Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships

Tuesday, 05 July 2011 04:31

Chess South Africa on behalf of FIDE and the Commonwealth Chess Association organized the 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships. The Championships were played from Saturday 25th June 2011 until Sunday 3rd July 2011. The playing venue was at the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino & Convention Resort in the City of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, South Africa. Guaranteed total prize fund was raised to R205 000 = approx 20.000 EUR. The Championships included the following three individual events: - The 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships (Main event) - The 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open B - section - The 2011 South African Open Blitz Chess Championships The South African Open Blitz Championship 2011 was played on 25th June and England's GM Gawain Jones convincingly won the title with a crushing 9/9 score. Second is Indian hope IM Grover Sahaj with 8.0 points. The Open events continued with massive participation of 388 players in the Main Event and 324 in the B Section. After the exciting finish two English Grandmasters, Gawain Jones and Nigel Short, shared the first place with 9.5 points each. In the last round they defeated GM Abhijeet Gupta and GM Pablo Lafuente, respectively. Official website

Gawain Jones wins Commonwealth and SA Open on tiebreaks

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships
GM Gawain Jones grabs the gold on better tiebreak

Chess South Africa on behalf of FIDE and the Commonwealth Chess Association organized the 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships. The Championships were played from Saturday 25th June 2011 until Sunday 3rd July 2011.

The playing venue was at the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino & Convention Resort in the City of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, South Africa. Guaranteed total prize fund was raised to R205 000 = approx 20.000 EUR.

The Championships included the following three individual events:
- The 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships (Main event)
- The 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open B - section
- The 2011 South African Open Blitz Chess Championships

The South African Open Blitz Championship 2011 was played on 25th June and England's GM Gawain Jones convincingly won the title with a crushing 9/9 score. Second is Indian hope IM Grover Sahaj with 8.0 points.

The Open events continued with massive participation of 388 players in the Main Event and 324 in the B Section.

After the exciting finish two English Grandmasters, Gawain Jones and Nigel Short, shared the first place with 9.5 points each. In the last round they defeated GM Abhijeet Gupta and GM Pablo Lafuente, respectively.

Short succeeded in his intentions revealed in an interview with Vijay Kumar, however Jones was declared the winner on slightly better tiebreak score. German junior IM Niclas Huschenbeth reached excellent position in the shared 3rd place.

Official website

Final standings, Commonwealth & South African Open 2011 Open Section:

1-2. GM Jones Gawain CB ENG 2596 and GM Short Nigel D ENG 2682 - 9.5

3-5. GM Smerdon David AUS 2520, IM Huschenbeth Niclas GER 2502 and GM Kunte Abhijit IND 2526 - 9.0

6-11. GM Lafuente Pablo ARG 2555, FM Jere Daniel ZAM 2344, IM Grover Sahaj IND 2485, GM Laxman Rajaram IND 2446, IM Ringoir Tanguy BEL 2399 and IM Karavade Eesha IND 2343 - 8.5

12-28. GM Gupta Abhijeet IND 2604, FM van der Nat Nicholas P RSA 2308, IM Harika Dronovali IND 2520, IM Kobese Watu AKW RSA 2355, WGM Ghate Swati IND 2317, IM Mokal Prathamesh S IND 2405, CM Bouah Lyndon RSA 2147, WGM Subbaraman Meenakshi IND 2317, Dole Anant RSA 2103, IM Mabusela Johannes M RSA 2272, Makoto Rodwell ZIM 2166, Anderson Gavin A RSA 2157, CM Cawdery Daniel J RSA 2274, FM Phiri Richmond ZAM 2165, Simutowe Musa ZAM 2119, Ovcina Denis RSA 2248 and CM Notha Moakofi BOT 2123 - 8.0 etc

Commonwealth and South African Open round 9 report

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships
Round 9 report and video by Vijay Kumar

South African 19th seed FM van der Nat Nicholas P surprised every one when he defeated a much higher rated IM Grover Sahaj in a well fought game to take sole lead at the 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships the after 9th round.

Top seed GM Nigel Short, who drew in the 7th and 8th round played a technically superb game to beat IM Ringoir Tonguey to take his score to 7.5 points from 9 rounds. He is just half a point behind the leader.

Defending Champion Grandmaster Rajaram Laxman, playing with black against GM Jones Gawain, failed to convert his many advantages into a victory and agreed for a draw. IM Dronavalli Harika also settled for a draw and is on 7.5 points.

Abhijeet Kunte and GM Abhijeet Gupta played a short 17 moves game when the position got blocked and no one wanted to take risk by deviating from established game agreed to share the point.

GM Pablo Lafuente thrashed IM Prathmesh Mokal while IM Eesha Karwade after losing two games made a good recovery by winning game 8 and 9 to take her telly to seven points from 9 games. WGM Swati Ghate also won her game and is on 7 points. IM Tania Sachdev has to settle for a draw and is on 6.5 points.

