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Nigel Short storms into sole lead in Bangkok

PeterDoggers
| 0 | Chess Event Coverage

Nigel Short defeated M.R. Venkatesh on Monday to take over the lead at the Bangkok Chess Club Open after six rounds. The Indian IM was the surprise leader after five rounds.

The Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok, venue of the tournament  

EventBangkok Chess Club Open | Details at Chess-Results | PGN via TWIC
DatesApril 13-19, 2012
LocationBangkok, Thailand
System9-round Swiss
Players

The strongest participants are Nigel Short, Jan Gustafsson, Hou Yifan, Farrukh Amonatov, Antonio Rogelio Jr, M.R. Venkatesh and Deshun Xiu

Rate of play90 minutes for the whole game + 30 seconds increment from move 1

The 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open, which takes place at the luxurious Dusit Thani Hotel, is a 9-round Swiss with 135 participants of which 41 are titled players. There is also a 7-round Challenger with over 100 players. With over 230 players from 34 countries the tournament has broken its attendance record from 2011 to confirm its ever-increasing popularity.

This year Hou Yifan plays for the first time and she obviously adds prestige to what has become one of Asia's best open events. The 18-year-old Chinese arrived in Bangkok a few days before the start of the tournament. Last Wednesday she met with a number of VIPs (including Thailand's Prime Minister) and aspiring chess talents at Shinawatra University’s city campus and in the Blue Room of Thailand’s Government House. After a photo session the champion played a chess simul against thirty children, students, and sponsors, and won all games in a mere two hours.

The Women's World Champion playing against Thailand's PM Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra

In the Bangkok Open the Women’s World Champion will battle for the top spot against strong rivals, including the tournament’s highest-ranked player, GM Nigel Short of England. Both GMs demonstrated great form at last January’s Gibraltar Chess Festival when they finished first and second in a field that included 55 GMs.

Other strong players who will have a shot at the first prize are the 2011-champion GM Jan Gustafsson of Germany, first-time participant GM Farrukh Amonatov of Tajikistan, as well as returning champions GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. of the Philippines (winner 2003, 2004, 2006) and GM Deshun Xiu of China (winner in 2008 and 2009). The strongest local players are FM Wisuwat Teerapabpaisit (2278), FM Nakorn Trisa-ard (2265), FM Jirapak Pitirotjirathon (2252) and FM Boonsueb Saeheng (2207).

The spacious playing hall, part of the Dusit Thani Hotel

The start of the tournament coincided with the joyous and rowdy Songkran Festival, when Thais and tourists throng in the streets and splash each other with water to cool off from the fierce summer heat. A popular location to “play Songkran” is Bangkok’s Silom District where the venue is located!

Hou Yifan joins the Songkran celebrations

The games are played between April 13th and 19th, with double rounds on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday and Saturday morning no real upsets were seen, but in the third round untitled Sander Severino (2344) held Nigel Short to a draw on board 1 and next to them, Jan Gustafsson also split the point with IM Daniel Contin (2331) of Italy. In round 4 two other GMs drew their games: Hou Yifan against IM Nguyen Duc Hoa (2453) of Vietnam and Farrukh Amonatov against IM Liu Qingnan (2461) of China.

After five rounds the surprise leader was Indian IM M.R. Venkatesh, who is the only player with a clean sheet. On Sunday afternoon he defeated last year's winner Jan Gustafsson on top board. Nigel Short was half a point behind Venkatesh and these two players would meet each other in round 6. Hou Yifan and Farrukh Amonatov again drew their games and found themselves in a group of 16 players who are on 4/5.

In round 6 the British GM showed his class and came up on top against Venkatesh. On board 2, Hou Yifan came back from a technically lost position to defeat FM Martin Voigt, and last year’s champion GM Jan Gustafsson recovered with a win against WGM Kruttika Nadig.

Selection of games rounds 1-6

PGN file

Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 | Round 6 standings (top 30)

Rk.TitleNameRtgFED1.Rd2.Rd3.Rd4.Rd5.Rd6.Rd7.RdPts.TB1
1GMShort Nigel D2697ENG57b113w137b½17w110b14b12w5.524.5
2GMHou Yifan2639CHN87b130w18b15w½6b½17w11b5.025.5
3GMAmonatov Farrukh2604TJK32w165b17w110b½12w½21b18w5.024.5
4IMVenkatesh M R2509IND67b131w145b138w111b11w05b5.024.0
5IMNguyen Duc Hoa2453VIE86w162b147w12b½9w½23b14w5.023.0
6 Wan Yunguo2441CHN83w½46b142w127b12w½24b19w5.022.5
7IMMohota Nisha2312IND101b129w13b040w157b118w110b5.021.5
8GMGhane Shojaat2339IRI90w184b12w050b164w119w13b5.020.5
9IMNguyen Van Huy2485VIE56b½100w159b185w15b½20w16b5.019.0
10IMLiu Qingnan2461CHN33b124w120b13w½1w041b17w4.526.0
11GMGustafsson Jan2642GER93w122b141w½37b14w042b115w4.522.0
12GMSriram Jha2406IND77b185w½63b160w13b½13w½16b4.521.0
13 Liu Chang2262CHN113w11b089w161b149w112b½14w4.520.5
14GMSchebler Gerhard2449GER61b159w½48b½88w116b½37w113b4.519.5
15IMSaptarshi Roy2384IND78b163w½56b070w159b143w111b4.518.5
16FMPitirotjirathon Jirapak2252THA106w½83b½82w199b114w½44b112w4.518.5
17FMVoigt Martin2364GER72w188b128w11b026w12b035w4.024.0
18GMNeelotpal Das2462IND97w142b½23w½34b130w17b026w4.023.0
19GMXiu Deshun2492CHN75w123b½58w141b121w½8b024w4.022.5
20FMTeerapabpaisit Wisuwat2278THA115w149b110w075b132w19b027w4.022.0
21 Stany G A2376IND79b140w160b½56w119b½3w029b4.021.5
22FMReilly Tim2256AUS104b111w077b136w129b½25w½33b4.021.5
23 Sie Thu2243MYA116b119w½18b½67w138b15w028b4.021.0
24WIMWang Xiaohui2209CHN133w110b079w168b139b16w019b4.021.0
25GMRantanen Yrjo A2383FIN99w126b½50w½84b½55w122b½34w4.020.5
26 Kivimaki Jaakko2186FIN111b125w½43b139w½17b072w118b4.020.0
27 Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh2119IND118b152w139b½6w058w½66b120b4.020.0
28 Abanco Ernie2066PHI74b154w117b043w067b164b123w4.020.0
29 Faika Michael2119GER134w17b091w166b122w½47b½21w4.019.5
30FMAschenbrenner Robert2254AUT124w12b076w183b118b057w136b4.019.0

 

PeterDoggers
Peter Doggers

Peter Doggers joined a chess club a month before turning 15 and still plays for it. He used to be an active tournament player and holds two IM norms. Peter has a Master of Arts degree in Dutch Language & Literature. He briefly worked at New in Chess, then as a Dutch teacher and then in a project for improving safety and security in Amsterdam schools. Between 2007 and 2013 Peter was running ChessVibes, a major source for chess news and videos acquired by Chess.com in October 2013. As our Director News & Events, Peter writes many of our news reports. In the summer of 2022, The Guardian’s Leonard Barden described him as “widely regarded as the world’s best chess journalist.”

Peter's first book The Chess Revolution is out now!

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