A traditional event
Press release by FIDE
The unforgettable City of Mar del Plata International Chess Open, one of the oldest tournaments in South America, celebrated its 53rd edition from March 23-30 at the Hotel Provincial. The event, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, brought together 278 players from 11 countries and was a great success. The President of the Mar del Plata Chess Federation, Javier Curilen, was the tournament director, while AI OI Leandro Plotinsky and his team officiated the competition.
Master Class Vol.4: José Raúl Capablanca
He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana.
After nine exciting rounds, GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, a member of the Norwegian Olympic team, was crowned undefeated champion. The top seed arrived in Mar del Plata with great expectations and confirmed his status as a pre-tournament favourite, scoring 8/9 and taking clear first.
As many as four participants finished a half-point behind the champion on 7½/9 and tied for second place, with GMs Diego Flores and Leonardo Tristán completing the podium thanks to superior Buchholz scores.
Diego Flores playing black against Uriel Patiño in the tournament’s first round
Christiansen 1 – 0 Tristán (Round 8)
Leonardo Tristán
Endgame essentials you need to know Vol.1 & Vol 2
In this video course, GM Surya Ganguly joins IM Sagar Shah and drawing from his colossal experience, shares some uncommon endgame wisdom. The material mostly features positions with rook against rook and a pawn, and starts by covering the fundamentals.
Second seed Rubén Felgaer scored 7/9 points
Final standings
| 1 | GM | Christiansen, Johan-Sebastian | 2633 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2 | GM | Flores, Diego | 2530 | 7,5 | 0 | |
| 3 | GM | Tristan, Leonardo | 2521 | 7,5 | 0 | |
| 4 | IM | Espinoza Palomino, Willyam | 2400 | 7,5 | 0 | |
| 5 | CM | Jaque Gutierrez, Matias | 2173 | 7,5 | 0 | |
| 6 | IM | Acosta, Pablo Ismael | 2463 | 7 | 0 | |
| 7 | FM | Spata, German | 2421 | 7 | 0 | |
| 8 | GM | Felgaer, Ruben | 2565 | 7 | 0 | |
| 9 | IM | Villegas, Franco | 2328 | 7 | 0 | |
| 10 | FM | Schnaider, Ilan | 2314 | 7 | 0 | |
| 11 | FM | Melian, Juan Sebastian | 2157 | 7 | 0 | |
| 12 | IM | Leskovar, Mario | 2164 | 7 | 0 | |
| 13 | GM | Kiselev, Vitalii | 2519 | 6,5 | 0 | |
| 14 | FM | Moreno Perez, Tobias Sebastian | 2246 | 6,5 | 0 | |
| 15 | Unhold, Valentin | 2146 | 6,5 | 0 |
