Statement of the ECU President Boris Kutin

Regarding the World Woman Chess Championship in Nalchik

Following the recent dramatic developments in South Ossetia and the public reaction of certain chess players concerning the World Women's Championship in Nalchik (Russia), I would like to emphasize that mixing politics with sports is clearly against the spirit of the international chess community. Always and everywhere. From my side I cannot see any alternative other than organising this event as planned and doing everything possible in order for all participants of the World Championship to arrive in Nalchik and start, without any postponement, the battle for the highest title in women's chess.

Gens Una Sumus!

Boris Kutin
President of the European Chess Union

WJCC8: Wesley So drew with Sanikidze in round 8

One of the two leaders of the tourney, IM Braun Arik of Germany

GM Wesley So drew his match against Georgian IM Sanikidze Tornike (2486), in the 8th round but remains a point behind the leaders, GM Li Chao B of China and IM Braun Arik of Germany with 6 1/2 points. Haridas Pascua on the other hand suffered his fourth loss of the tournament by bowing to Indian IM Arun Prasad Subramanian (2492) and virtually shut out his chances of landing into top ten finish in the tournament. Wesley will be facing a tougher opposition in the 9th round, Ukranian GM Kravtsiv Martyn (2555). Haridas will be up against FM Narmontas Matas (2369) of Lithuania.

- Official Web Site
- Photograph courtesy of WJCC8

Rank after round 8
Rank	SNo.		Name	Rtg	FED	Pts	Fide	Rtg+/-	Ra	Rp
1	6	GM	LI Chao B	2590	CHN	6½	31	16	2507	2758
2	23	IM	BRAUN Arik	2533	GER	6½	30	22	2496	2747
3	14	GM	HOWELL David	2561	ENG	6	30½	14	2500	2693
4	28	GM	SAFARLI Eltaj	2527	AZE	6	30	17	2489	2682
5	16	WGM	HOU Yifan	2557	CHN	6	29	13	2490	2683
6	20	GM	POPOV Ivan	2549	RUS	6	28	10	2450	2643
7	2	GM	RODSHTEIN Maxim	2605	ISR	6	26	5	2452	2640
8	34	IM	SANIKIDZE Tornike	2486	GEO	5½	26½	18	2502	2636
9	11	GM	SO Wesley	2577	PHI	5½	26	4	2476	2617
10	9	GM	NGUYEN Ngoc Truong Son	2579	VIE	5½	25½	4	2476	2617
	17	IM	KRAVTSIV Martyn	2555	UKR	5½	25½	3	2442	2583
	29	IM	MELKUMYAN Hrant	2507	ARM	5½	25½	11	2461	2602
13	26	GM	NEGI Parimerjan	2529	IND	5½	24½	7	2445	2586
14	3	GM	ANDREIKIN Dmitry	2604	RUS	5½	23	-2	2433	2564
15	52		LIN Chen	2417	CHN	5	27	19	2562	2512
16	25	GM	BRKIC Ante	2530	CRO	5	26½	9	2515	2610
17	13	GM	AMIN Bassem	2561	EGY	5	25	-2	2451	2546
	19	GM	GUPTA Abhijeet	2551	IND	5	25	-3	2431	2526
	22	GM	LEON HOYOS Manuel	2543	MEX	5	25	4	2482	2577
20	10	GM	LE QUANG Liem	2577	VIE	5	24½	-2	2462	2557
	33	GM	WEN Yang	2487	CHN	5	24½	3	2408	2499
22	8	GM	ZHIGALKO Sergei	2583	BLR	5	24	-1	2483	2578
	31	IM	ARUN Prasad Subramanian	2492	IND	5	24	-2	2356	2443
24	24	GM	RAMIREZ Alejandro	2531	CRC	5	23½	1	2436	2525
25	30	IM	HAMMER Jon Ludvig	2494	NOR	5	23	-4	2355	2450
26	47	IM	KALASHIAN David	2432	ARM	5	22½	12	2504	2461
27	1	GM	MAMEDOV Rauf	2627	AZE	5	22	-9	2440	2535
	4	GM	LAZNICKA Viktor	2601	CZE	5	22	-6	2444	2539
	35	FM	NECHEPURENKO Roman	2476	RUS	5	22	7	2441	2530
30	36	IM	BOROS Denes	2472	HUN	5	21½	1	2374	2460
	37	IM	CAN Emre	2460	TUR	5	21½	9	2452	2547
32	21	IM	SJUGIROV Sanan	2545	RUS	5	21	-6	2383	2477
	40	IM	SENGUPTA Deep	2454	IND	5	21	10	2444	2518

