2013 Wijk aan Zee

Standings after R9 (Group A):

75th Tata Steel GpA Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2013																cat. XX (2732)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2861	*	½	½	.	1	1	½	½	1	.	.	.	1	1	7	2943
2.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2772	½	*	1	½	½	.	½	1	1	.	½	.	½	.	6	2870
3.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2802	½	0	*	.	½	½	1	.	½	.	.	½	1	1	5½	2793
4.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2769	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	.	½	1	½	½	½	1	5½	2783
5.	Harikrishna, Pentala	g	IND	2698	0	½	½	.	*	½	½	½	1	.	1	.	½	.	5	2797
6.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	RUS	2780	0	.	½	½	½	*	.	½	.	1	½	½	.	1	5	2777
7.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2735	½	½	0	½	½	.	*	1	.	½	½	½	.	.	4½	2753
8.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2781	½	0	.	.	½	½	0	*	.	½	.	1	1	½	4½	2721
9.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2679	0	0	½	½	0	.	.	.	*	1	.	1	1	½	4½	2727
10.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2752	.	.	.	0	.	0	½	½	0	*	½	1	½	1	4	2663
11.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2720	.	½	.	½	0	½	½	.	.	½	*	½	½	0	3½	2631
12.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2627	.	.	½	½	.	½	½	0	0	0	½	*	.	½	3	2610
13.	Sokolov, Ivan	g	NED	2663	0	½	0	½	½	.	.	0	0	½	½	.	*	.	2½	2593
14.	Hou, Yifan	g	CHN	2603	0	.	0	0	.	0	.	½	½	0	1	½	.	*	2½	2586

Group B had no female players, therefore not relevant.

75th Tata Steel GpC Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2013																cat. X (2476)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Brunello, Sabino	g	ITA	2572	*	½	½	1	1	1	.	½	1	.	.	1	.	1	7½	2751
2.	Peralta, Fernando	g	ARG	2617	½	*	1	.	½	.	½	1	1	.	.	1	½	1	7	2684
3.	Swinkels, Robin	g	NED	2508	½	0	*	.	½	½	.	½	½	.	.	1	1	1	5½	2566
4.	Klein, David	m	NED	2445	0	.	.	*	1	.	½	0	1	1	0	.	1	1	5½	2536
5.	Mekhitarian, Krikor Sevag	g	BRA	2543	0	½	½	0	*	½	1	.	.	½	1	.	.	1	5	2526
6.	Kovchan, Alexander	g	UKR	2579	0	.	½	.	½	*	½	1	½	½	.	.	½	1	5	2520
7.	Burg, Twan	m	NED	2492	.	½	.	½	0	½	*	.	0	1	½	½	1	.	4½	2488
8.	Bitensky, Igor	m	ISR	2400	½	0	½	1	.	0	.	*	.	½	½	1	.	0	4	2430
9.	Gretarsson, Hjorvar Steinn	m	ISL	2516	0	0	½	0	.	½	1	.	*	1	½	.	½	.	4	2457
10.	Romanishin, Oleg M	g	UKR	2521	.	.	.	0	½	½	0	½	0	*	1	½	1	.	4	2417
11.	Admiraal, Miguoel	f	NED	2321	.	.	.	1	0	.	½	½	½	0	*	0	½	½	3½	2371
12.	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	wg	RUS	2402	0	0	0	.	.	.	½	0	.	½	1	*	½	½	3	2339
13.	Van Der Werf, Mark	m	NED	2450	.	½	0	0	.	½	0	.	½	0	½	½	*	.	2½	2323
14.	Schut, Lisa	wm	NED	2295	0	0	0	0	0	0	.	1	.	.	½	½	.	*	2	2267

What I do not understand is how the organizers, who have in prior years hosted several strong female players in the B and C groups, failed so miserably this time around.  I mean - really?  Yeah, I get that they want to feature players from the home country.  Okay, but NO FEMALE PLAYERS IN GROUP B?  One female player in Group C rated 2402 when there are dozens to choose from in the wider world rated 2500 and above, who would surely be more competitive.  And Hou Yivan for Group A?  What?  GM Antoneta Stefanova would give a better result in the A Group, for one!  Geez.  Wonder what went on.  Was it a matter of money?  Did they not offer enough up front to the best female players in the world to make it worthwhile for them to come to Wijk aan Zee?  Was it, instead, a deliberate decision to shut out the best female players and set up the THREE that are playing for total, abject failure? 

I won't be covering the rest of this event.  I mean, I only care about the female players and the tournament the organizers put together this year that used to feature top female players is just - bullshit!