2009 Corus - Final Standings

All I can say is - WOW! Caruana and So ruled the day. Final Standings: Group B: 1. F. Caruana 8½ 2. N. Short, A. Motylev, R. Kasimdzhanov 8 5. A. Volokitin, F. Vallejo Pons 7½ 7. Z. Efimenko 7 8. D. Navara 6½ 9. Y. Hou, D. Reinderman 6 11. E. l'Ami 5½ 12. H. Mecking 4½ 13. K. Sasikiran, J. Werle 4 Group C: 1. W. So 9½ 2. T. Hillarp Persson, A. Giri 8½ 4. D. Howell, A. Gupta 7½ 6. F. Holzke 6½ 7. D. Harika 6 8. F. Nijboer, E. Iturrizaga, A. Bitalzadeh, M. Bosboom, R. Pruijssers 5½ 13. M. Leon Hoyos 5 14. O. Romanishin 4½

2009 Corus Update

Standings after Round 12: Group B: 1. N. Short, R. Kasimdzhanov 8 3. A. Volokitin, F. Caruana 7½ 5. A. Motylev 7 6. F. Vallejo Pons 6½ 7. D. Navara, Z. Efimenko 6 9. Y. Hou, D. Reinderman 5½ 11. E. l'Ami 5 12. K. Sasikiran, H. Mecking 4 14. J. Werle 3½ Group C: 1. W. So 9 2. A. Giri 8 3. T. Hillarp Persson 7½ 4. D. Howell 7 5. A. Gupta 6½ 6. F. Holzke 6 7. F. Nijboer, D. Harika, M. Bosboom, R. Pruijssers 5½ 11. M. Leon Hoyos 5 12. E. Iturrizaga, A. Bitalzadeh 4½ 14. O. Romanishin 4 Susan Polgar has been following the final round today and reported at her blog that Wesley So won Corus C!!! Also, he's going to be taking part in her prestigious SPICE Cup in September, 2009. Chessdom reports that Anish Giri, another 14 year old wiz kid, earned his 3rd GM norm with a Round 13 victory over Iturizzaga!

2009 Corus Update

Standings after Round 11: Group B: 1. N. Short 7½ 2. F. Caruana, R. Kasimdzhanov 7 4. A. Volokitin, A. Motylev, F. Vallejo Pons 6½ 7. D. Navara 6 8. Z. Efimenko 5½ 9. D. Reinderman, E. l'Ami 5 11. Y. Hou 4½ 12. H. Mecking, J. Werle 3½ 14. K. Sasikiran 3 Group C: 1. W. So 8 2. T. Hillarp Persson 7½ 3. A. Giri 7 4. D. Howell, F. Holzke 6 6. A. Gupta, D. Harika, M. Bosboom 5½ 9. M. Leon Hoyos 5 10. F. Nijboer, E. Iturrizaga, A. Bitalzadeh, R. Pruijssers 4½ 14. O. Romanishin 3 Wow - young chess dudes Caruana and So are showing people how it's done! I'm also - frankly - amazed and pleased with Nigel Short's resurgence over the past year or so - at one time I thought he was an also ran but Short's play (and results) have shown either a grim determination to make it back into the elite ranks, or a renewed love of and fire for playing chess, and maybe both.

Corus 2009 Update

Group B standings after Round 10: 1. N. Short 6½ 2. A. Volokitin, A. Motylev, D. Navara, F. Caruana, R. Kasimdzhanov 6 7. Z. Efimenko, F. Vallejo Pons 5½ 9. E. l'Ami 5 10. Y. Hou, D. Reinderman 4 12. H. Mecking 3½ 13. K. Sasikiran, J. Werle 3 Group C standings after Round 10: 1. T. Hillarp Persson 7½ 2. W. So 7 3. A. Giri 6 4. D. Howell, A. Gupta, D. Harika, F. Holzke, M. Bosboom 5½ 9. E. Iturrizaga 4½ 10. M. Leon Hoyos 4 11. F. Nijboer, A. Bitalzadeh, R. Pruijssers 3½ 14. O. Romanishin 3 According to this story (I read it at Susan Polgar's blog), Dronavalli could score a GM norm - that would be wonderful!

2009 Corus Update

Round 8 Results: Group B: Y. Hou - D. Navara ½-½ Group C: M. Bosboom - D. Harika ½-½ Standings after Round 8: Group B: 1. N. Short 5½ 2. A. Volokitin, A. Motylev 5 4. D. Navara, F. Caruana, F. Vallejo Pons, R. Kasimdzhanov 4½ 8. Z. Efimenko, E. l'Ami 4 10. Y. Hou, K. Sasikiran, D. Reinderman, J. Werle 3 14. H. Mecking 2½ Group C: 1. T. Hillarp Persson 6 2. W. So 5 3. D. Howell, A. Gupta, F. Holzke, M. Bosboom 4½ 7. A. Giri, D. Harika 4 9. F. Nijboer, A. Bitalzadeh, R. Pruijssers 3½ 12. O. Romanishin, M. Leon Hoyos 3 14. E. Iturrizaga 2½

2009 Corus Update

Results Round 7: Group B: A. Motylev - Y. Hou 1-0 Group C: D. Harika - E. Iturrizaga ½-½ Standings After Round 7: Group B: 1. N. Short 5 2. A. Volokitin, A. Motylev, F. Caruana 4½ 5. D. Navara, Z. Efimenko, R. Kasimdzhanov 4 8. F. Vallejo Pons 3½ 9. E. l'Ami 3 10. Y. Hou, K. Sasikiran, D. Reinderman, J. Werle 2½ 14. H. Mecking 2 Group C: 1. T. Hillarp Persson, W. So 5 3. A. Gupta 4½ 4. M. Bosboom 4 5. D. Howell, D. Harika, F. Holzke, A. Bitalzadeh 3½ 9. O. Romanishin, A. Giri, M. Leon Hoyo 3 12. F. Nijboer, E. Iturrizaga, R. Pruijssers 2½

