The first two rounds were played in the National Student Chess League Cup. The remarkable thing is that this competition is held for the 5th time as a part of Moscow Open. This year it hosts the participants from nine countries including five International Masters and twenty two FIDE Masters. In total, 97 chess players, 59 boys and 38 girls toed the starting line.
The rating favourites that take part in the tournament are International Masters Alexandr Triapishko (2510, Simferopol) and Semen Khanin (2500, Novosibirsk region). They will be competing with David Shapiro (2388, Samara region), Arsen Kukhmazov (2377, Moscow), Ilya Chekletsov (2372, Sverdlovsk region), Timofey Smitnov (2360, Moscow) and Danil Najdin (2359, Rostov region) etc.
The International Master Olga Badelka (2392, Belorussia) topped the starting list of the competition among female students. In the competition for the prizes she will be joined by FIDE Masters Khokhlova Daria (2232, Kursk), Alena Korchagina (2186), Anna Kanevskaya (2164), Darya Gorovenko (2125) and Alexandra Alieva (2107) – all from Moscow.
After two rounds almost all the rating favourites of the male competition keep a 100% result. A small sensation was a defeat in the second round of the FIDE Master Danil Najdin, that is seeded seventh in the starting list.
In the female student competition multi-titled chess players suffered significant losses. In the second round Anna Kanevskaya, and Alena Korchagina lost to their opponents, and Daria Khokhlova had two draws at the start.
As for the team event, more than fifteen teams are competing for the prizes, among them there are 4 host teams – from the RSSU.
Furthermore, the competition is 9-round Swiss. The winners will be announced on February 1.
