Vallejo Pons enjoys sole lead after 7 at Nakhchivan Open 2011

Leaders after 7 rounds

Rk.		Name	FED	Rtg	Club/City	Pts.	TB1	TB2
1	GM	Vallejo Pons Francisco	ESP	2707		6.0	2600	5
2	GM	Almasi Zoltan	HUN	2719		5.5	2600	5
3	GM	Ibrahimov Rasul	AZE	2526	Baku	5.0	2532	4
4	GM	Wang Yue	CHN	2734		5.0	2526	3
5	GM	Guseinov Gadir	AZE	2584	Baku	5.0	2525	4
6	GM	Smirin Ilia	ISR	2658		5.0	2523	4
7	GM	Korobov Anton	UKR	2647		5.0	2506	4
8	GM	Gagunashvili Merab	GEO	2599		5.0	2493	4
9	GM	Safarli Eltaj	AZE	2628	Baku	5.0	2410	3
10	GM	Sokolov Ivan	NED	2643		4.5	2555	3
11	GM	Turov Maxim	RUS	2635		4.5	2531	3
12	GM	Volkov Sergey	RUS	2621		4.5	2525	3
13	IM	Benidze Davit	GEO	2503		4.5	2494	4
14	IM	Ipatov Alexander	ESP	2514		4.5	2439	3

Full results here: http://chess-results.com/tnr48598.aspx

Vallejo, Sokolov, Almasi, and Volkov lead in Nakhchivan

Vallejo, Sokolov, Almasi, and Volkov lead in Nakhchivan
Photos, standings, and more from the top open of April

The Super Open Nakhchivan 2011 continues in Azerbaijan. After round 4 there are 4 players sharing the leading position - Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain), Zoltan Almasi (Hungary), Sergey Volkov (Russia), and Ivan Sokolov (Bosna and Herzegovina). They are facing each other in direct battles today, always eying their back, as Wang Yue, Ilia Smirin, Alexander Ipatov, Eltaj Safarli, Mikheil Mchedlishvili, Evgenij Miroshnichenko, and several other top contenders are withing 1/2 to 1 points distance.

The International Chess Festival Nakhchivan Open, dedicated to the memory of President Heydar Aliyev, is scheduled to take place from 23rd April to 1st May at the "Nakhchivan Chess Center" in Nakhchivan.

The Festival is organized by the Azerbaijan Youth & Sport Ministry, Azerbaijan Chess Federation and Nakhchivan AR Chess Federation. Nine rounds according to Swiss system will be played in the tournament. The total prize fund is $ 66.500.

Follow the live games at www.chess.az and www.azerichess.az.

Gustafsson wins Thai Open on tiebreaks

German Grandmaster Gustafsson Wins Thai Open Chess

German Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson has won the 2011 Thai Chess Open in Pattaya after finishing in a three-way tie for first place and winning the title on a tiebreaker.

Gustafsson, seeded third at the start of the tournament, finished equal on points with the top two seeds, Paco Vallejo of Spain and England's Nigel Short but was awarded the 11th Thai Open title because he had played tougher opposition. Short, who lost to Gustafsson in the critical game of the tournament, was awarded the runners-up cup. The three players shared 220,000 Baht in prize money.

In a dramatic final day of play, Short, 45, seemed to have the most difficult task but he smoothly outplayed Indian Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte.

Both Gustafsson, 31, and Vallejo, 28, were required to play tricky endgames against Norwegian youngster Kjetil Stokke and Bangladeshi veteran Niaz Murshed but both outplayed their opponents to reach the tie for first.

Sunday's final round of Thailand's largest and strongest open tournament was a grim one for local players with the leading Thai performer Wisawat Teerapabpaisit missing a chance to reach sixth place after losing to Indian Grandmaster Jha Sriram.

2011 Thai Open Final scores

=1 Gustafsson, Short, Vallejo 7.5 points

=4 Voigt, Yang 7=6 Hansen, Palit, Sriram, Saptarshi, Illingworth 6.5

Thai Open Press Centre

April 17

Photo Finish at Thai Chess Open

Top Seeds Headed for Photo Finish at Thai Chess Open

The three top seeds at the 2011 Thai Chess Open in Pattaya are tied for the lead with just one round to play, setting the stage for an exciting finish in the strongest tournament ever held in Thailand.

After top seed Paco Vallejo of Spain was held to a draw by German third seed Jan Gustafsson, Nigel Short of England took the opportunity to regain a share of the lead with a comfortable victory over Indian Grandmaster Jha Sriram.

Gustafsson, who memorably beat Short in the seventh round, bravely sacrificed two pawns against the top seed on Saturday, but Vallejo could find nothing better than returning the material with a drawn endgame. "You should have watched my DVD - that's where I proposed [the new 14th move that I played]," Gustafsson said to his opponent after the game."Yes, I will download it," Vallejo replied.

The final round, which begins early Sunday at 9am, will see the top three Grandmasters facing significantly lower ranked opposition, so a three-way tie for the 100,000 Baht first prize is certainly a possibility. However lower ranked players have caused so many upsets in this event that the elite Grandmasters will be taking nothing for granted.

Leading scores:

=1 Vallejo, Short, Gustafsson 6.5

=4 Kunte, Stokke, Murshed, Voigt, Yang, Willemze, Illner, Mariano 6

The Thai Open, with a prize fund of 500,000 Baht, is being played at the Dusit Thani Pattaya Resort. Games may be followed live via http://bangkokchess.com/ with results on http://www.chess-results.com/fed.aspx?lan=1&fed=THA.

Thai Open Press centre

April 16

Vallejo Pons wins again, extends Reggio Emilia lead

Standings after 4 rounds

Naz.	Giocatore	ELO	Totali
ENG	Short Nigel	2680	2
RUS	Morozevich Alexander	2700	1 + 1 game
ITA	Caruana Fabiano	2709	2
ESP	Vallejo Pons Francisco	2698	3,5
USA	Onischuk Alexander	2683	2
SVK	Movsesian Sergei	2721	2
ITA	Godena Michele	2549	1
UKR	Ivanchuk Vassily	2764	2
CZE	Navara David	2708	1,5 + 1 game
AZE	Gashimov Vugar	2733	2

http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tablaGeneral.asp?iTorneoIppogrifo=25

Vallejo Pons leads Reggio Emilia

Standings after 3 rounds

1.	Vallejo Pons, Francisco	g	ESP	2698	2½
2.	Short, Nigel	g	ENG	2680	2
3.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2764	1½
4.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2709	1½
5.	Onischuk, Alexander	g	USA	2683	1½
6.	Movsesian, Sergei	g	SVK	2721	1½
7.	Navara, David	g	CZE	2708	1
8.	Godena, Michele	g	ITA	2549	1
9.	Gashimov, Vugar	g	AZE	2733	1
10.	Morozevich, Alexander	g	RUS	2700	½

http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tablaGeneral.asp?iTorneoIppogrifo=25

Short rebounds at Reggio Emilia

Short rebounded from his forgettable performance in London with a win over Gashimov. Vallejo Pons also scored a first round win to tie with Short for the lead. The Morozevich - Navara game is postponed until next week.

Round 1 results

Caruana, Fabiano 1/2 Ivanchuk, Vassily
Onischuk, Alexander 1/2 Movsesian, Sergei
Vallejo Pons, Francisco 1-0 Godena, Michele
Short, Nigel 1-0 Gashimov, Vugar
Morozevich - Navara (Postponed)

Official website: http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tablaGeneral.asp?iTorneoIppogrifo=25