At the end of round 9, FM van der Nat Nicholas P is leading the championship with 8 points followed by as many as six players half a point behind. In the penultimate round FM van der Nat Nicholas P will meet GM Pablo Lafuente who is on 7.5 points.

Opening ceremony and R1-R2 video / Round 3 video / Round 4 video / Round 5 video / Round 6 video / Round 7 video / Round 6 video / Round 8 video

19th seed van der Nat leads Commonwealth and SA Open

19th seed FM Nicholas van der Nat, 2308, is leading the 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open with 8 points in 9 games, ahead of 7 GMs and over 10 IMs!

Leaders after 9 rounds

Rk.		Name	sex	FED	Rtg	Pts.	TB1	TB2	TB3
1	FM	van der Nat Nicholas P		RSA	2308	8.0	30.5	45.50	2104
2	GM	Jones Gawain CB		ENG	2596	7.5	33.0	48.00	2206
3	GM	Short Nigel D		ENG	2682	7.5	32.5	46.25	2238
4	GM	Lafuente Pablo		ARG	2555	7.5	32.5	45.00	2123
5	IM	Harika Dronovali	W	IND	2520	7.5	31.5	44.50	2115
6	GM	Laxman Rajaram		IND	2446	7.5	31.0	44.25	2031
7	FM	Jere Daniel		ZAM	2344	7.5	31.0	43.75	2153
8	GM	Smerdon David		AUS	2520	7.0	33.0	40.00	2074
9	IM	Grover Sahaj		IND	2485	7.0	32.0	41.00	2132
10	WGM	Ghate Swati	W	IND	2317	7.0	31.5	41.00	2052
11	GM	Gupta Abhijeet		IND	2604	7.0	31.0	41.75	2204
12	GM	Kunte Abhijit		IND	2526	7.0	30.5	41.00	2099
13	IM	Huschenbeth Niclas		GER	2502	7.0	30.0	40.75	2065
14	IM	Kobese Watu AKW		RSA	2355	7.0	30.0	40.00	2083
15	IM	Karavade Eesha	W	IND	2343	7.0	30.0	39.50	1927
16		Anderson Gavin A		RSA	2157	7.0	29.0	40.00	1883
17	IM	Mabusela Johannes M		RSA	2272	7.0	29.0	39.00	2006
18	CM	Bouah Lyndon		RSA	2147	7.0	29.0	37.75	194
19		Ovcina Denis		RSA	2248	7.0	28.5	37.00	2018
20		Simutowe Musa		ZAM	2119	7.0	27.0	36.00	1931
21		Meintjes Jacques C		RSA	2078	7.0	26.5	35.00	1922
22	CM	Notha Moakofi		BOT	2123	7.0	25.5	35.50	1715

Full standings here: http://chess-results.com/tnr52156.aspx

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships
Round 8 report and video by Vijay Kumar

Three Indians Dronavalli Harika, R R Laxman and Grover Sahaj join GM Gawain Jones in the leadership battle after round 8 of the 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships.

The best watched and sought after game of the championship was played between top seed GM Nigel Short and Championship leader GM Jones Gawain which finally ended in a draw. On other tables IM D Harika crushed South African IM Watu Kobese while GM Rajaram Laxman and IM Sahaj Grover came out victorious against their opponents and joined Gawain in the battle for the Championship.

Opening ceremony and R1-R2 video / Round 3 video / Round 4 video / Round 5 video / Round 6 video / Round 7 video

Round 7 in South Africa

Commonwealth and South African Open Chess Championships
Round 7 report and video by Vijay Kumar

Many Indians are in the reckoning for the top places at the ongoing 2011 Commonwealth & South African Open Chess Championships being played at Johannesburg in South Africa.

Top seed Grandmaster GM Nigel Short had a tough day playing against 2nd seed India's GM Abhijeet Gupta. Both the players were determined not give any chance to the other and fought for a win. However when they realised that no outcome is possible they agreed to share the point.

On the top board International Master Grover Sahaj came well prepared to face Championship leader GM Jones Gawain. Gawain who is leading the championship by half a point was in no mood to take any risk and played a normal game which in the end resulted in a draw.

International Master and former World Junior Girls Champion Dronavalli Harika, who drew her game in the 6th round, played a very good game and defeated her opponent David Ovcina with ease.

IM Prathmesh Mokal, after loosing the 5th round game, picked up two straight wins in the 6th and 7th round. With 6 points he is just half a point behind the Championship leader.

International Master and former Asian women's champion Tania Sachdev surprised her opponent in the middle game and quickly regrouped her pieces to give a crushing defeat to her opponent.

Opening ceremony and R1-R2 video / Round 3 video / Round 4 video / Round 5 video / Round 6 video