Sportaccord World Mind Games 2011 are being held from 9th to 16th December in Beijing, China. The prize fund for the various events is 320,000 USD but all players are guaranteed a minimum prize / fee of 4,000 USD for open event participants and 2,000 USD for the womens’ event participants.
Competitions:
9th – 11th December, Rapid Events (Open and Women – 16 players each)
12th – 13th December, Blitz Events (Open and Women – 16 players each)
14th – 16th December, Blindfold Event (Open and Women – 8 players each) and Pairs Event (8 teams of two players)
LIVE Games with analysis – Men / LIVE Games with analysis – Women
After three days and seven rounds of play the rapid competitions have concluded. Former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk convincingly won the women event with 6.0 points, point and a half ahead of the chasing pack.
Kateryna Lahno took the silver while Nana Dzagnidze earned bronze.
In the men rapid the local GM Wang Hao maintained the lead throughout the event, and despite the defeat in the penultimate round, he took a clear first place and gold medal with 5.5 points.
Vugar Gashimov started the tournament with a loss, but then quickly added speed, defeating the winner in the process, to eventually finish second with 5.0 points. Gata Kamsky is clear third with 4.5.
Sportaccord World Mind Games Rapid – Men
Final standings:
1. GM Wang Hao CHN 2736 – 5.5
2. GM Gashimov Vugar AZE 2757 – 5
3. GM Kamsky Gata USA 2732 – 4.5
4. GM Dominguez Perez Leinier CUB 2712 – 4
5. GM Ponomariov Ruslan UKR 2723 – 4
6. GM Grischuk Alexander RUS 2752 – 4
7. GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar AZE 2733 – 3.5
8. GM Wang Yue CHN 2697 – 3.5
9. GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2710 – 3.5
10. GM Karjakin Sergey RUS 2763 – 3.5
11. GM Nielsen Peter Heine DEN 2693 – 3
12. GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2705 – 2.5
13. GM Almasi Zoltan HUN 2707 – 2.5
14. GM Le Quang Liem VIE 2714 – 2.5
15. GM Giri Anish NED 2714 – 2.5
16. GM Ivanchuk Vassily UKR 2775 – 2
Sportaccord World Mind Games Rapid – Women
Final standings:
1. GM Kosteniuk Alexandra RUS 2439 – 6
2. GM Lahno Kateryna UKR 2549 – 4.5
3. GM Dzagnidze Nana GEO 2516 – 4.5
4. WGM Ju Wenjun CHN 2543 – 4.5
5. GM Harika Dronavalli IND 2512 – 4
6. GM Hou Yifan CHN 2578 – 4
7. IM Muzychuk Anna SLO 2562 – 4
8. IM Dembo Yelena GRE 2468 – 3.5
9. GM Cramling Pia SWE 2495 – 3.5
10. GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2531 – 3.5
11. IM Paehtz Elisabeth GER 2457 – 3
12. GM Socko Monika POL 2479 – 3
13. GM Cmilyte Viktorija LTU 2503 – 2.5
14. IM Skripchenko Almira FRA 2468 – 2
15. IM Zatonskih Anna USA 2506 – 2
16. GM Danielian Elina ARM 2497 – 1.5
World Mind Games in mainstream media
World Mind Games – SportAccord website
