 Corus Final-4: Europe vs. South America
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We're set for an intriguing Europe vs. South America all-grandmaster final four of the Corus tournament this weekend on the Internet Chess Club - a unique satellite qualifier for the 2009 'C' Group in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands.
Last week's event started with 16-players - selected by Corus, in consultation with ICC - from around the globe, fighting it out in an online rapid knockout tournament. And that field has now been whittled down to the final-4 of GM Eduardo Iturrizaga (Venezuela) vs. GM Georg Meier (Germany) and GM Ivan Salgado (Spain) vs. GM Alexander Fier (Brazil).
Play gets underway November 8th & 9th (starting at 10am Eastern Time - 4pm CET), with the winner receiving the Corus 'C' Group invite, a round-trip ticket to Wijk aan Zee, Hotel & Breakfast plus $1,300 (1,000 Euro).
Players will play a two-game rapid (25 min + 5 sec) match and, if needed, a tiebreaker of two-game blitz (5 min + 1 sec) and deciding armageddon game. And to ensure fair-play for all, at each location and for each match, an independent "proctor" will be in place to oversee the proceedings, many of whom being national chess officials, international arbiters, national arbiters and ICC administrators.
For further information of the tournament and the pairings, click here.
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1/8 FINAL |
1/4 FINAL |
1/2 FINAL |
FINAL |
1
16
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GM Alexander Fier (BRA, 2581) 1.5
FM Graham Morrison (SCO, 2328) 0.5
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GM Fier 1.5
IM Mekhitarian 0.5 |
GM Fier
GM Salgado |
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8
9
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IM Manuel Rodriguez (CUB, 2521) 0
IM Sevak Mekhitarian (BRA, 2511) 2.5
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5
12
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GM Ivan Salgado (ESP, 2556) 2.5
FM Anish Giri (RUS, 2466) 1.5
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GM Salgado 1.5
GM Bluvshtein 0.5 |
4
13
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GM Mark Bluvshtein (CAN, 2557)
IM Robert Ris (NED, 2417)
bye/no-show
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3
14
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GM Georg Meier (GER, 2558)
FM Marcus Santo (BRA, 2394)
bye/no-show
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GM Meier 1.5
IM Robson 0.5 |
GM Meier
GM Iturrizaga |
6
11
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IM Sanan Sjugirov (RUS, 2549) 2.0
IM Ray Robson (USA, 2466) 3.0
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7
10
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GM Eduardo Iturrizaga (VEN, 2538)
IM David Smerdon (AUS, 2470)
bye/no-show
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GM Iturrizaga 3.0
GM Safarli 1.0 |
2
15
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GM Eltaj Safarli (AZE, 2568) 2.0
WGM Dagne Ciuskytev (ENG, 2339) 0
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Corus A Group - The Field of Dreams
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The eagerly-awaited announcement of the participants for the Corus A Group has just been released, and Norwegian teenage sensation, Magnus Carlsen, is joined by "old hands" Alexander Morozevich (Russia) and Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) as top seeds for the 71st edition, which runs from Friday, January 16th to Sunday, February 1st, 2009 in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands.
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Carlsen won the jubilee event earlier in the year in January along with the Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian, who also returns as one of the main seeds.
Five players will make their debut in the A-group: the young Dutch grandmasters Jan Smeets and Daniel Stellwagen, the sensational Wang Yue from China, who climbed up to the 11th place on the latest world ranking list, the winner of Grandmastergroup B in 2008, Sergei Movsesian, and the flamboyant grandmaster Leinier Dominguez from Cuba (ranked 21st on the FIDE October rating list).
The complete field in the Grandmaster group A:
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Alexander Morozevich (Rusland, 2) |
2787 |
1977 |
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Vassily Ivanchuk (Oekraïne, 3) |
2786 |
1969 |
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Magnus Carlsen (Noorwegen, 4) |
2786 |
1990 |
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Levon Aronian (Armenië, 7) |
2757 |
1982 |
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Teymour Radjabov (Azerbeidjan, 8) |
2751 |
1987 |
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Wang Yue (China, 11) |
2736 |
1987 |
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Michael Adams (Engeland, 12) |
2734 |
1971 |
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Sergei Movsesian (Slowakije, 13) |
2732 |
1978 |
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Sergei Karjakin (Oekraïne, 15) |
2730 |
1990 |
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Gata Kamsky (Verenigde Staten, 16) |
2729 |
1974 |
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Leinier Dominguez (Cuba, 21) |
2719 |
1983 |
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Loek van Wely (Nederland) |
2618 |
1972 |
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Daniel Stellwagen (Nederland) |
2605 |
1987 |
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Jan Smeets (Nederland) |
2604 |
1985 |
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Average rating: 2719
Category: 19
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Mondays: GM Ronen Har-Zvi's
"Unusual Queen Pawn
Openings"
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In his
“New Ideas in....” regular
video series for ICC Chess.FM,
GM Ronen
Har-Zvi investigates
the latest developments and
trends in those downright
annoying and unusual Queen Pawn
openings that avoid the main
battle-lines with 2 c4.
Are you searching for a
quick-fix against the
Colle-Zukertort, Torre Attack,
London System, QB Attack with 2
Bg5, Stonewall Attack or
perhaps the King's Fianchetto
Attack with 1 d4 2 Nf3 3 g3
(without c4)? Then look no
further as Ronen gives you an
easy-to-play antidote to all
those annoying 1 d4
openings.
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
Part 3 |
Part 4 |
Part 5 |
Part 6 |
Part 7 |
Part 8 | Part 9 |
Part 10 |
Part 11
To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!
