Six rounds are over in the tournament F – the RSSU School Champions’ Cup. We should remind you that the competitions are held in four age groups (for boys and girls) and constitute the qualification to the 2016 World School Chess Championship (Sousse, Tunisia, April 30 – May 8, 2016).

In the group of U9 Boys Gleb Pidluzhny (Klaipeda, Lithuania) has suffered no losses so far. Egor Yaurov (Voronezh), Denis Grunin (Korolev) and Vladislav Dudarev (Novosibirsk) are half a step behind the leader.

Each of Ayaulym Kaldarova (Shymkent, Kazakhstan), Diana Satpaeva (Astana, Kazakhstan), Alexandra Shvedova (Moscow) and Daria Zaytseva (Dolgoprudny) scored 5 points in the same age group of the girls’ tournament. 

The side activities’ program within the frames of the 2016 Moscow Open RSSU Cup started together with the competitions themselves. In the first three days the honored coach of the USSR Alexander Nikitin ran the FIDE coaching clinic. The day before a three-day refereeing clinic was opened by the FIDE lecturer, international referee Alexander Tkachev. The official website correspondent Eteri Kublashvili met a famous specialist.

- Alexander, what’s the main subject of the present refereeing clinic?
- Let’s say, the problem of cheating and the discussion of the anti-cheating rules run all through this clinic. 

The main tournaments of the 2016 Moscow Open RSSU Cup have aprroached their equator. We should remind you that these tournaments are held according to the Swiss system in 9 rounds. 

Three chess players still have a 100% result in the Men’s Cup of Russia stage. They are Urii Eliseev (Moscow), Vasiliy Korchmar (Saratov) and Oleg Ivanov (Ukraine). Thirteen participants scored 3,5 points, including the main favorites of the tournament Anton Korobov (Ukraine), Ernesto Inakirev (Moscow), Vladislav Artemiev (Omsk) and Dmitry Kokarev (Penza).

15-year-old Alexandra Obolentseva (Moscow) and experienced Tatjana Vasilevich (Evpatoria) are leading in the Women’s Cup of Russia stage, both scored 4 points. 

The permanent commentator of the festival GM Alexander Kalinin will continue to get us acquinted with the most interesting games of every round, according to his opinion.

- The tournament is in progress, and the favorites start to face serious resistence. For instance, the triumphant of the last Moscow Open GM Ernesto Inakirev was lucky to avoid the loss in another scheduled round – in the game against the young Moscow master Maksim Vavulin.

And nothing could help the player ranked higher in the game, we offer to your attention.

More than 70 chess players take part in the Men’s Student RSSU Cup held under the umbrella of the National Student Chess League. Today the games of the Round 5 have been played in the tournament.

Four participants show the best results – 4,5 of 5 possible points – in the personal event: FIDE master Danila Sutormin (Far Eastern Federal University, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), Ruslan Pahomov (North Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk), Bibek Thing (Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia-2, Moscow) and Alexej Lojko (Belgorod State Technological University, Belgorod).

Ramirez Lennis Martinez started the Moscow Open tournament with two victories, and attracted our attention immediately. The chess player from distant Cuba answered the questions of the official website correspondent Eteri Kublashvili.  

- Ramirez, why did you decide to come to Moscow and play in the RSSU Cup?
- I’ve received an invitation from the organizers and that’s why I’m here. It is a challenge for me to play against strong Russian players and I’m very glad to have this experience.

- Is it your first time here, in Moscow?
- Yes, it is.

Russian Student Chess League, Moscow Chess Federation and the Russian State Social University invite students to participate in RSSU Blitz championship among students, which will be held 4th February (Thursday) within the frameworks of the Moscow Open Chess Festival. The prize fund is 100 000 rubles.

To participate in the competition students should have up to 2300 points FIDE rating. To be admitted to the tournament an official paper from the university must be provided.
Tournament will be held from 4 to 4.45 p.m. in room 418 in the 4th building of RSSU (Vilgelm Pik st.,4.). The games starts at 5.p.m.

Please note that not only RSSU Moscow Open Cup members but also every interested student can participate in the event.

