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Post by cjeagle on Jun 19, 2016 9:13:48 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 20, 2016 1:14:32 GMT 8
Wes doesn't play the Rapid format often. That is why his rating is so low. Because of his last 2 successful tournaments in Rapids against the best players in the world, his rating has now been raised to 2759 (up 189 places in the rankings). In the above tournament, he finished in 2nd place next only to the World Champion Carlsen.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 20, 2016 23:35:31 GMT 8
After 2 events(France and Belgium) in the 2016 Grand Chess Tour(rapid and blitz in the first 2 events and classic in the last 2), So is tied for 2nd with Nakamura, next only to World Champion Carlsen, who will not be competing in the final 2 events in the US and England. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Chess_Tour
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 16, 2016 18:07:01 GMT 8
Wesley won the 3rd leg of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour in the US, the Singuefield Cup and now leads the Tour. Sinquefield Cup 2016 Final Ranking # Name Pts SB 1 So, Wesley 5.5 24.50 2 Anand, Viswanathan 5.0 22.25 Aronian, Levon 5.0 21.75 Caruana, Fabiano 5.0 21.50 Topalov, Veselin 5.0 21.00 6 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 4.5 20.25 Nakamura, Hikaru 4.5 18.50 8 Ding, Liren 4.0 17.50 9 Svidler, Peter 3.5 15.25 10 Giri, Anish 3.0 14.50 And the tally so far of the Grand Chess Tour 2016: Grand Chess Tour 2016 Ranking After Paris, Leuven, and St. Louis Player Paris Leuven St Louis Total Prize Money Wesley So 7.00 10.00 13.00 30.00 $120,000 Magnus Carlsen* 10.00 13.00 - 23.00 $67,500 Levon Aronian 6.00 8.00 7.75 21.75 $66,250 Hikaru Nakamura 13.00 4.00 4.50 21.50 $62,500 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 8.00 5.00 4.50 17.50 $40,000 Fabiano Caruana 3.00 6.00 7.75 16.75 $58,750 Viswanathan Anand - 7.00 7.75 14.75 $51,250 Veselin Topalov 2.00 1.00 7.75 10.75 $51,250 Anish Giri 5.00 2.50 1.00 8.50 $30,000 Vladimir Kramnik 4.00 2.50 - 6.50 $15,000 Ding Liren* - - 3.00 3.00 $15,000 Peter Svidler* - - 2.00 2.00 $15,000 Laurent Fressinet* 1.00 - - 1.00 $7,500 These are GCT (Grand Chess Tour) points earned by each player from the last three legs and the total GCT points. Prize money is the total prize earned so far from the tour. chesshive.com/2016/08/sinquefield-cup-2016-awarding-ceremony-pictures/Wes accepting the trophy in his barong, with former World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov looking on.
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 4, 2016 13:35:08 GMT 8
Country Spotlight: Philippines Women The biggest upset of the Olympiad came on the ladies' side of the hall today. When IM Salome Melia resigned to WIM Catherine Secopito shortly into the sixth hour of play, the Pinoy women upended the Georgian women 2.5-1.5. Secopito said she was shaking at the end. She wasn't the only one: Secopito's teammates look on while the game dwindles down. Could she do it? Yes! Coach GM Jayson Gonzalez congratulates his board four for clinching the match. One of the muted celebrations that takes place at an Olympiad. Games were still in progress, of course. According to Captain/Coach GM Jayson Gonzalez, this was the biggest win his country's women have ever had. Previously, it was their 2-2 tie against Poland at the last Olympiad. Secopito, Catherine (2119) vs. Melia, Salome (2419) Women's Baku Chess Olympiad | Baku | Round 2.4 | 3 Sep 2016 | 1-0 87654321abcdefgh 1. d4Nf62. c4e63. Nc3Bb44. a3Bxc3+5. bxc3b66. Nf3Ba67. e3Nc68. Qc2Na59. Nd2O-O10. Bd3Qe711. a4c512. Ba3d613. O-Ocxd414. cxd4Rfc815. Rfc1Qd716. Bb4Nxc417. Bxc4Bxc418. Nxc4d519. Qe2dxc420. Rxc4Rxc421. Qxc4Rc822. Qe2Nd523. Be1f524. h3Qc625. g4Nf626. f3Qd527. Rb1fxg428. hxg4Rc429. a5b530. e4Qc631. g5Nh532. Qh2Rc133. Rxc1Qxc134. Qd2Qc435. d5exd536. exd5Nf437. d6Ne638. d7Nd839. Bf2b440. Qe3Qe641. Qxa7Kf742. Qc7Qe743. Qf4+Ke644. a6Nc645. a7Nxa746. Bxa7Kxd747. Qe3Qxe3+48. Bxe3Ke649. Kf2Kf550. Ke2Kg651. Kd3h552. gxh6gxh653. Bf4h554. Kc4Kf555. Bg3h456. Bh2Ke657. Kxb4Kd558. Kc3–XfJ#,.