International Chess Tournament in Fajr, Iran

Report by Fide Master Arash Akbarinia 

International chess tournament in Fajr, Iran

11.03.2008 – It is not often that we can report from a chess event in this part of the world. Located in the north-western part of Iran, in spitting distance of Mosul and Kirkuk, the city of Urmia – Orumiyeh in Persian – played host to the sixteenth International Fajr Chess Tournament. It was in commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. FM Arash Akbarinia reports.

Sixteenth International Fajr Men's Chess Tournament

Report by FM Arash Akbarinia

It was twenty-nine years ago that the Iranian Revolution took place, the Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi fled to Cairo and the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to the power. Annually, at the anniversary of this revolution, which has been called "the third great revolution in history" following the French and Bolshevik revolutions, many cultural and sport Festivals are held in Iran. This year among all, there was a Chess Festival divided in two sections, the Sixteenth International Fajr Men Chess Tournament and the First International Women Fajr Chess Tournament, which took place in Urmia, 907 km from the capital Tehran.

The name Urmia is thought by some to have come from Syriac, the language of the city's Assyrian founders: Ur, meaning "cradle," and mia, meaning "water." Hence, Urmia, situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water. The official name in Persian is "Orumiyeh"

The Sixteenth International Fajr Men Chess Tournament included 247 players from 14 countries, included seven grandmasters and 16 IMs. They competed in an eleven-round Swiss tournament, with the Fide Standard Time Control (90 Minutes+30 seconds per move).

After eleven rounds and all the problems and disorganizations that turned up in tournament, which even the state television admitted to them, GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, the Iranian top ranked player, emerged as the winner, quite convincing with 9.5 points. He received a prize of US $3,500.

GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, 2589, champion of last and this year Fajr Tournament.

IM Avetik Grigoryan, the nineteenth-years-old Armenian took the second place and 3000 USD with 9 points and also a GM Norm. Third place went to the Georgia, IM Davit Magalashvili 8.5 points, thanks to his better tie-break, but the prize fund was shared between 5 players.

IM Avetik Grigoryan, 2509, really deserved the GM Norm that he achieved. In the last round he beat FM Mohsen Sharbaf, 2407, from Iran (right).

The Bronze Medalist IM Davit Magalashvili 2449

Final rankings after 11 rounds

• All games in PGN (140 KB) or zipped PGN (34 KB)

GM Levan Pantsulaia 2629 from Georgia, the tap ranked at the start of the tournament. He was not in good form, losing to a host player at the second round, whose rating was 2140, Pantsulaia took the sixth place with 8.5 points.

Georgian GM Konstantine Shanava, 2521, playing with his rings during the game! He took the fourth place.

Friends : IA Azaad Belal from Iraq with the Deputy Manager and Iranian IA Hamid Reza Pourshahmari, the Chief Arbiter of men section

Blind player Mehdi Roomifard, who surprised everyone with his good results, even beating some of the international rating holders.

Twenty-two-year old FM Hamed Mousavian 2349, student of Physical Education, won his first GM Norm, in the round nine.

In the women section, which started one day later and finished one day earlier, 70 chess players from five countries, included one WGM, one IM and eight WIMs, fought for the top prize, US $1,500, in a nine-round Swiss tournament. In the end, after nine rounds, four players, two from Georgia and two from Armenia, shared first place, with seven points. In the tie-break, WIM Nino Batsiashvili from Georgia took Gold. Her fellow-countrywoman WIM Sopiko Tereladze became the vice-champion.

The Champion: WIM Nino Batsiashvili 2317 from Georgia.

If Nino was Iranian or Muslim, I would have thought she was religious, because she did not let a single strand of hair come out of her headscarf. I think the Hijab was the biggest problem for our ladies guests.

Silver Medalist Georgian WIM Sopiko Tereladze, 2195

WIM Lilit Galojan from Armenia took the third place. WIM Siranush Andriasian, also from Armenia, was pretty unlucky and went to the fourth place, due to her unfortunate Buchholz tiebreak

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