2009 Corus

Round 4 Results: Group B: Y. Hou - N. Short ½-½ Group C: R. Pruijssers - D. Harika ½-½ Standings after Round 4: Group B: 1. N. Short, F. Caruana,R. Kasimdzhanov 3 4. D. Navara, F. Vallejo Pons 2½ 6. D. Reinderman, A. Volokitin, A. Motylev, Z. Efimenko 2 10. Y. Hou, J. Werle, E. l'Ami 1½ 13. K. Sasikiran 1 14. H. Mecking ½ Group C: 1. T. Hillarp Persson, M. Bosboom 3 3. E. Iturrizaga, A. Bitalzadeh, W. So 2½ 6. D. Howell, O. Romanishin, A. Giri, D. Harika, R. Pruijssers 2 11. A. GuptaF. Holzke 1½ 13. M. Leon Hoyos 1 14. F. Nijboer ½

2009 Corus Update

Round 3 results, not a good day for the chess femmes: Group B: D. Reinderman - Y. Hou 1-0 Group C: M. Leon Hoyos - D. Harika 1-0 Standings after Round 3: Group B: 1. N. Short, D. Navara, R. Kasimdzhanov 2½ 4. F. Caruana 2 5. D. Reinderman, A. Volokitin, Z. Efimenko, J. Werle, F. Vallejo Pons 1½ 10. Y. Hou, A. Motylev, E. l'Ami 1 13. K. Sasikiran, H. Mecking 1/2 Group C: 1. E. Iturrizaga, M. Bosboom 2½ 3. T. Hillarp Persson, O. Romanishin, W. So 2 6. A. Giri, D. Harika, A. Bitalzadeh, R. Pruijssers 1½ 10. D. Howell, A. Gupta, M. Leon Hoyos 1 13. F. Nijboer, F. Holzke ½

2009 Corus Update

Updating Round 1 results for Hou Yifan yesterday: GM Yifan Hou (2571) - GM Kasimdzhanov (2687) [C92]Corus, 17.01.20091.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Re8 10.d4 Bb7 11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Nf3 Re8 13.Ng5 Rf8 14.Nf3 Re8 15.a4 h6 16.Nbd2 Bf8 17.Bc2 exd4 18.cxd4 Nb4 19.Bb1 c5 20.d5 Nd7 21.Ra3 c4 22.Nd4 Qf6 23.N2f3 Nc5 24.axb5 axb5 25.Nxb5 Rxa3 26.Nxa3 Ba6 27.Re3 Rb8 28.Rc3 Nbd3 29.Bxd3 cxd3 30.Be3 Nxe4 31.Rc6 Ra8 32.Qa4 d2 33.Nxd2 Nxd2 34.Rxa6 Qxb2 35.Bxd2 Rxa6 36.Qxa6 Qxd2 37.Qc4 Qd1+ 38.Kh2 Qe1 39.Qd4 g6 40.Nc4 Qe2 41.Nd2 Bg7 42.Qe3 Qd1 43.g3 Kh7 44.Qf4 Kg8 45.Qe3 h5 46.h4 Be5 47.Qg5 Kg7 48.Qe3 Bf6 49.Qf4 Be5 50.Qe3 Kf8 51.Qg5 Kg8 52.Ne4 Qd4 53.Qe3 Qxd5 54.Ng5 Kg7 55.Nf3 Bf6 56.Kg2 Qc6 57.Qd3 d5 58.Kf1 Kf8 59.Qa3+ Kg7 60.Qd3 Qc5 61.Ne1 Qc4 62.Ke2 Bd4 63.Qxc4 dxc4 64.Nf3 Ba7 65.Nd2 c3 66.Ne4 c2 67.Kd2 f5 68.Nc3 Bxf2 69.Ne2 f4 70.gxf4 Kf6 71.Kxc2 Kf5 72.Kd3 Kg4 73.Ke4 Bxh4 74.Nd4 Bf2 75.Nf3 h4 76.Ne5+ Kg3 77.f5 h3 Black wins 0–1 Round 2 results: Group B: Y. Hou - K. Sasikiran 1-0 Group C: D. Harika - E. Iturrizaga ½-½ Susan Polgar is featuring live commentary/analysis on some of the Corus games at her blog. Standings after Round 2 (Groups B and C only): Group B: 1. N. Short, D. Navara, Z. Efimenko, F. Caruana, R. Kasimdzhanov 1½ 6. Y. Hou, A. Volokitin, J. Werle, F. Vallejo Pons, E. l'Ami 1 11.K. Sasikiran, D. Reinderman, A. Motylev ½ 14.H. Mecking 0 Group C: 1. M. Bosboom 2 2. T. Hillarp Persson, O. Romanishin, E. Iturrizaga, D. Harika, W. So, R. Pruijssers 1½ 8. A. Giri, A. Gupta 1 10.F. Holzke, A. Bitalzadeh ½ 12.D. Howell, F. Nijboer, M. Leon Hoyos 0

Corus 2009

This excellent chess event has expanded and increased its lustre over the 11 years I've been following chess events online. This year there is no female player in Group A (the elite group), but in Group B WGM Hou Yifan of China (2571) and in Group C IM Harika Dronavalli (IND 2473) are playing against the chess dudes. Round 1 is played today: H. Yifan - R. Kasimdzhanov (no results as of the time of this post) A. Gupta - D. Harika 0-1 Yeaaaaahhhhh! Dronavalli has won her game, but at the expense of her fellow countryman!