World Senior Championship Kicks Off
The World Senior Championship 2024 commenced on November 17 at the picturesque Hotel Vila Baleira in Porto Santo, Portugal. This prestigious event features nearly 200 players competing across various categories: Open +50, Open +65, and a combined Women's section, with a total prize fund of €42,500.
In the women's competition, the organizers, FIDE, along with the Portuguese Chess Federation (FPX), merged two categories into one, showcasing 33 female players. Leading the pack is the legendary Nona Gaprindashvili, a former Women's World Champion and the first female player to earn the GM title.
Kiril Georgiev (BUL, 2553) and Zurab Sturua (GEO, 2502) are the top seeds in the Open +50 and Open +65 categories, respectively. All tournaments are conducted in an 11-round Swiss format with classical time controls.
In the opening round, Nona Gaprindashvili faced a surprising challenge, drawing with Olga Birkholz (Germany, 1875). In the Open +50 category, notable results included Gregory Kaidanov (USA, 2534) drawing with Portuguese FM Fernando Ribeiro (2125), and Klaus Bischoff (Germany, 2445) struggling against Alan Minnican (Scotland, 2071).
In the 65+ section, German GM Rainer Knaak (2458) drew against Argentinian FM Marcelo Ibar (2044), while the standout victory came from Abir Har-Even of Israel over IM Vladislav Nasybullin (Kazakhstan, 2374).
FPX is actively streaming 40 games on Lichess, and live footage is available on YouTube and Twitch.
Photos:
Credits: Federação Portuguesa de Xadrez
Official website: worldsenior.fpx.pt
Technical info on Chess-Results: Open 50+ | Open 65+ | Women's
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