II Obert Internacional de les Illes Medes

The 2nd Obert Internacional de les Illes Medes is starting tomorrow and goes on until 4 January 2008. There will be 9 rounds played with Swiss tournament system and time control is 90 minutes + 30 sec increment. Polish GM Mateusz Bartel will defend the last year trophy.

Top players (96 registered):
GM Bartel Mateusz (POL 2608), GM Moskalenko Viktor (UKR 2575), GM Buhmann Rainer (GER 2567), GM Lopez Martinez Josep Manuel (ESP 2563), GM Narciso Dublan Marc (ESP 2546), GM Aroshidze Levan (GEO 2523), IM Czakon Jakub (POL 2510), IM Fluvia Jordi (ESP 2508), GM Oms Pallise Josep (ESP 2506), IM Rasmussen Karsten (DEN 2495), FM Rasmussen Allan Stig (DEN 2485), IM Edouard Romain (FRA 2472)


Update: GM Lopez Martinez Josep Manuel won the tournament with 7,5 points


Official website

Magistral de Elgoibar

The 17th Magistral de Elgoibar was held on 10-16 December 2007. Top seeded GM Kamil Miton took the first place, while juniors from across Spain finished 7-10th. Official website is reporting that FM Mikel Huerga Leache from Navarra province has fulfilled all conditions for title of International Master.

Standings:
1. GM Kamil Miton (POL 2628) 7.0
2-3. GM Dragan Paunovic (SRB 2535) and GM Oleg Korneev (RUS 2587) 6.5
4. GM Azer Mirzoev (AZE 2545) 6.0
5. GM Juan Mario Gomez Esteban (ESP 2490) 5.5
6-7. GM Eric Prie (FRA 2532) and FM Mikel Huerga Leache (ESP 2440) 4.0
8. IM David Larino Nieto (ESP 2428) 3.0
9. FM Santiago Gonzalez de la Torre (ESP 2399) 2.0
10. WGM Sabrina Vega Gutierrez (ESP 2331) 0.5


Tournament website

Campeonato de España Individual Absoluto

Spanish championship is currently in progress in Ayamonte, Huelva. System of play is 8 knockout rounds, 16 have started and now we have semifinal tiebreak. Prizes are donated by Ayuntamiento de Ayamonte.

GM Miguel Illescas Córdoba beat GM Pablo San Segundo Carrillo 2:1 and qualified for the final. GM Ibragim Khamrakulov and GM Josep Manuel López Martínez are at 1.5:1.5 at the moment, next tiebreak game should follow soon.


Official website

Nakamura wins Casino Barcelona

The tournament took place on October 18-26. American GM Hikaru Nakamura wins, last year winner Lenier Dominguez Perez finished second.

The standings:
1. Hikaru Nakamura (USA 2648) 7.0
2. Lenier Dominguez Perez (CUB 2683) 6.0
3-4. Vugar Gashimov (AZE 2664) and Alexander Beliavsky (SLO 2646) 5.5
5-6. Michal Krasenkow (POL 2668) and Rafael Vaganian (ARM 2600) 4.5
7. Josep Oms Pallise (ESP 2506) 4.0
8. Miguel Illescas Cordoba (ESP 2598) 3.5
9. Marc Narciso Dublan (ESP 2546) 3.0
10. Jordi Fluvia (ESP 2508) 1.5

Official website

Open Es Vermar

The XX Open Es Vermar is taking place on 30 September - 7 October in Binissalem, Spain. There are 90 participants and prize fund is 6000 Euros. Top rated: GM Vladimir Burmakin (RUS 2581), GM Leonid Gofshtein (ISR 2541), GM Elizbar Ubilava (ESP 2540), GM Karen Movsziszian (ARM 2534), IM Ramon Mateo (DOM 2493), GM Viesturs Meijers (LAT 2483), IM Oleg Gladyszev (RUS 2480), IM Martin Senff (GER 2474), IM Renier Castellanos (CHI 2471), GM Ruslan Pogorelov (UKR 2453), IM Jakob Vang Glud (DEN 2435), IM Alexander Belezky (UKR 2431), IM Sebastian Siebrecht (GER 2431), IM Marc Dutreeuw (BEL 2398) etc


Official website

15th Internacional Ciudad de Albacete

The tournament was held on 2-7 September in Hotel Universidad de Albacete, Spain. Russian GM Vladimir Burmakin won his 2nd tournament this month. There were 108 participants, first prize was 1800 Euros.


The standings:
1. GM Burmakin Vladimir (RUS 2581) 8.0
2-4. FM Perez Mitjans Orelvis (CUB 2412), GM Movsziszian Karen (ARM 2534) and GM Hernandez Carmenates Holden (CUB 2544) 7.0
5-9. GM Lazarev Vladimir (RUS 2498), IM Minzer Claudio Javier (ARG 2410), IM Vassallo Mauricio (ESP 2387), IM Guliev Logman (AZE 2454) and Llavador Moron Juan Jose (ESP 2194) 6.5
10-20. GM Khamrakulov Ibragim S (ESP 2592), GM Babaev Rashad (AZE 2488), FM Vitor Antonio (POR 2373), IM Castellanos Rodriguez Renier (CHI 2471), GM Rivas Pastor Manuel (ESP 2510), FM Valmana Canto Jaime (ESP 2346), Picazo Lopez Juan Antonio (ESP 2198), Fernandez Barrera Victor (ESP 2204), IM Granero Roca Antonio (ESP 2348), IM Saldano Horacio (ESP 2451) and IM Guerra Bastida Diego (ESP 2370) 6.0 etc

Waiting Lines in Barcelona

While some tournament managers are having headache over the poor turnouts, people from the IX Open of Sants, Hostafrancs and la Bordeta in Barcelona have formed a waiting list to cover the possible nonappearances after, could you believe it, 500 players have signed up. That makes 305 in the main rated group, 195 in U2000 group. Sants Open is the last event in the Catalan Circuit Rating for "Generalitat de Catalunya Prize".

Tournament is taking place on 24th August to 2nd September in 79 Sants st, Barcelona (Auditori del Centre Cívic de les Cotxeres de Sants). 10 rounds of swiss system will be played, entry fees are affordable 22-37 Euros and total prize fund 12.300 Euros.

Top players: GM David Shengelia (GEO 2569), GM Friso Nijboer (NED 2568), GM José Manuel López (ESP 2567), GM Walter Arencibia (CUB 2563), GM Viktor Moskalenko (UKR 2560), GM Marc Narciso (ESP 2552), GM José Gonzalez (MEX 2540), GM Saraunas Sulskis (LIT 2537), GM Joszef Pinter (HUN 2535), GM Mihail Marin (GM 2533), IM Sébastien Mazé (FRA 2530), GM Thomas Luther (GER 2529), IM Alexander Cuartas (COL 2504), GM Omar Almeida (CUB 2501), IM Stefan Bromberger (GER 2500), IM Fidel Corrales (CUB 2499), IM Jordi Fluvia (ESP 2497), IM Matthieu Cornette (FRA 2487), GM Lars Karlsson (SWE 2481) etc