Aside from the Chess Olympiad and the World Championship, The World Cup is a premiere event in the Fide calendar.
The competition will start tomorrow August 27 up to September 21 in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia. The event starts with128 players and has a knockout format , where the winner has to progress through seven consecutive match victories and possible tiebreaks to reach the finals.
The competition also has one of the biggest prize funds, amounting to $1.6 million.
The winner qualifies for the next World Chess Championship Candidates event. Last year’s winner Boris Gelfand went on to win the Candidates matches and will play the World Chess Championship 2012.
Boy Wonder Wesley So will open his campaign against the tough GM from China, Ding Liren, in the first round , The other Filipino player ,Mark Paragua , faces an even bigger challenge in Michael Adams of England .
So is confident about his chances against Liren,who defeated him in their only meeting in the 2004 World Under-12 championships.
The 17-yar-old Filipino champion will easily be one of the players to watch following his surprisingly strong showing in Khanty-Mansiysk two years ago.
So defeated Gadir Gusienov of Azerbaijan, 3-1, in the first round and then shocked the world chess hierarchy by defeating world championship candidates Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, 1.5-.5 in the second round and Gata Kamsky, 1.5-.5, of the United States in the third round
So’s near-magical run ended at the hands of Vladimir Malakhov of Russia, 4-1, in rapid tiebreak matches in their fourth- round showdown.
Ding is no pushover though as he is the reigning 2011 Champion of China and was also champion in 2009. He is about the same age as Wesley and has a rating of 2664 vs Wesley`s current rating of 2658.
Paragua will make his third appearance in this prestigious event.
He qualified for the 2004 World Championship in Tripoli, Libya, but was eliminated by GM Viktor Bologan of Moldova, 1-3, in the first round 1-3.
He also qualified for 2005 World Cup, where he upset GM Sergei Movsesian of Armenia in the first round before narrowly losing in the tie breaker to GM Alexey Dreev of Russia in the second round.
Michael Adams was ranked world number 4 from October 2000 to October 2002 and has achieved a peak rating of 2755. He has achieved good results in World Chess Championship tournaments and was runner-up in 2004 in Tripoli,Libya.
Milo.KC Morala,our 14 year- old kiddie chess player who aspires to be a sports journalist sent this update.
“University of San Carlos won 3 out of 4 of the team championship medals of the Little Milo Olympics Chess Tournament Elementary Level and Secondary Girls Level held in Elizabeth Mall last August 13-14 ,2011 and in Cebu City Sports Institute of Brgy. Sawang Calero last August 20, 2011.
USC Elem. Girls had14 pts over 42 participating schools, public and private alike, followed by Sangat Elem. School with 12 pts and Marigondon Elem School with11.
Meanwhile, in the Elementary level Boys division, USC was also champion over 58 schools. Sabang Elem.School finished second tailed by third-placer Lahug Elem. School.
In the Secondary Level Girls Division, USC with Jazzelle Villarin, Hazel Sato and Cunag, had 14 match pts. Closely following the victors are its two strongest rivals, USJ-R with 12 pts and UC with 10 pts.
USJ-R consisting of the Balbona Siblings-Felix Shaun, Marq Gabrielle and Francis-and Donn Gerard Ouano, won the Secondary Boys division with their 13 pts followed by Sangat National High School and UC, second and third placers respectively.”
boypestano@gmail.com,www.chessmoso.blogspot.com
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