Schoolboy puts check on Grand Masters
By SUE FEA in Queenstown – The Southland Times Saturday, 24 January 2009
A 12-year-old Auckland schoolboy and an “almost” grand master have provided the main upsets at the international Queenstown Chess Classic this week.
While David Smerdon has climbed through the rankings notching up seven out of a potential eight points with three international grand masters on his tail, 12-year-old Daniel Shen, of Auckland, has definitely been turning heads.
Daniel was one of New Zealand’s rising junior players and was yesterday vying for the New Zealand champion title at the prestigious $50,000 tournament, which has attracted 120 competitors, about 80 of them from overseas, chief organiser Paul Spiller said.
Daniel was tied with six-times New Zealand champion Anthony Ker yesterday.
Among the competitors playing for the $10,000 first prize are nine international grand masters, three of them tied for second place late yesterday, including Israeli top seed Victor Mikhalavski, who was asked to withdraw by Global Peace and Justice Auckland as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
After today’s big playoff for the top placings contestants would wind down from nine days of intense concentration with the New Zealand Rapidplay and lightning championships held tomorrow and Monday.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz
Queenstown Chess Classic 2009 – Final Results
Cross Table
No Name Feder Rtg Title Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 Smerdon, David C AUS 2463 im 8 65:1 23:1 42:1 3:½ 13:½ 40:1 2:1 4:1 6:1 5:0
2 Rozentalis, Eduardas LTU 2590 gm 7.5 67:1 40:1 25:1 16:1 0:½ 5:1 1:0 12:1 3:½ 8:½
3 Mikhalevski, Victor ISR 2608 gm 7.5 68:1 19:1 33:1 1:½ 7:1 11:½ 0:½ 5:1 2:½ 4:½
4 Bischoff, Klaus GER 2545 gm 7.5 85:1 21:1 15:½ 8:1 5:½ 18:1 9:1 1:0 19:1 3:½
5 Jones, Gawain ENG 2540 gm 7.5 63:1 22:1 29:1 51:1 4:½ 2:0 10:1 3:0 9:1 1:1
6 Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios GRE 2580 gm 7.5 79:1 24:½ 36:1 12:1 14:½ 29:1 0:½ 8:1 1:0 16:1
7 Johannessen, Leif Erlend NOR 2539 gm 7.5 80:1 37:1 39:½ 15:1 3:0 17:1 14:1 13:½ 18:½ 12:1
8 Wohl, Aleksander H AUS 2342 im 7 71:1 58:½ 56:1 4:0 46:1 41:1 11:1 6:0 32:1 2:½
9 Dragicevic, Domagoj AUS 2205 7 93:1 12:0 84:1 33:1 34:1 26:1 4:0 38:1 5:0 31:1
10 Chow, Samuel AUS 2267 7 61:1 100:1 12:0 44:1 16:1 14:½ 5:0 39:1 13:½ 35:1
11 Johansen, Darryl K AUS 2455 gm 7 17:0 61:1 69:1 23:1 31:1 3:½ 8:0 42:1 15:½ 18:1
12 Goldenberg, Igor AUS 2398 fm 6.5 59:1 9:1 10:1 6:0 19:½ 28:1 25:1 2:0 27:1 7:0
13 Wells, Peter ENG 2513 gm 6.5 72:1 30:1 103:½ 39:½ 1:½ 20:½ 40:1 7:½ 10:½ 19:½
14 Hecht, Hans-Joachim GER 2394 gm 6.5 76:1 56:½ 58:1 103:1 6:½ 10:½ 7:0 21:½ 34:1 22:½
15 Ker, Anthony NZL 2321 im 6.5 73:1 97:1 4:½ 7:0 71:1 55:1 51:½ 27:½ 11:½ 21:½
16 Solomon, Stephen J AUS 2460 im 6.5 81:1 35:1 20:1 2:0 10:0 36:½ 46:1 24:1 25:1 6:0
17 Brown, Andrew AUS 1987 6.5 11:1 34:1 32:0 24:1 39:1 7:0 29:1 18:0 42:1 25:½
18 Saw, Geoffrey AUS 2257 fm 6.5 0:½ 0:½ 72:1 68:1 51:1 4:0 43:1 17:1 7:½ 11:0
19 Reilly, Tim AUS 2256 fm 6.5 83:1 3:0 86:1 85:1 12:½ 0:½ 68:1 26:1 4:0 13:½
20 Lyell, Mark ENG 2287 fm 6.5 74:1 44:1 16:0 43:½ 69:1 13:½ 27:0 53:1 23:½ 45:1
21 Drummond, Matthew AUS 2236 6.5 107:1 4:0 76:1 78:1 29:0 0:½ 54:1 14:½ 38:1 15:½
22 Ikeda, Junta AUS 2247 6.5 75:1 5:0 60:1 88:1 26:0 70:1 38:0 69:1 33:1 14:½
23 Stojic, Dusan AUS 2219 6.5 104:1 1:0 73:1 11:0 49:1 71:1 26:0 29:1 20:½ 41:1
24 Illingworth, Max AUS 2250 6.5 84:1 6:½ 52:½ 17:0 80:1 54:½ 45:1 16:0 44:1 39:1