@ The country's male players have a storied history as well, as Chess.com reported in 2013. In addition, Asia's very first grandmaster, GM Eugenio Torre, is here playing in his 24th Olympiad, the most among active players. The legend GM Eugenio Torre's lifetime Olympiad stats: 155 total game points, three individual bronze medals and 24 consecutive Olympiads since 1970. The other winner today for the ladies, WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, beat a grandmaster for the first time in her life. How did she take out GM Bela Khotenashvili? Fronda's secret was combining the mental and the physical. "I didn't expect my preparation would come up in the game," she said about Gonzalez's pre-game planning. "I didn't expect that I would beat the grandmaster." Khotenashvili is one of only about 30 females with the grandmaster title. Khotenasvhvili is one of the players who went down in the second round. There was also the Zumba training. That's right, according to top player WIM Janelle May Frayna, the dance fitness program was an integral part of the team's training at home. "Physical exercise is really great," Gonzalez said. After Frayna drew GM Nana Dzaganidze and Fronda won, it was all on the shoulders of Secopito. She was offered a draw as the final game, which would have netted the team a 2-2 tie. Secopito went to ask her coach how a draw would impact the team, as the rules always allow at Olympiads. The move wasn't sincere — she knew she was winning, but she wanted to adhere to team rules. "It's a courtesy to ask the coach if there's a draw offer," she explained. As expected, Gonzalez said no. "Just play," he said. She did, converting her advantage for the match win. Several members of the happy team said they learn from the videos on Chess.com, including a few from FM Mike Klein, who conducted the interview! The Philippines thus beat the four-time Olympiad Champion Georgia, who actually won their first title in 1992 as a newly-independent nation. The location? Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Of course, only one member of their squad today was even alive then (the hero, Secopito). Gonzalez said that chess fans are staying up late to watch his squad on the internet. When the final handshake took place, it was shortly after midnight in their homeland. He said he hoped today's result would shed more light on his team's talents. "We lack exposure," Gonzalez said. "Our rating is not relative of our strength. I think our rating is plus 300 [from the published number].... Our ladies want to play in Europe. We've have shown we can compete." Untitled Christy Lamiel Bernales lost her game today, but she's still enjoying the city. "I was amazed at the infrastructure of Baku," she said. "A little bit clean!" Frayna joked sarcastically — the streets here are almost completely devoid of trash. They also have one big fan and supporter back home. Boxer, senator, and national hero Manny Pacquiao met with them prior to the trip and offered good luck. Pacquiao also sponsors a chess tournament in the Philippines. (Gonzales played in the latest edition). The team said he is very generous. "Maybe if we keep on winning, he will give us a bonus!" the ladies said, while giggling. www.chess.com/news/carlsen-succeeds-with-new-first-move-in-second-round-olympiad-4273______ This is a kind of a big upset, was highlighted in most chess Olympiad coverage and is a huge scandal in Georgia. Georgia is a a former world Olympian chess women's champion and one of the favorites(ranked 4th overall) in the current Olympiad.
