Today is play-off day! The titles in both competitions were already clear after 11 rounds but there were various issues left undecided. A rapid rate of play is employed, as the players may have to play several games before their lot is clear! At first the time limit will be 15 minutes plus an increment of 10 seconds per move. Later, if this doesn't settle the issue then a type of Blitz with 5'+2" is used.
The match (over two games) to determine the silver and Bronze medals:
GM | Artyom Timofeev | RUS | 2655 | GM | Baadur Jobava | GEO | 2695 |
The winner of this match will receive the second prize of 15,000 Euros whereas the loser will have to settle for 11,000.
There will also be the question of how to split the players who finished on 7.5/11, who take about 1,000 Euros each in prize money. Here are the 30 candidates for 12 places including, 29 GMs, one IM, and Bartosz Socko whose wife Monika is also involved in a play-off!
GM | Vladimir Akopian | ARM | 2688 | 7.5 |
GM | Sergei Movsesian | SVK | 2709 | 7.5 |
GM | Bartosz Socko | POL | 2637 | 7.5 |
GM | Vadim Zvjaginsev | RUS | 2643 | 7.5 |
GM | Evgeny Vorobiov | RUS | 2616 | 7.5 |
GM | Evgeny Alekseev | RUS | 2700 | 7.5 |
GM | Igor Kurnosov | RUS | 2674 | 7.5 |
GM | Ferenc Berkes | HUN | 2659 | 7.5 |
GM | Emil Sutovsky | ISR | 2650 | 7.5 |
GM | Rauf Mamedov | AZE | 2639 | 7.5 |
GM | Ivan Sokolov | BIH | 2638 | 7.5 |
GM | Vladimir Potkin | RUS | 2606 | 7.5 |
GM | Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu | ROU | 2661 | 7.5 |
GM | Stelios Halkias | GRE | 2580 | 7.5 |
GM | Bojan Vuckovic | SRB | 2630 | 7.5 |
GM | Pavel Tregubov | RUS | 2625 | 7.5 |
GM | Athanasios Mastrovasilis | GRE | 2511 | 7.5 |
IM | Robert Hovhannisyan | ARM | 2498 | 7.5 |
GM | Denis Khismatullin | RUS | 2657 | 7.5 |
GM | Nikita Maiorov | BLR | 2510 | 7.5 |
GM | Boris Grachev | RUS | 2667 | 7.5 |
GM | Ernesto Inarkiev | RUS | 2667 | 7.5 |
The following eight had the worst tie-break (Median-Buchholz!) and have to compete in the preliminary series of matches:
GM | Zbynek Hracek | CZE | 2615 | 7.5 |
GM | Vladimir Belov | RUS | 2619 | 7.5 |
GM | David Navara | CZE | 2708 | 7.5 |
GM | Gabriel Sargissian | ARM | 2675 | 7.5 |
GM | Sergey Volkov | RUS | 2612 | 7.5 |
GM | David Howell | ENG | 2612 | 7.5 |
GM | Yuri Drozdovskij | UKR | 2627 | 7.5 |
GM | Vlastimil Babula | CZE | 2554 | 7.5 |
As a reminder here is how the qualifiers finished:
Ranking | Title | Name | Nation | Rating | Points | prize in euros |
1 | GM | Ian Nepomniachtchi | RUS | 2656 | 9 | 20,000 |
2= | GM | Artyom Timofeev | RUS | 2655 | 8.5 | 15k or 11k? |
2= | GM | Baadur Jobava | GEO | 2695 | 8.5 | 15k or 11k? |
4= | GM | Igor Lysyj | RUS | 2615 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Zahar Efimenko | UKR | 2640 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Arman Pashikian | ARM | 2652 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Zoltan Almasi | HUN | 2720 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Evgeny Tomashevsky | RUS | 2701 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Ivan Salgado Lopez | ESP | 2592 | 8 | 5,714 |
4= | GM | Maxim Rodshtein | ISR | 2609 | 8 | 5,714 |
Women's championship
The first two places have been decided but there will be a mini-tournament for the bronze medal between five players. The prizes will be adjusted accordingly but if I have understood the rules, the bronze medal and third place will earn 6,500 Euros, whereas the other four players will have to settle for 3625 Euros:
GM | Monika Socko | POL | 2465 |
GM | Marie Sebag | FRA | 2506 |
GM | Tatiana Kosintseva | RUS | 2524 |
WGM | Natalia Zhukova | UKR | 2492 |
IM | Yelena Dembo | GRE | 2457 |
The top seven players have already booked their ticket to the next World Cup:
Ranking | Title | Name | Nation | Rating | Points | Prize in euros |
1 | GM | Pia Cramling | SWE | 2523 | 9 | 10,000 |
2 | IM | Viktorija Cmilyte | LTU | 2485 | 8.5 | 8,000 |
3= | GM | Monika Socko | POL | 2465 | 8 | 6.5k or 3625? |
3= | GM | Marie Sebag | FRA | 2506 | 8 | 6.5k or 3625? |
3= | GM | Tatiana Kosintseva | RUS | 2524 | 8 | 6.5k or 3625? |
3= | WGM | Natalia Zhukova | UKR | 2492 | 8 | 6.5k or 3625? |
3= | IM | Yelena Dembo | GRE | 2457 | 8 | 6.5k or 3625? |
The six lowest placed of the players on 7.5 have to fight it out in play-off matches to eliminate three players.
8= | GM | Antoaneta Stefanova | BUL | 2555 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Anna Muzychuk | SLO | 2533 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Nadezhda Kosintseva | RUS | 2554 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Mariya Muzychuk | UKR | 2444 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
The unlucky gladiators will be:
8= | IM | Ekaterina Kovalevskaya | RUS | 2438 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Nino Khurtsidze | GEO | 2434 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | WFM | Nastassia Ziaziulkina | BLR | 2188 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Almira Skripchenko | FRA | 2456 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Anna Ushenina | UKR | 2452 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
8= | IM | Iweta Rajlich | POL | 2459 | 7.5 | 1,500 |
More information on the official tournament site