Shi Jiazhuang is no.1 Asian Cities 2011

Shi Jiazhuang demonstrate as superior city in Asian Cities 2011, a chess team tournament held in Jakarta over last week. Shi Jiazhuang 石家庄 is an succesful industrial city in the north east of Hebei Province of China.

The team consist of GMs (Yu Yangyi, Li Chao B etc.) going perfect score in 9 round of swiss system. Silver / no.2 spot went to Astana (Kazakstan) and Bronze Tehran. Host Jakarta and Palembang from Indonesia continued as no.5 and 6, with Tagaytay of Philipine (and Wesley So) stand on no.4 prior.

In plain English, top result :
1. Shi Jiazhuang (China)
2. Astana (Kazaks)
3. Tehran (Iran)
4. Tagaytay (Phillipine)
5. Jakarta (Indonesia)
6. Palembang  (Indonesia)
http://www.chess-results.com/tnr48489.aspx?art=0&rd=9&lan=1&wi=1000

Indonesia's surprises result are FM  Hamdani Rudin win over GM Wesley So with black of Sicilian, and Evi Lindiawati (Tarakan team) win versus GM Wang Rui , also as black of Nimzo-Indian.

GM Wesley So - FM Hamdani Rudin

GM Wang Rui - Evi Lindiawati

17th Asian Cities Chess in Jakarta 2011

For up coming week, Jakarta is hosting 17th Asian Cities chess tag team tournament. Top rated team are from China, Philipine, Iran, and Kazahkstan. Quite a colorful composition of cities represent here, from Yangon, Seoul, Kahtmandu, Baghdad to Sidney (lead by IM Gary Lane). GM Wesley So (Tagaytay) looks like the highest rated participant around, followed by Yu Yanyi (Shi Jiazhuang).

'Host' Jakarta is represented by :
Jakarta (RtgAvg:2450)

1. GM Barus Cerdas 2443
2. IM Purnama Tirta Chandra 2404
3. GM Megaranto Susanto 2533
4. IM Lioe Dede 2418
5. FM Novita Anjas 2344

followed by other 'ally' cities :
Palembang (RtgAvg:2349)

1. FM Hamdani Rudin 2368
2. IM Halay Taufik 2346
3. FM Kasmiran 2346
4. IM Tirto 2337 
5. Kaisar Jenius Hakiki 2251

Tarakan (RtgAvg:2134)

1 WGM Sukandar Irine Kharisma 2354
2 WFM Medina Warda Aulia 2035
3 WFM Sihite Chelsie Monica 2039
4 WFM Dewi Aa Citra 1994
5 WCM Lindiawati Evi 2106

Pekanbaru (RtgAvg:1559)

1 WCM Kadek Iin Dwijayanti 1919
2 Trenseno Felica
3 Wita Rahayu
4 Meriatul Qibtiyah 
5 Verdiana Norasya 1915

Palembang and Pekanbaru are cities of Sumatra Island and Tarakan of Eastern Kalimantan (Borneo).

The tournament will be hold till 28th April 2011, on swiss system. Round 1 just ended with full result here.

GM Cerdas Barus First Place in Telin Chess Jakarta

GM Cerdas Barus scored a memorable homeland victory over many strong GMs in the First Telin Chess Tournament, Jakarta first week of April 2011. Starting the event with some luck, facing lower rated opponents till round 4, Cerdas Barus made a convincing victory over GM Zhang Zhong in round 5. For only losing to GM Eugenio Torre and draw with GM Dao Thien Hai, Cerdas Barus awarded first place with 7.5/9.

Indonesia highest rated GM Megaranto Susanto stay to rank #10 with 6.5/9. Final top 10 :

1. GM BARUS CERDAS INA 2443 7.5
2. GM GAGUNASHVILI MERAB GEO 2599 7.0
3. GM DAO THIEN HAI VIE 2507 7.0 
4. GM TORRE EUGENIO PHI 2495 7.0
5. IM LIU DEDE INA 2418 7.0
6. GM ZHANG ZHONG SIN 2592 6.5
7. IM IRWANTO SADIKIN INA 2417 6.5
8. FM WAHONO AWAM INA 2372 6.5
9. IM HALAY TAUFIK INA 2346 6.5
10. GM MEGARANTO SUSANTO INA 2533 6.5

full result. And deluxe report by Chessbase + PGN + exclusive photos

1st Telin Chess International Jakarta

For a very long time, Jakarta is now hosting an International Chess tournament in Jakarta. Surely not an April Fool, the tournament started off in 1st of April in Telkom building Jakarta and consisted of participant no less than GM Merab Gagunashvili GEO 2599 and GM Zhang Zhong SIN 2592, both are resident from Singapore. Indonesian GM Megaranto Susanto is third seed followed by other neighbouring GM, Dao Thien Hai and GM Eugenio Torre. Indonesian masters are well presented with active player such WGM Irene K. Sukandar to senior like GM Herman Suradiradja, other International invitee is WGM Anastasia Karlovich from Ukraine and WIM Dhar Saheli from India.

