And finally, here is the awarding ceremony of the 2nd Chess Festival Eighth Centenary 2019 of Salamanca University which was held on Saturday evening. Circle pictured second from left: Sophie Milliet, Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Miguel Santos Ruiz, Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov, Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli, Amador González de la Nava, Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, Karina Szczepkowska-Cyfka, and Fernando Castaño. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca via Flickr.
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Well, there’s not much to say except that Pawn endings can be tricky. Photo: Manuel Laya/El Norte de Castilla.
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The presentation of the 2nd Masters Tournament of Salamanca University was held today in the Palacio de Figueroa in Salamanca, Spain in the presence of the four women and four men participating, with four-time Women’s World Chess Champion and Rhodes Scholar 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and former FIDE World Chess Champion and winner of last year’s inaugural edition Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (both pictured below) to lead the respective gender groups. Photos: CD Ajedrez Salamanca.
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Ukrainian Grandmaster Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov did not seek excuses for his first-round elimination from the Chess World Cup 2019, expressing regret at having played so poorly. He denounced, however, the “irritual” anti-doping testing protocol which was conducted on him after the first game ended, when he “spent literally 2 hours from 19,57 till 21,56 for the doping test with RUSADA hired by FIDE instead of resting and prepare for the 2nd game”, Ponomariov said. “Why so long? Why it was not WADA? Was I randomly selected?! I hope to play better soon”, he concluded.
In the past, such kindnesses were given to others too, even to a World Champion, who was kept holding for more than four hours in a frozen room without water nor food until anti-doping controls ended. Indeed, Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was recently reinstated by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), following a years-long suspension due to charges of allegedly falsifying and/or manipulating the results of tests in exchange for money. On its part, FIDE vindicated the legitimacy of its anti-doping protocols as well as the correctness of its use in an official note, apologising for any unintentional inconvenience may have caused. |
Early in the morning of Sunday, July 9, 2018 four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above centre left) and former FIDE World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov (pictured above centre right) participated in the promotional festivities of their clash of genders. On the stage (and in the backstage as well) of the High-Tech Industrial Park, 粤海街道 (Yuèhǎi Subdistrict), 南山区 (Nánshān District), 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and Ponomariov met and chatted with a crowd of young fans, sharing their experiences and views about their respective chess odysseys. And finally, they performed their scheduled joint simultaneous exhibition, for the joy of the youngsters challengers as well as of their families. Photos: sznews.com.
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Footage from the opening ceremony of the clash of genders between four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and former FIDE World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov held in the early afternoon of Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at the 南山博物馆 (Nánshān Museum) in 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China.
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Here is another view from Saturday’s grand closing ceremony of the 深圳 (Shēnzhèn) 南山 (Nánshān) clash of genders, narrowly won by ♂ (former FIDE World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov) over ♀ [four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)]. In the end, however, there were prizes for everyone. Photos: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).
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侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (left) and Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov (right) analysing and discussing their games. Photo: qipai.org.cn.
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Pictured above is Grandmaster 赵雪 (Zhào Xuě), who, like a rabbit out of a hat, suddenly appeared in the studios to comment live on 深圳 (Shēnzhèn)’s clash of genders’ games. Since tomorrow is free day, the match will start over again early Saturday morning with the last 10 games at blitz. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).
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“Maybe it's because I haven’t played chess for three months”, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (pictured above) said, commentating on the results of the first day of her match with Ponomariov. She regretted especially the loss of the first game, which she unexpectedly lost on time. “I wasn’t able to tune myself. I thought I had time enough, but no. Game over”, she said. In the second game, she finally found back her inspiration, and won quite convincingly... even if only on a Chinese screen: elsewhere the game ended – some hours later – as a draw! At the end, in the last two games she felt quite flattered. So there’s no reason to despair: “I still hope to get back up to my standard as sooner as possible, so as to enjoy my playing”. But as a compensation, when stepping in her summer black evening dress, she was the only one who took over the stage. Photo: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù).
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The technical meeting for the rapid and blitz World Chess Champions Showdown between four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (seated, centre left) and former FIDE World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov (seated, centre right) was held at the 南山博物馆 (Nánshān Museum) in 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), China on the evening of July 3, 2018. In the drawing of lots 13th Women’s World Champion drew Black for the first rapid game scheduled for tomorrow, July 4, at 14,30. Photos: 樊璐璐 (Fán Lùlù)/Sina Sports.
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A rapid and blitz chess match between four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) and former FIDE World Chess Champion Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov is confirmed to be held in 南山区 (Nánshān District), 深圳 (Shēnzhèn), 广东省 (Guǎngdōng province), China from 3–8 July 2018.
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Although former FIDE World Chess Champion (2002–2004) Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov used Twitter to announce his upcoming rapid and blitz match with four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), he kindly remarks that he is looking for a qualified audience for his own Twitch channel:
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侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) came very near winning — but not quite. Photo © Biel Chess Festival.
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