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 4, 2016 13:46:45 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 9, 2016 1:34:27 GMT 8
The Philippines is doing well in the current Chess Olympiad. After finishing Rd 5 last Tuesday, the Phillippines(ranked 53) was at # 23, while the women's team(ranked 46) is sitting at # 27.
After drawing 12th rated Norway(led by world chess champion Magnus Carlsen) 2-2 today in Rd 6, the men's team(ranked 53rd) are now at 19th place in the standings. The women's team which beat Mexico 3-1, is now listed at 17th in the rankings.
They are going to be paired up with much stronger teams, so they might not do as well in the next round. Nevertheless, especially for the women's side which fielded a new generation of much younger players, they have definitely been performing better than expected. The women's side has a chance of finishing with the best ever result in the history of the Chess Olympiad.
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 12, 2016 2:59:48 GMT 8
THE Philippine women’s team blanked Belgium, 4-0, to bounce back in the 2016 Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. A day after scoring just one of a possible four points against No. 8 Hungary, the Filipinas got back on track with Woman International Masters Janelle Mae Frayna, Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Catherine Secopito and Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza scoring wins. Frayna downed WFM Hanne Goossens, Fronda beat Wiebke Barbier, Secopito defeated Sarah Dierckens and Mendoza turned back Astrid Barbier as the Philippines moved to 16th spot. The Filipinas next take on the 15th-seeded Mongolians. In the Open division, however, the Filipinos bowed to Spain 1.5-2.5. Grandmaster Eugene Torre beat GM Ivan Salgado Lopez on Board Two and IM Paulo Bersamina drew with GM Jose Carlos Ibarra Jerez on Board Four. United States-based GMs John Paul Gomez and Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr.,however, fell to GMs Francisco Vallejo Pons and David Anton Guijarro, respectively, on first and third boards. It was the second straight defeat by the Filipinos after absorbing a 1.5-2.5 loss to Italy. The 64-year-old Torre rated just 2447 and facing way higher-rated foes, stay unbeaten as he now has seven points on six wins and two standoffs in eight games for an impressive performance rating of 2771. Fronda has won six of her eight games, Frayna and Secopito have 5.5 points apiece while 19-year-old Mendoza has scored in three of her four matches. Read more at www.spin.ph/chess/news/janelle-mae-frayna-jan-jodilyn-fronda-catherine-secopito-shania-mae-mendoza-chess-olympiad-2016#sphm8QIMrw1lpr6L.99The 63 y/o Torre, in his 24th Olympiad continues to be the most consistent player in the men's squad, staying unbeaten and beating higher rated opponents in this tournament. He rarely ever plays in tournaments nowadays, but he always leaves his best for the Olympiad. In today's game against 26th rated Argentina, Torre again was the saving grace managing a win and allowing the team to tie Argentina 2-2. On the women's side, the Philippines lost to 15th seeded Mongolia by a narrow 1.5-2.5 but one of their players Janelle Frayna has achieved WGM status in the process.
