Wojtaszek decides the torunament in his favour
The last round of the Biel Grandmaster Triathlon promised excitement, as three players still had a chance to win the title - without facing each other directly. However, Radoslaw Wojtaszek did not let his position at the top be taken away from him and defeated Noël Studer, even though the Swiss did not make his task easy today. The Polish grandmaster showed an impressive tournament in Biel: he won both the Blitz and, to his surprise, the Rapid games without a single defeat. The only remaining flaw was his defeat in the top match of the tournament in the classic game against Pentala Harikrishna - but it was to remain his only one. In an interview after his tournament victory, he emphasised once again how important it was for him to be able to play normally again. Nevertheless he then rated his victory on a par with his victories at the tournaments of Dortmund and the Isle of Man.
Harikrishna and Adams secure second and third place
Pentala Harikrishna and Mickey Adams also played their games today victoriously, securing second and third place in the tournament. Harikrishna won for the second time within three days with the black pieces, today against David Antón Guijarro. He finishes the tournament with the smallest possible gap of half a point behind Wojtaszek, a gap he has caused with a disappointing performance in the Blitz games.
Mickey Adams was satisfied with his third place, just a meagre 1½ points behind the leader. The British champion finished a strong tournament with a victory over Arkadij Naiditsch.
The big surprise of the tournament, Vincent Keymer, had to put up with a small damper at the end. He lost his match today against Romain Édouard, who thanks to this victory was able to hand over the red lantern to Noël Studer. Nevertheless, Keymer can look back on a strong tournament, which the 15-year-old finished in fourth place with a clear lead over Arkadij Naiditsch.
Final Ranking GMT
|
Rank |
Name |
Games |
Classical |
Rapid |
Blitz |
Total |
|
1 |
GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek |
28 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
37 |
|
2 |
GM Pentala Harikrishna |
28 |
20.5 |
10 |
6 |
36.5 |
|
3 |
GM Michael Adams |
28 |
16.5 |
8 |
11 |
35.5 |
|
4 |
GM Vincent Keymer |
28 |
13.5 |
10 |
4.5 |
28 |
|
5 |
GM Arkadij Naiditsch |
28 |
11 |
5 |
6.5 |
22.5 |
|
6 |
GM David Antón Guijarro |
28 |
9.5 |
4 |
8.5 |
22 |
|
7 |
GM Romain Édouard |
28 |
10 |
4 |
3.5 |
17.5 |
|
8 |
GM Noël Studer |
28 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
15 |
Organizers satisfied with the course of the festival
The organizing committee draws a positive conclusion after the end of the festival. From an organisational point of view, the pandemic-related requirements led to various additional expenses, but as things stand today, it can be concluded that the measures taken have proved their worth and could serve as a model for other organizers around the world. Thanks to the decision to hold the festival, "we were able to offer chess to the world, and it was noticed all over the world and associated with the name Biel/Bienne", as Peter Bohnenblust, president of the organizing committee summed up.
From a sporting point of view, the triathlon format has proved its worth and is appreciated by the players. The fact that 4 points are awarded for a victory, with only 1½ in the case of a draw, has ensured exciting games. Only ten of the 28 classic games ended in a draw, and in the last five rounds only five of them! General secretary Paul Kohler was very satisfied with the tournament and is convinced that the triathlon format is an enrichment for the chess sport.
Christian Bauer wins the Special Corona Amateur Tournament
After nine rounds of play, the Corona main tournament also ended today. The French Grandmaster Christian Bauer, who started the tournament as the best-ranked player (Elo 2623) and was the favourite, did justice to his role. With only two draws he scored 8 of 9 possible points. Close on his heels, only half a point behind, follow two Germans: FM Frank Buchenau and IM Gerlef Meins. The two best Swiss, FM Noah Fecker and IM Fabian Baenziger, scored 6½ points, which means 8th and 9th place overall.
The team competition was won by the German "Team 150", consisting of GM Sebastian Siebrecht, IM Gerlef Meins and FM Frank Buchenau. With 21½ points, they were able to gain a small lead over the team "Charmois" (20 points) and the team "La Jeune Équipe" (18½ points).
Swiss youth champions crowned
The little ones also had their big day today in Biel: After four days and seven rounds, the Swiss Youth Championship in Chess also ended today. In the four categories U16, U14, U12 and U10, the country's best were crowned. The new Swiss youth champions are: Niels Stijve (U16), Raphael Erne (U14), Julius Scherler (U12) and Mikhail Akinkhov (U10). Congratulations!
Podium U16: 1. Niels Stijve (Payerne) 6½ pt; 2. Jannik Bounlom (Aadorf) 5½ pt; 3. Deyan Samuil Kostov (BUL, Genève Club) 4½ pt
Podium U14: 1. Raphael Erne (Neuchâtel CE) 5½ pt; 2. Steve Papaux (Echallens) 5 pt; 3. Matteo Jaggy (DSSP) 5 pt
Podium U12: 1. Julius Scherler (Zürich Réti ASK) 5½ pt; 2. Matthias Mattenberger (DSSP) 5 pt; 3. Raphael Gut (DSSP) 5 pt
Podium U10: 1. Mikhail Akinkhov (DSSP) 6 pt; 2. Colin Federer (Zürich Chess4kids) 5½ pt; 3. Dominik Mattenberger (DSSP) 5 pt
Pictures of the Biel International Chess Festival are available under the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143150736@N02/albums