like an official title when I thought these online titles were all unofficial. One assumes they are not going to be used for norm purposes. http://chess-results.com/tnr218917.aspx ... =30&wi=984

NickFaulks
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:10 pm

Chris Rice wrote:Slightly at a tangent but I notice the Turkish guy, Hur Yasin leading in the over 50s is listed in the results service as an Arena Grand Master. Looks like an official title when I thought these online titles were all unofficial. One assumes they are not going to be used for norm purposes. http://chess-results.com/tnr218917.aspx ... =30&wi=984
You are half right. The title is ( at present ) of no value for norm purposes, but can - in fact, I think, must - be shown in FIDE events.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:56 pm

He lost today but he seems a useful player, who did quite well in the World Seniors in 2014 and not too badly last year. Always wears a cap.
If he only played against Seniors his rating would probably be higher, or maybe he's only taking chess seriously in the last few years.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
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Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:12 pm

Thanks for that link. I see Peter Gayson won with Black today so has 2/3.
His prize is to have White tomorrow against GM Vaganian, a great honour really.

Roger Scowen also won today in the 65+ so it was a good day for the small English contingent.
Gaprindashvili drew with Sveshnikov today.

I wish they would put the women in with the men for the World Individuals too.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

John McKenna

Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by John McKenna » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:42 am

NickFaulks wrote:
Chris Rice wrote:Slightly at a tangent but I notice the Turkish guy, Hur Yasin leading in the over 50s is listed in the results service as an Arena Grand Master. Looks like an official title when I thought these online titles were all unofficial. One assumes they are not going to be used for norm purposes. http://chess-results.com/tnr218917.aspx ... =30&wi=984
You are half right. The title is ( at present ) of no value for norm purposes, but can - in fact, I think, must - be shown in FIDE events.
Another tangent...

FIDE are advertising two coming online events -

2nd GP "Vera Menchik" starts 25/6

3rd GP "1st Olympiad" (London 1927) starts 16/7

Free Online Arena memberships can be won.

Chris Rice
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Chris Rice » Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:22 am

NickFaulks wrote:
Chris Rice wrote:Slightly at a tangent but I notice the Turkish guy, Hur Yasin leading in the over 50s is listed in the results service as an Arena Grand Master. Looks like an official title when I thought these online titles were all unofficial. One assumes they are not going to be used for norm purposes. http://chess-results.com/tnr218917.aspx ... =30&wi=984
You are half right. The title is ( at present ) of no value for norm purposes, but can - in fact, I think, must - be shown in FIDE events.
First, thanks to John for the tournament prompts. Secondly after Nick's post yesterday I stayed up all night and completed the requirements for the Arena International Master title and can now go into my next FIDE-rated OTB tournament as an official AIM. My thinking is that a few stronger players might give me a draw considering they are playing an international master but then again they may just laugh at me. We'll see how it goes... Curiously I'm expecting my next tournament to be the British Seniors so there is an additional reason for having this post in this thread.

NickFaulks
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by NickFaulks » Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:29 am

I did say FIDE events, not FIDE rated events. Nonetheless, I expect you will be able to get AIM beside your name on the wall chart and look forward to hearing how it is received.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.

Tim Harding
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:05 am

If these events you mention in the last few posts are not SENIOR events, please talk about them somewhere else, not the Senior section and not this thread about a particular tournament.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

John McKenna

Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by John McKenna » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:56 am

Point taken, Tim, you're absolutely correct as per usual. Apologies for my largely irrelevant post.

Chris Rice's was about one leading competitor so has "slightly tamgential" relevance, though.

Just like to make a final digression here and congratulate Chris R on achieving the AIM title.

Chris Rice
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Chris Rice » Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:09 am

OK cheers John and staying on point I actually am curious to know why Vaganian is in this tournament. According to Wikipedia his birthday is 15 October 1951 so that would make him 65 this year. The regulations for the competition state at 3.3 "Players who shall have reached the age of 65 by the 31st December 2016 are allowed to participate in the category SENIOR 50+ if they request it." http://chessfed.am/wp-content/uploads/2 ... tions1.pdf You would logically think therefore that he would have a better chance of winning the 65+ tournament than the 50+ though at 2577 clearly he is stronger than any player in either tournament but in the 50+ Sturua is most definitely competition for him.

I remember Vaganian particularly for a game he played in 1996 vs Steve Giddins which I watched first hand (link below in case interested). At one point Vaganian offered a draw and it was only then Steve realised he must be winning so turned it down in Russian which shocked Vaganian who lost shortly afterwards. At the time Vaganian was 2595 so he's only gone down 22 points in the last 20 years. That's class for you so good luck to Peter in round 4. It appears Vaganian has drawn his frst three rounds against much lower rated players so I guess he may have a chance here. http://chessimprover.com/steve-giddins/

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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Tim Harding » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:32 pm

Chris Rice wrote: I actually am curious to know why Vaganian is in this tournament... You would logically think therefore that he would have a better chance of winning the 65+ tournament than the 50+ though at 2577 clearly he is stronger than any player in either tournament but in the 50+ Sturua is most definitely competition for him.
...It appears Vaganian has drawn his frst three rounds against much lower rated players so I guess he may have a chance here.
Gayson-Vaganian is live right now at:
https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tourn ... 2016/4/1/5

Vaganian played the Guimard 3...Nc6 in the Tarrasch French. It seems to have been a good choice.

Yes he could have entered the 65+ and you are right that Sturua (2014 World 50+ champion) represents serious opposition.

Actually Vaganian won his round 2 game. His round 3 opponent WGM Strutinskaya is a useful player but his first round opponent was about the same rating as Gayson.

In just over two weeks time Vaganian will be top board for Armenia in the World Teams 50+ (they don't have a team in the 65+). Maybe he is a bit rusty and wants to maximise the hard practice before taking on the likes of Yusupov, Nunn and Hjartarson?

Sveshnikov is probably favourite to win the 65+ in Yerevan. Today he's White against IM Bogdanov of the Ukraine who is the only other player on 3/3.
He's going to be top board for Russia in the 65+ teams.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter

Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com

John McKenna

Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by John McKenna » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:27 pm

Thanks for your coverage of the event, Tim.

I was in Montpellier, at the 1985 Candidates Tournament, where Vaganian came 1st= with Yusupov and Andrei Sokolov (all on 9/15). Little did I think then that if I could get myself to Vaganian's birthplace of Yerevan in 2016 it might be possible to play him, as another player from England is doing today.

Just had a quick look and Peter G is materially equal but had only about 12 mins. left to Vaganian's 58 mins. at move 26. Hope Peter can make the time control without going to pieces.

Barry Sandercock
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Re: EU Senior Individual Champs 2016 Yerevan

Post by Barry Sandercock » Wed Jun 08, 2016 2:55 pm

He's made the time control, but his position looks not too easy to play.

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