Normunds Miezis first in 2013 Swiss Championship, Kosteniuk takes national title

The 2013 Swiss National Chess Championship was held on 11th-19th July in Grächen, district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

Latvian GM Normunds Miezis finished first after obtaining 7 points in the 9 rounds played. He edged the early leader and first seed GM Christian Bauer.

Bauer arrived to the last round as the sole leader, but could not defeat former women’s world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk with white.

Meanwhile, Miezis defeated German FM Ralf-Axel Simon to catch the French Grandmaster and eventually get first place on tiebreaks.

Six players finished half a point behind the winners. French GM Andrei Sokolov got the best tiebreak score among them to take home the third prize. Standings below.

For the first time in the 113-years long history of Swiss Championship a woman won the absolute national title. Former world champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (who holds dual citizenship) defeated IM Ralph Buss 2-0 in the playoff to claim the honors.

Tournament website

Final Standings:

1	GM	Miezis Normunds	LAT	2548	7
2	GM	Bauer Christian	FRA	2637	7
3	GM	Sokolov Andrei	FRA	2563	6.5
4	GM	Stojanovic Mihajlo	SRB	2564	6.5
5	GM	Raetsky Alexander	RUS	2412	6.5
6	IM	Buss Ralph	SUI	2395	6.5
7	GM	Kosteniuk Alexandra	SUI	2521	6.5
8	GM	Gallagher Joseph	SUI	2526	6.5
9	IM	Huss Andreas	SUI	2365	6
10	GM	Cebalo Miso	CRO	2438	6
11	FM	Simon Ralf-Axel	GER	2203	6
12	IM	Gerber Richard	SUI	2449	6
13	IM	Klauser Markus	SUI	2382	5.5
14	FM	Friedrich Norbert	SUI	2315	5.5
15	FM	Lötscher Roland	SUI	2406	5.5
16	IM	Carron Julien	SUI	2376	5.5
17	IM	Känel Hans-Jürg	SUI	2331	5.5
18	IM	Habibi Ali	GER	2265	5.5
19		Schneuwly Achim	SUI	2070	5.5
20		Urban Lars	GER	2145	5.5
21		Sprenger Raphael	SUI	2086	5.5
22	FM	Hugentobler Patrik	SUI	2238	5
23		Meylan André	SUI	2183	5
24		Levrand Roland	SUI	2162	5
25		Saikrishnan Sai	SUI	1979	5
26	FM	Burnier David	SUI	2358	5
27		Pomini Aurélien	SUI	2165	5
28	FM	Grandadam Nicolas	SUI	2344	5
29		Wirz Heinz	SUI	2155	5
30	IM	Lombard André	SUI	2364	5
31		Arcuti Davide	SUI	2081	5
32		Salzgeber Frank	SUI	2209	5
33		Michaelis Nico	GER	2130	5
34		Angst Robin	SUI	2112	5
35		Turkmani Julian	SUI	2071	5
36	WFM	Stoeri Laura	SUI	2186	4.5
37		Bluhm Sonja	GER	2043	4.5
38	WGM	Hund Barbara	SUI	2195	4.5
39		Zahn Alina	GER	1968	4.5
40		Sprotte Norbert	GER	2144	4.5
41		Räber Markus	SUI	2245	4.5
42		Leutwyler Martin	SUI	2225	4.5
43		Staechelin Ruedi	SUI	2096	4.5
44		Allgaier Erik	GER	2034	4.5
45		Züst Leonard	SUI	2037	4.5
46		Jenal Jürg	SUI	2127	4.5
47		Sierra Robin	SUI	1904	4.5
48		Schweizer Samuel	SUI	1925	4.5
49		Marro Christian	SUI	1995	4.5
50		Paladini Jean-Michel	SUI	2106	4.5
51		Schweizer Simon	SUI	2154	4.5
52		Künzli Simon	SUI	2037	4
53		Bischofberger Dario	SUI	1973	4
54		Vifian Heinz	SUI	1950	4
55		Arquint Andri	SUI	2023	4
56		Dietiker Manuel	SUI	1954	4
57		Catsiapis Yiannis	SUI	1939	4
58		Wyss Peter A.	SUI	2045	4
59		Bohrer Ruth	SUI	1902	4
60		Felder Thomas	SUI	1922	4
61		Noyer Olivier	SUI	2016	4
62		Thürig Catherine	SUI	2019	4
63		Nazarenus Olaf	GER	2139	4
64		Schröter Michael	SUI	2044	4
65		Deubelbeiss René	SUI	2081	3.5
66		Zaza Ludovic	SUI	2039	3.5
67		Zindel Ernst	SUI	1967	3.5
68		Graf Silvio	SUI	1952	3.5
69		Hund Sarah	SUI	1895	3.5
70		Haas Adrian	SUI	1907	3.5
71		Doenni Alfred	SUI	1992	3.5
72		Li Jingle	SUI	2123	3.5
73		Eschle Hubert	GER	1929	3.5
74		Wyss Ewald	SUI	1938	3.5
75		Toenz Arthur	FRA	1865	3.5
76		Nguyen Nam-Khang	SUI	1869	3.5
77		Schafer Ezio	SUI	2008	3
78		Meier Anton	SUI	1918	3
79		Grillon Cédric	SUI	1890	3
80		Schwander Lukas	SUI	1997	3
81		Germann Martin	SUI	1861	3
82		Wolfensberger Matthias	SUI	1931	2.5
83		Bühler Ueli	SUI	1836	2.5
84		Limacher Armin	SUI	1909	2.5
85		Todeschini Gabriele	SUI	1966	2
86		Hubacher Fabian	SUI	1858	2
87		Künzi Mark	SUI	1900	2