The participants of the four main tournaments held within the frames of the 12th RSSU 2016 Moscow Open Cup have passed a third of the distance. None of the tournaments has a sole leader so far.

11 chess players scored 3 points in the Moscow Open Men’s Cup of Russia stage, including a number of the ranking favorites – Anton Korobov (Ukraine), Vladislav Artemiev (Omsk) and Denis Khismatullin (Neftekamsk).

Seven participants have a 100% result (3 points) in the Women’s Cup of Russia stage: Swaminathan Soumya (India), Anastasia Bodnaruk (St. Petersburg), Tatjana Vasilevich (Evpatoria), Tatiana Khlichkova (Berdsk), Elena Semenova (Salekhard), Elmira Mirzoeva, Alexandra Obolentseva (both from Moscow).

Traditionally, permanent Moscow Open Chess Festival commentator – grandmaster Alexander Kalinin – picks up the most interesting games of the grandmasters and every day gives his professional assessment about them.

- The tournament favorites continue to move forward without significant losses.  There were many decisive games in the second round but our attention was attracted by a very interesting draw between an experienced grandmaster from Togliatti and a Chinese 15-years old player.

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Four rounds of the RSSU School Champions’ Cup are over. The competitions are held in four age groups (for boys and girls) and constitute the qualification to the 2016 World School Chess Championship (Sousse, Tunisia, April 30 – May 8, 2016). The winners of the respective age groups will be provided with the gratis hospitality (accommodation and meals).

In the U9 Boys’ group Alexander Shmatov (Bryansk), Gleb Pidluzhny (Klaipeda, Lithuania), Matfey Rogov (Korolev), Zaali Gvaramia (both from Moscow),  Denis Grunin (Korolev), Egor Yaurov (Voronezh) and Leonid Lystsov (Ryatigorsk) suffer no losses. Four participants are half a point behind the leaders.

Alexandra Shvedova (Moscow) and Darya Zaytseva (Dolgoprudny) gained 4 points in the same age group of the Girls’ tournament. 

The correspondent of the official website of the tournament Eteri Kublashvili met the RSSU Veteran Cup ranking favorite Sergey Arkhipov. The famous grandmaster told us about his return to the chess and the start of the Moscow Open.

- Sergey Nikolaevich, why have you decided to play in the RSSU Cup after quite a long break?
- I played quite successfully in the Moscow team championship and I managed to win several tournaments after that, including the Moscow veteran championship in rapid chess. And now I just wanted to find out how good I can be in playing (laughing).

- So, what did you find out after two played games?
- I played much better in the second game day, than in the first: it was very complicated then. 

The First Junior FIDE World Chess Solving Championship started on Monday, 1 February 2016 within the Moscow Open Chess Festival. A day before, 31 January 2016 an open tournament on problem and etude solving took place. 28 young players from Russia, Ukraine, Kirgizia and Morocco participated in the event. They had to solve 6 compositions: 2 two moves, 2 three moves, 1 four moves and 1 etude.

None of the players managed to gain the maximum possible points (30). Although 4 of them got 25 points: Konstantin Novikov, Alexey Popov, Danila Palov and Danila Moiseev.

Taking into account the time spent on the solving, the list of winners looks as follows:

Traditionally, permanent Moscow Open Chess Festival commentator – grandmaster Alexander Kalinin – picks up the most interesting games of the grandmasters and every day gives his professional assessment about them.

- In the first round tournament favorites met with a bit less famous players. There were no special surprises - many games were won, as they say, "on class".

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RSSU Chess Cup among students was held with Russian Student Chess League support this year. More than 70 players take part in the event, they will compete in 9 rounds according to the Swiss system.

After three days, FIDE Master Danila Sutormin (FEFU, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Dail Gazikov (TPU, Tomsk), Victoria Kobozeva (Dubna University, Moscow Region), Ruslan Pakhomov (NEFU, Yakutsk), Michael Barash (SWSU, Kursk) and Bibek Ting (RUDN, Moscow) have no loses.

RSSU rector, doctor of economics and Russian Student Chess League President told us about competitions in details.