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Tuesdays: Chess Talk with
IM John Watson
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 Tune-in for
Chess Talk with IM John Watson on
ICC Chess.FM. John's weekly
60+ minute show will feature an
interview with leading chess
personalities. All shows run on
demand for members after
airing.
This week (Tue., Nov.4), joining John is author and two-time Danish champion, GM Lars Bo Hansen. His many tournament victories include first prize in the strong Copenhagen Open in both 1997 and 2000. Lars also represented his country in four Olympiads, winning a bronze medal for his individual performance in 1990.
Away from the board, he teaches and lectures on business studies, with a particular focus on marketing, organization and strategy. These are skills that shine through in two of his instructive and acclaimed chess books for Gambit Publications: Foundations of Chess Strategy and How Chess Games are Won and Lost.
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Wednesdays: Attack with
LarryC!
 New at ICC Chess.FM -
Attack With LarryC! A
weekly 30 min+ show on
Wednesdays at 15:00
EDT (and available on-demand
thereafter for members), featuring
three-time U.S. Champion Larry
Christiansen, one of the most dangerous
and respected attacking players of his
generation.
Larry is a feared
competitor and attacker who authored
two popular books that showcase his
aggressive style: Storming the
Barricades and Rocking the
Ramparts. And each week on his
show, Larry will feature various
attacking motifs and themes and showing
you how best to play for mate.
Click "Play Video" for a
free 5 minute preview of Larry's latest
video. By popular demand from members,
we are now archiving previous
Attack with LarryC shows. This
video is just one of the many benefits
of being a full member of ICC. To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!
Thursdays: Ask the
Renaissance Man
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Tune-in
for "Ask the
Renaissance Man" with
National Master Dan
Heisman every Thursday
at 21:00 EDT. You send in the
questions and Dan provides the
answers every week on his
Q&A show. Questions on
tournament rules, opening play,
chess books, chess politics,
current events, and more!
Click "Play
Video" for a free 5 minute
preview of Dan's latest show.
To listen to the full show,
sign up for
membership!
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And this week for
non-members, you can listen to the full
show for free by clicking here. To listen to all the shows in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!
Thursdays: Boris Alterman's
Gambit Guide
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In his
weekly video lecture series for
ICC, Boris Alterman's
Gambit Guide, Boris
investigates gambits old and
new and show that, while some
may not be actively played on
the grandmaster circuit these
days, they are all exciting to
play and at the same time
instructive as they teach us
all about natural development
of the pieces and tactics in
chess. GM Boris Alterman has
just opened his official
blog where, among other
things, he'll be discussing
some of his choices for his
Gambit Guide.
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Latest Show
Previews:
Albin Countergambit Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Central Attack Philidor Defence Part 1
Part 2
To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today!
Israeli GM Boris
Alterman is best known as a
leading chess advisor for the
multi-title winning chess software
program (Deep) Junior, where he
specialized in developing its opening
book.
Fridays: GM Joel Benjamin
"Game of the Week"
 Three-time U.S.
Champion GM Joel
Benjamin starts his weekly
show every Friday at 15:00 Server Time.
Click "Play Video" for a
free 5 minute preview of Joel's latest
show. To listen to the full show,
sign up for
membership!
Joel is regarded
by many as one of the best commentators
and analysts' we have in the game
today, and each Friday he will be
giving us his insight and spin with his
selection of Game of the Week.
This
not-to-be-missed weekly video series is
exclusive for ICC members only. To view all the videos in full, sign-up for your free trial membership today! By popular demand and
requests from members, ALL of Joel Benjamin's
GOTW videos are available.
Enjoy!
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Roman's Lab 62: Russian School of Chess Part 1
In Volume 62:
Formula for How to Develop Your Pieces Properly for Future Activity and Piece Coordination
This is one of the most instructional DVD series Roman has ever produced and is highly recommended for all players as well as coaches. The Russian School of Chess has produced some of the greatest players of all time through a formula of methods and patterns. On Volume One Roman will explain step by step how to develop your pieces for the best possible future activity and coordination. These proven ideas and methods will bring instant and long term improvement to your game.
Over one hour of instructional video.
Price:
$19.95 -
 Buy
now!
Roman's Lab 64: Russian School of Chess Part 3
In Volume 64:
Initiating Positional Sacrifices, Squeezes & Overwhelming Attacks
This is one of the most instructional DVD series Roman has ever produced and is highly recommended for all players as well as coaches.
The Russian School of Chess has produced some of the greatest players of all time through a formula of methods and patterns.
Over one hour of instructional video.
Price:
$19.95 -
Buy
now!
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Roman's Lab 63: Russian School of Chess Part 2
In Volume 63:
Revisiting the Fundamental Principles of Chess
This is one of the most instructional DVD series Roman has ever produced and is highly recommended for all players as well as coaches.
The Russian School of Chess has produced some of the greatest players of all time through a formula of methods and patterns. On Volume Two Roman covers step by step the fundamental principles of the Russian School of Chess. These proven ideas and methods will bring instant and long term improvement to your game.
Over one hour of instructional video.
Price:
$19.95 -
Buy
now!
My 60 Memorable Games - Bobby Fischer
A rare window into
the mind of a chess icon, My 60
Memorable Games is perhaps the
most inspirational and
influential chess book ever
written.
First published in
1969, it contains Bobby
Fischer's objective, honest and
self-critical annotations to
games he had won, drawn and
even lost in the period from
1957 to 1967 but from which he
had also learned valuable
lessons.
In contrast with the previous
edition of this book, no
alterations have been made to
the text other than the
conversion of moves into
algebraic notation, making this
an updated yet accurate
reflection of the original
book.
Now Shipping!
Price:
$32.95 -
Buy
now!
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