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 13, 2016 1:33:18 GMT 8
Janelle Mae Frayna made history on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time) by becoming the country’s first ever chess Woman Grandmaster. Frayna achieved the feat after clinching her third and final WGM result with a 33-move draw against International Master Daavademberel Nomin-Erdene of Mongolia in a stinging 1.5-2.5 loss in the ninth round of the 42nd World Chess Olympiad here. Frayna, 20, accomplished it by scoring six points on four wins and four draws against just a loss in nine games. She battled three players with men’s GM titles - Georgia's Nana Dzagnidze and India's Dronavalli Harika - and one with a men’s IM title - Nomin Erdene - while two others are WIMs namely, Sabrina Latreche of Algeria and Alejandra Guerrero Rodrigiez of Mexico. "I'm proud to announce that WIM Janelle Mae Frayna achieved the third and last result to become the first Woman Grandmaster from the Philippines," said GM Jayson Gonzales, the Philippine women's team skipper and Frayna's personal trainer and coach at Far Eastern University. Frayna came close to claiming the title in the World Juniors in India weeks back after leading with three rounds to go, only to falter entering the homestretch. This time, she was not about to be denied. WIM Janelle Jodilyn Fronda's defeat to IM Tubswhintugs' Batchimeg on board two spelled the Filipinas’ doom as Catherine Secopito and Shania Mae Mendoza halved the point with WGM Aoltan Ulzii Enkhtuul and WIM Uuganbayar Lkhamsuren on boards three and four, respectively. The setback pushed the Filipinas from the Top 20 down to the top 30 with 11 match points and will clash with 20th seed Italy in the penultimate round, aiming nothing less than a win to remain in contention for a top 10 finish. Like Frayna, GM Eugene Torre is on course to re-writing history as he slew GM Diego Flores in the Filipinos’ 2-2 draw against Argentina. The 64-year-old Torre now has an undefeated record of eight points on seven wins and two draws, the highest point so far by any individual player in the 11-round tournament. But Torre is running fifth in the battle for the gold medal on board three, which will be determined by whoever ends up with the highest performance rating, behind a stellar cast that included Filipino GM Wesley So, who is now representing the United States. Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi currently leads the way with 2887, followed by Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi's 2871, while French GM Laurent Fressinet is at No. 4 with 2857. "Hopefully, Wesley and I could end up as board medallists and I'm also thinking of helping the team win matches," said Torre, whose lone board medal came in the form of a silver in the 1974 Nice Olympiad where he eventually emerged Asia's first ever GM. Torre's win plus Sadorra's victory over GM Sandro Mareco on board one helped the Filipinos turn a 0-2 disadvantage following defeats by GM John Paul Gomez and IM Paulo Bersamina to GMs Federico Perez Ponsa and Alan Pichot on boards two and four, respectively. The Filipinos, who have fallen far behind the leaders with 10 match points, will play Scotland in the fifth round. Read more at www.spin.ph/chess/news/janelle-mae-frayna-makes-history-as-she-distinguishes-herself-as-countrys-first-ever-women#hUWachs3xSgD0E75.99WGM Frayna won again today against IM Olga of Italy and achieved 2 open(men and women) IM norms today and only needs one more to achieve IM status. She helped the Philippines upset 20th ranked Italy 2.5 -1.5. Torre also won again to maintain his undefeated status and remain among the top standing for a medal in Board 3 with 8 wins and 2 draws, leading to a 4-0 whitewash of Scotland. Former Philippine men's top board player Wesley So who is now playing for the US is also in the running for the gold in board 3 with an undefeated record and with his live rating is now ranked # 6 in the world individually.
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 14, 2016 2:26:54 GMT 8
NEWLY-minted Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna downed International Master Olga Zimina to lead the Philippines to a 2.5-1.5 victory over Italy in the 10th and penultimate round, while adding the International Master title to her achievement in the 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 20-year-old Frayna took the IM title after scoring seven points on five wins and four draws against one lone loss the day after she also obtained the WGM title to become the very first Filipina to ever do so. WGM Frayna, who has a current rating of 2281, can only assume the IM title if she reaches the 2400-rating mark. Frayna's victory plus Shania Mae Mendoza's triumph over WFM Desiree Di Benedetto on board four and a draw by Christy Lamiel Bernales with WFM Daniela Movileanu on board three also lifted the Philippines to the much-needed