European Championship – prepare for a Wednesday spectacle

by ChessBase
3/17/2009 – Eleven players finished the European Championship with 8.0/11 points, which produces a tiebreak spectacle tomorrow, starting at 10:00 a.m. local time. A final decision on what will transpire will be taken late tonight by the Technical Commission. It will probably be a knockout system with byes in the first round. If you are on the Playchess server at 10 a.m. you can watch the drama unfold.
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10th European Individual Chess Championship
in Budva, Montenegro, March 5-19th, 2009

This tournament is being organised by the Montenegro Chess Federation, the City of Budva and the European Chess Union. It is taking place in Budva, Montenegro, in the Congress Hall of the “Splendid Spa & Resort Hotel”. The event is an 11-round Swiss, with a playing rate of 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one.

The total prize fund of the Individual European Championship is 120,000 Euros. First prize is € 15,000, second is € 12,000, third € 10,000 up to 25th prize, which is € 1,000. According to Montenegro law all prizes are taxable (maximum 10%). The first 22 players will in addition qualify for the World Cup.

Top final standings after eleven rounds (7.5/11 and higher)

Rk. Ti. Name Nat. Rtng. Pts.  TB1   TB2  Perf.
1 GM Sokolov Ivan NED 2657 8.0 63.0 76.5 2763
2 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2656 8.0 62.5 76.0 2778
3 GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2693 8.0 62.5 76.0 2767
4 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny RUS 2664 8.0 62.0 75.5 2724
5 GM Navara David CZE 2638 8.0 60.5 74.0 2747
6 GM Malakhov Vladimir RUS 2692 8.0 60.5 73.5 2749
7 GM Grachev Boris RUS 2655 8.0 60.0 73.0 2726
8 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2669 8.0 59.5 71.5 2765
9 GM Kobalia Mikhail RUS 2634 8.0 59.0 72.0 2748
10 GM Guseinov Gadir AZE 2661 8.0 57.5 70.0 2718
11 GM Nyback Tomi FIN 2644 8.0 54.5 66.5 2716
12 GM Meier Georg GER 2608 7.5 63.5 76.5 2727
13 GM Nijboer Friso NED 2559 7.5 62.0 74.0 2739
14 GM Fedorchuk Sergey A UKR 2633 7.5 61.5 75.5 2714
15 GM Timofeev Artyom RUS 2671 7.5 61.5 74.0 2712
16 GM Sjugirov Sanan RUS 2562 7.5 61.5 73.5 2746
17 GM Bartel Mateusz POL 2594 7.5 60.5 73.5 2727
18 GM Mamedov Rauf AZE 2638 7.5 59.5 72.5 2713
19 GM Areshchenko Alexander UKR 2673 7.5 59.0 70.5 2675
20 GM Stevic Hrvoje CRO 2592 7.5 59.0 70.5 2699
21 GM Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2687 7.5 58.5 71.5 2703
22 GM Dreev Alexey RUS 2688 7.5 58.0 71.0 2698
23 GM Bologan Viktor MDA 2687 7.5 58.0 70.5 2710
24 GM Kurnosov Igor RUS 2602 7.5 57.5 70.5 2692
25 GM Lupulescu Constantin ROU 2608 7.5 57.5 69.0 2640
26 GM Papaioannou Ioannis GRE 2609 7.5 56.5 69.0 2707
27 GM Mikhalevski Victor ISR 2608 7.5 56.0 69.0 2667
28 GM Motylev Alexander RUS 2676 7.5 56.0 68.5 2655
29 GM Pashikian Arman ARM 2621 7.5 55.0 67.0 2652
30 GM Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter ROU 2675 7.5 53.5 66.0 2671
31 GM Petrosian Tigran L ARM 2623 7.5 52.5 63.5 2645
32 GM Svetushkin Dmitry MDA 2593 7.5 51.5 62.5 2589
33 GM Sakaev Konstantin RUS 2619 7.5 51.0 63.0 2637
34 GM Savchenko Boris RUS 2654 7.5 50.0 61.0 2596

Tiebreaks

The technical Commission decided late at night that the following system would be used: the six players with the lowest tiebreak points will play two-game rapid chess (15 minutes + 5 seconds) matches against each other, with 5/4 armageddon games in case of ties. The winners then play against the three players with the highest tiebreak points, while the two players in the middle (Tomashevsky and Navara) play against each other. The system is the same (rapid and armageddon). The tiebreaks are then continued in the regular fashion. Pairing tables are already up.

There will also be tiebreak matches (same system) for World Cup qualification with fourteen participants. Pairings are available here. The tiebreak games are expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. Thanks to Playchess Sysop Holger Lieske for providing this information.

Some of tomorrow's tiebreakers

Rk. Ti. Name Nat. Rtng. Pts. Perf.
2 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2656 8.0 2778

3 GM Naiditsch Arkadij GER 2693 8.0 2767

5 GM Navara David CZE 2638 8.0 2747

8 GM Jobava Baadur GEO 2669 8.0 2765

9 GM Kobalia Mikhail RUS 2634 8.0 2748

Photos by Nebojsa Baralic

Links

Key games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse the PGN games.
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