The 2012 Iran Chess Championship for men (for the year 1391 according to Iranian calendar) took place from 7th to 15th December at the Sistan & Baloochestan University in Zahedan. 

This time 31 players including three Grandmasters and three International Masters competed over the 11 rounds of Swiss pairing system.

GM Asghar Golizadeh had a good performance in this event, won 9 points from 11 games, and celebrated his first title of the national champion. He lost only one game against Amirreza Pourramezanali.

IM Pouria Darini had a wonderful chance to claim the title, but the single loss at the hands of GM Homayoon Tofighi in the 10th round broke his winning streak and landed him on the 2nd place with total of 7.5 points.

The most pleasant surprise of the event was Ahmad Asgarizadeh, the 14-years old who collected 7.5 points and placed third. With the elo performance of 2468 Asgarizadeh earned 62.7 rating points and also qualified to play for the national team.

Another surprise was the form of the defending and 10-times champion of Iran GM Ehsan Ghaem Maghami, who suffered three losses in this tournament. Ghaem Maghami eventually earned 7 points and landed on the fifth place, but once again he has a chance to play for the national team (top five qualify).

News by Ali Ghaemmaghami, iranianchess.ir

Final standings (top 20):

1 GM Golizadeh Asghar 2476 – 8.5
2 IM Darini Pouria 2522 – 7.5
3 Asgarizadeh Ahmad 2171 – 7.5
4 GM Toufighi Homayoon 2440 – 7.5
5 GM Ghaem Maghami Ehsan 2572 – 7
6 FM Kowsarinia Amir 2289 – 7
7 FM Javanbakht Nima 2406 – 7
8 IM Darban Morteza 2384 – 7
9 IM Ahmadinia Ebrahim 2363 – 6.5
10 Nasri Amin 2304 – 6.5
11 Vaghar Mohsen 2225 – 6.5
12 Mousavi Seyed Khalil 2246 – 6
13 Noroozi Omid 2366 – 6
14 Khademi Mohammad Miran 2296 – 5.5
15 FM Sadeh Shahin 2316 – 5.5
16 Asgari Morteza 2300 – 5.5
17 FM Lorparizangeneh Shahin 2190 – 5.5
18 Bakhtiari Kish Mazdak 2162 – 5.5
19 Faghirnavaz Ali 2317 – 5.5
20 Sedaghati Mehrdad 2165 – 5

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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