win over Italy to match 12 other teams with 13 points. China leads with 18 points. The Philippines will take on 12th seed Lithuania in the final round. The lone casualty of the day was WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda, who lost to Marina Brunello on second board. "Janelle (Frayna) had made history by becoming the first Filipina WGM and men's IM title-holder, which she both achieved in this Olympiad," said GM Jayson Gonzales, NCFP executive director. "But our biggest goal is for the team to make it to the top 10, which will be the country's best finish in the women's division if ever we achieve it. And hopefully we could, with everyone's prayers," he added. In the Open section, GM Eugene Torre trounced Fide Master Iain Gourlay as the Philippines beat Scotland, 4-0, while hiking his personal total to nine points on eight wins and two draws in 10 outings. GMs Julio Catalino Sadorra, John Paul Gomez and Rogelio Barcenilla, Jr. downed IM Andrew Meet, GM John Shaw and FM Neil Berry on boards one, two and four, respectively. The Philippine teams, backed the Philippine Sports Commission, has 12 points and will take on Australia in the final round. The US and Ukraine are on top with 18 points. Torre is still a candidate for a medal on board three at No. 5 with a performance rating of 2813. Former teammate GM Wesley So, now representing the US, leads the race with a 2883 rating. Azeri GM Rauf Mamedov is at No. 2 with a 2839 rating followed by Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi at 2837 and Hungarian GM Zoltan Almasi at 2819. Read more at www.spin.ph/chess/news/janelle-mae-frayna-chess-olympiad-2016-philippines-womens-chess-team-#vPzGHCjgcrOiLMUQ.99
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 14, 2016 2:33:38 GMT 8
It is final Asia's first grandmaster 64 y/o Eugene Torre has won the bronze medal in according to him his final Chess Olympiad on Board 3 next to former Philippine top player and current USCF player Wesley So who finished with the gold.
Board 3 medalists(with tournament performance rating)
Gold - Wesley So 2896 Silver - Zoltan Almazi 2845 Bronze - Eugene Torre 2836
Baku Chess Olympiad 2016
Gold - USA (20 Match points, 413.5 SB points) Silver - Ukraine (20 Match points, 404.5 SB points) Bronze - Russia (18 Match points, 419 SB points)
The Philippine men's team(53) finished in 58th place, while the women(46) ended up in 34th spot. Wesley So helped the US win their first gold medal in 40 years with the best performance on the US team in his first Olympiad with them.
Most chess publications are commenting on Eugene Torre's performance at his age.
"But the most inspiring performance of the Olympiad was turned in by So’s mentor, Filipino Grandmaster Eugene Torre. The first grandmaster from Asia, he’s 64 and was playing in his 23rd Olympiad. He went undefeated with 9 wins and 2 draws and won an individual bronze medal for his play."
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 14, 2016 10:35:18 GMT 8
The medalists on Board 3 (Filipinos So with the gold and Torre with the bronze)
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Post by cjeagle on Sept 17, 2016 0:23:57 GMT 8
Eugene Torre: Forever the litmus test for Philippine chess Only Torre has been able to summon his best when playing against the elite For 3 generations, Eugene Torre has been synonymous with chess: its golden age and the era now where it is struggling, bereft of sponsors and all those international tournaments which helped create many fans. Any Filipino will ask how Torre is doing every time there is an international event, or even if they are competing abroad. Wesley So may no longer be playing for us but few care, except his sizeable Filipino fans, for there is still Torre. The Chess Olympiad is over. Filipino chess fans will no longer stay up until midnight or even 1 am to wait for team results and the next day’s pairings. They will no longer fidget, as many did, when Torre struggled for almost 6 hours to defeat Mouthlun Ly of Australia to ensure his 10/11 performance on board 3. That he had the white pieces in 8 of these games seems to be a factor, but the best player still no matter what pieces he handles. They are in chess heaven, for when will we have a 64-year-old grandmaster scoring 10/11 and a 19-year-old honor student becoming the country’s first woman grandmaster? They will be in a high, especially when the team is expected to arrive Thursday evening and hold a press conference Friday noon. There are two chess Facebook sites: Chess Philippines and Chess News and Views, and there will be tales and pictures from the Baku Chess Olympiad. Torre has always been part of the Philippine chess scene since the 1968 Meralco Open, where a 17-year-old showed his wares. It will be unthinkable to visualize Philippine chess without Eugenio Oliveros Torre, who said this was to be his last Olympiad. For only Torre has been able