Galina Strutinskaya and Vladimir Okhotnik are 2011 World Senior Champions

Galina Strutinskaya and Vladimir Okhotnik are 2011 World Senior Champions

The 21st World Senior Chess Championships were held in Opatija, Croatia, from November 14th to November 27th.

The Championships were organized by the Chess club “Rijeka” in agreement with Croatian Chess Federation, under the auspices of the Mountain-litoral County, the City of Rijeka and the City of Opatija.

The 21st World Senior Chess Championship for men and women was open to all players representing the FIDE Chess Federations, regardless of their title or rating, providing that the male tournament participants were born in 1951 or before, and that the female tournament participants were born in 1961 or before.

The title of the World Senior Champion remains in the French possession as IM Vladimir Okhotnik defeated the earlier leader GM Bojan Kurajica in the last round and took a clear first place with 9 points from eleven games. Last year champion was GM Anatoly Vaisser, also from France.

According to the Championship Regulations, Okhotnik will be awarded with the Grandmaster title following the next FIDE Presidential Board.

The local GM Davorin Komljenovic snatched a silver medal after edging GM Gennadij Timoscenko from Slovakia on better tie-break. Timoscenko takes the bronze medal home. Full standings bellow.

In the Women Senior Championship WIM Galina Strutinskaya from Russia takes the winner’s trophy after finishing clear first with 8.5 points. Another fine result for the competitors from Georgia as WFM Nino Melashvili won a silver medal, while WGM Ludmila Saunina takes the bronze.

The total prize fund was 15.000 EUR. Official website.

Final top 10 standings (Women):

1. WIM Strutinskaya Galina N RUS 2277 – 8.5
2. WFM Melashvili Nino GEO 2106 – 8
3. WGM Saunina Ludmila RUS 2274 – 8
4. GM Gaprindashvili Nona GEO 2360 – 7.5
5. WIM Thipsay Bagyashree Sathe IND 2152 – 7.5
6. WGM Fatalibekova Elena RUS 2285 – 6.5
7. WGM Khmiadashvili Tamar GEO 2166 – 6.5
8. WIM Miednikova Swietlana RUS 2165 – 6.5
9. WIM Bilunova Rimma I RUS 2151 – 6.5
10. WFM Lopatin Olga GER 2091 – 6.5
11. WIM Fomina Tatyana EST 2215 – 6.5

Final top 15 standings (Open):

1. IM Okhotnik Vladimir FRA 2427 – 9
2. GM Komljenovic Davorin CRO 2451 – 8.5
3. GM Timoscenko Gennadij SVK 2483 – 8.5
4. GM Vaisser Anatoly FRA 2555 – 8
5. GM Kurajica Bojan BIH 2532 – 8
6. GM Cebalo Miso CRO 2446 – 8
7. GM Rajkovic Dusan SRB 2416 – 8
8. GM Balashov Yuri S RUS 2443 – 8
9. GM Hulak Krunoslav CRO 2480 – 7.5
10. GM Kovacevic Vlatko CRO 2482 – 7.5
11. IM Zhelnin Vladimir V RUS 2430 – 7.5
12. GM Chernikov Oleg L RUS 2402 – 7.5
13. GM Jansa Vlastimil CZE 2478 – 7.5
14. GM Suba Mihai ROU 2458 – 7.5
15. IM Leskovar Mario ARG 2316 – 7.5
16. FM Mishuchkov Nikolai M RUS 2418 – 7.5
17. IM Lederman Leon ISR 2267 – 7.5
18. IM Pritchett Craig W SCO 2343 – 7.5
19. IM Wittmann Walter AUT 2269 – 7.5