Wesley So, Haridas Pascua beats their Indian rivals in the 7th round

Still within the striking distance

GM Wesley So scored a much needed victory against his Indian IM rival, Arun Prasad Subramanian (2492) in the seventh round to move closer within a striking distance of the title with 7 more rounds left to play. With the victory, So, who remains unbeaten, is just a point behind the leaders, GM Howel David of England and IM Braun Arik of Germany. He is now tied with 9 other players for 6 to 14 th place with 5 points. Meanwhile, Haridas Pascua is making a minor rally of his own by upseting IM Kore Akshayraj (2392) also of India. Haridas now has improve his record after luckluster start with 4 points which puts him in tied for 27-51 place. In the 8th round, Wesley So will be up against IM Sanikidze Tornike (2486) of Georgia while Haridas will be facing another Indian opponent, Arun Prasad Subramanian (2492).

- Tournament official Website

- Photo courtesy of WJCC8 site

Rank after round 7
Rank	SNo.		Name	Rtg	FED	Pts	Fide	Rtg+/-	Ra	Rp
1	14	GM	HOWELL David	2561	ENG	6	24½	18	2488	2797
2	23	IM	BRAUN Arik	2533	GER	6	23½	22	2491	2800
3	6	GM	LI Chao B	2590	CHN	5½	24½	12	2499	2729
4	28	GM	SAFARLI Eltaj	2527	AZE	5½	24	17	2482	2712
5	16	WGM	HOU Yifan	2557	CHN	5½	23	13	2477	2707
6	20	GM	POPOV Ivan	2549	RUS	5	22	7	2455	2613
	52		LIN Chen	2417	CHN	5	22	22	2565	2556
8	25	GM	BRKIC Ante	2530	CRO	5	21½	13	2503	2661
9	34	IM	SANIKIDZE Tornike	2486	GEO	5	21	16	2491	2641
10	11	GM	SO Wesley	2577	PHI	5	20½	6	2475	2633
11	2	GM	RODSHTEIN Maxim	2605	ISR	5	20	1	2441	2594
	9	GM	NGUYEN Ngoc Truong Son	2579	VIE	5	20	4	2464	2622
	17	IM	KRAVTSIV Martyn	2555	UKR	5	20	4	2432	2590
	29	IM	MELKUMYAN Hrant	2507	ARM	5	20	10	2447	2605
15	13	GM	AMIN Bassem	2561	EGY	4½	20	-1	2446	2548
	19	GM	GUPTA Abhijeet	2551	IND	4½	20	-2	2424	2526
17	33	GM	WEN Yang	2487	CHN	4½	19½	2	2386	2484
18	26	GM	NEGI Parimerjan	2529	IND	4½	19	1	2428	2530
19	24	GM	RAMIREZ Alejandro	2531	CRC	4½	18½	0	2408	2504
20	3	GM	ANDREIKIN Dmitry	2604	RUS	4½	17½	-6	2420	2510
	27	GM	RAGGER Markus	2527	AUT	4½	17½	-6	2337	2425
	47	IM	KALASHIAN David	2432	ARM	4½	17½	10	2497	2442
23	1	GM	MAMEDOV Rauf	2627	AZE	4½	17	-8	2427	2529
	35	FM	NECHEPURENKO Roman	2476	RUS	4½	17	6	2425	2520
25	15	GM	ITURRIZAGA Bonelli Eduardo Pat	2561	VEN	4½	16	-10	2325	2400
	21	IM	SJUGIROV Sanan	2545	RUS	4½	16	-4	2376	2477