to summon his best when playing against the elite. Torre’s conquest of world champion Anatoly Karpov in 1976 in Manila remains fresh among Filipinos aged 60 and above. Karpov rarely lost at the time. This was big news in chess magazines, especially on how Torre fearlessly attacked the world champion. Even when his giant-killing days appeared over, there was the Torre who would patiently squeeze wins from barren positions, as he did in 2014 in Tromso, as he and Ino Sadorra supported a Philippines weakened by the loss of So and Oliver Barbosa, then the country’s number two. In Baku, Torre regained a part of the skill that made him famous and dreaded. It mirrored his credo as he told Tibor Karolyi in his biography on Torre published this year: "As you get older, you tend to prepare less and become less adventurous. You rely more on experience and it is not practical to play sharply.” In the opening, Torre played quietly. Then in the middlegame, he would start to play, as grandmasters like to say. He would create pressure, generate some tension and sense some weakening in the opponent. In the old days, Torre would cover his eyes to prevent his opponent from reading his intention. Then he tightens the screws: a mating attack or an endgame. It makes no difference. In Baku, he was playing like he was in his 20s, with energy and not taking any breaks. It is no wonder that many Filipinos who used to love chess passionately until their careers demanded their attention would comment joyfully, even Torre wins on Facebook. “HISTORY! UNBEATABLE 10/11! One of the few Filipjnos we can be proud of these days” said lawyer Joe Aspiras. “Admirable. Will always be my idol,” said former ladies champion Glenda Baylon. And the glory years return: when chess was big news in the newspapers, when Torre even acted in the movies, when even presidents gave him awards. Eugene Torre will forever be the litmus test for Philippine chess – whether he retires or plays on. The next generation needs to be reminded of duties they must fufill when they replace him in the national team. www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/other-sports/146260-eugene-torre-forever-litmus-test-philippine-chessEugene was one of the toasts of the tournament playing in a world record 23rd Olympiad and winning a bronze medal in his final tounament. He was the subject of many articles and comments on numerous world chess publications and was a favorite subject of many interviews including this one by former World Women's Champion Susan Polgar:
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Post by cjeagle on Nov 21, 2016 23:49:24 GMT 8
AN exhibition game between Grandmasters Anatoly Karpov of Russia and Eugene Torre will push through sometime in February or March of next year, according to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez. Ramirez said he met with Maxin Ananyin of the Russian embassy on Monday to start laying down the groundworks for an event that will be held at the Club John Hay in Baguio City. “The PSC will take care of the games and we are coordinating everything with the Russian embassy,” said Ramirez. Karpov, 64, was world champion from 1975 to 1985. It was during his reign that Torre came close to challenging him for his world title during the 1983 Candidates Matches, where the Filipino lost to GM Zoltan Ribli of Hungary. Torre, who is Asia’s first grandmaster, defeated Karpov in 1976 during a four-man chess meet in Manila featuring then reigning world champion GM Ljubomir Ljubojevic of Yugoslavia, and American GM Walter Shawn Browne of the U.S. Incidentally, President Duterte recently had a bilateral meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Lima, Peru. Ramirez said they will invite several chess enthusiasts including Sen. Manny Pacquiao to the event. “Mr. Karpov is not only a grandmaster, he is also a Russian senator. He’s part of the Russian parliament. We can invite him not only as one of the most famous chess players in the world but also as a senator,” said Ananyin. Ramirez said the exhibition match is only one of several collaborations between the PSC and its Russian counterpart. “We are looking to bring in Russian coaches to help us in shooting, gymnastics, fencing, and other sports,” said Ramirez. www.spin.ph/psc-poc/news/anatoly-karpov-eugene-torre-exhibition-match-february-march-next-yepsc-russia
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Post by cjeagle on Dec 13, 2016 10:11:22 GMT 8
Wesley So passed the 2800 barrier yesterday in the FIDE chess live rating, and 4th place overall in the Live World FIDE ratings, while participating in the London Chess Classic which is part of the 2016 Grand Chess Tour of 4 tournaments. He is leading the tournament after 4 rounds and is also the favorite to win the Grand Chess Tour overall if he maintains his form in this last tournament.
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