First round finished will score favoring the top seed and round two pairing is in. See Chess-result here.

Round 1 top boards:

1. GM GAGUNASHVILI MERAB 1 - 0  WIM DHAR SAHELI
2. HUKOM DAVID 0 - 1 GM ZHANG ZHONG
3. GM MEGARANTO SUSANTO 1 - 0 0 SUSANTO ANDREAS
4. WCM LINDIAWATI EVI 0 - 1 0 GM DAO THIEN HAI
5. GM TOREE EUGENIO 1 - 0 HASAN BASRI
6. C.H. KARTINA GERHANA ----- GM BARUA DIBYENDU
7. IM JUSWANTO DENNY 1 - 0 RAHANGIAR JOHAN
8. WFM SIHITE CHELSIE MONICA 0 - 1 GM BARUS CERDAS
9. IM GUNAWAN RONNY 0 - 1 WFM MEDINA WARDA AULIA
10. NICOLAS RAHMAN 0 - 1 IM LIU DEDE

ASIAN ZONE 3.5 CHESS 2011

First qualification for year 2011 World Cup done in Tianjin, China thru Asian Zone 3.5. After 9 rounds of Swiss, Li Chao (B) and Bu Xiangzhi were qualified. Li Chao played Gashimov in third round of 2009 World Cup, only sillily lost due to failed to sit in front of chess board seconds after the game started, the reason: he was smoking with fellow chess player. Bu Xiangzhi was also qualified in World Cup 2009 but didn't played because of conflict schedule (to London Chess Classic).

In Woman qualification (for Woman World Cup, 2012), Ju Wenjun and Shen Yang secured the tickets. Ju Wenjun once again prove be strongest in among the Chinese girls, the result consistent with her 2010 Women Chinese  Champion. Shen Yang is exactly the winner of previous year. So this Chinese Asian qualification resulting in the best player picked.

Chess result link, Male and Female. No link on the World Cup itself.

A clash between Shen Yang vs Ju Wenjun :

Levon Aronian Won Amber 2011

Levon Aronian finished the Amber 2011 event on 15.5/22 a point clear of Magnus Carlsen. This is to be his third first prize for this tournament, already won this in 2008 and  2009. He was undefeated in Blindfold section, while Magnus Carlsen coming second and top the score in Rapid section. This session of Amber Chess sadly the last of the franchise, meaning next year it would be no more (or hopefully changed into another name....). Nakamura finished in middle board, ahead of Kramnik, Topalov etc. Anish Giri is the one in the worst shape and ended last.

Final table as appear in TWIC
Combined :
1. Levon Aronian - 15.5
2. Magnus Carlsen - 14.5
3. Vishy Anand - 13
4. Vassily Ivanchuck - 11
5. Alexander Grischuk - 11
6. Hikaru Nakamura - 10.5
7. Boris Gelfand - 10.5
8. Veselin Topalov - 10.5
9. Vugar Gashimov - 10.5
10. Sergey Karjakin - 10
11. Vlad Kramnik - 8
12. Anish Giri - 7

Hou Yifan vs Koneru Humpy part II - Women Chess GP Final Standing

In the light of dissapointment of seeing a new pair of Women World Championship duel alike Hou vs Kosintseva or Dzagnidze or else, it is Koneru Humpy who get the other shoot of the World Champion title. The story went like this, in the last round of Doha GP, Elina Danielin who need a win to secure first place only went for a draw and secure her breakthrough first place ... tied.

Marie Sebag who also got a chance, got crushed in Sicilian defence by black side played by Munguntuul, and the last variable need by Humpy was, her needed win and she did it, against Qatar resident GM Zhu Chen. So that concluded the Doha GP and Zhu Chen just put her Chinese comrade Hou Yifan in the greatest danger for her title. Humpy is the reign power in Women chess right now, being top in elo rating for most of the girls (women included...).

We'll see this match to happened only if there will be no drama in the future, Humpy is known to have some miss communication with India fed for sometime, Hou, will always supported by Chinese fed.

Final FIDE Women Grand Prix standing: