Who Will Ascend the Chess Throne in Astana?
Eteri Kublashvili reports on the World Team Championships’ opening
Here we are, facing a blizzard on arrival in Astana (which was at least true for those arriving early on March 4), but a warm receipt from the hosts was an immediate mood changer. Welcomed at the airport, it was plain sailing for us all the way to checking in with the hotel, thus making the first experience of Astana unmarred by any feelings of stress or discomfort.
The participants are staying at the Hilton Astana. The venue is located across at the Astana International Financial Center (let's further refer to it as “AIFC”), which takes about 10 minutes to get to. To the venue's right is a big shopping mall, offering you a cup of coffee to refresh yourself after the game or otherwise get lost in shopping.
Clueless about the city yet, your author's first impression is that of a newly-built region still having a certain amount of free space to construct further. It takes 15 minutes to reach the city's center, or at least so is claimed by people well-versed in the surroundings. All in all, Astana is a young city, this being the reason of local authorities and natives doing their best for the sake of its prosperity and good looks.
On arriving to the AIFC, there took place a preliminary press conference featuring grandmasters Sergey Karjakin and Zhansaya Abdumalik, chairman of Sports and Physical Education Committee under the Ministry of Culture and Sports Serik Sapiyev and Vice-President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Zhandos Abishev. The speakers were answering questions from numerous journalists and press conference hosts, the latter represented by grandmaster Yannick Pelletier, a FIDE press officer, and Igor Bushmelev, his counterpart from the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
Noteworthy is the fact of Sergey Karjakin and Zhansaya Abdumalik sharing their birthdays on January 12.
The Russian GM named Astana a lucky place for him as it was in this place that he had become the 2012 World Champion in rapid chess, as well as taking bronze in the blitz. “I am happy to represent my team at the World Championship, it being one of the most crucial team events in chess,” added Karjakin. – I am looking forward to performing as well as back in the year 2012.”
Zhansaya Abdumalik recalled the year 2019 as being the Year of Youth in the Republic, expressing happiness about Kazakhstan’s hosting the team world championship to spark enthusiasm from the younger generation of chess players.
The opening ceremony itself was staged in the Hilton Hotel. Coming to greet the Russian teams was Alexey Borodavkin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The events hall had national music and songs in store for the guests. It was a lively ceremony not lasting over an hour.
Delivering speeches at the opening ceremony were Minister of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Muhamediuly, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation Galimzhan Yessenov.
Two pieces of music were performed by a winner of the fourth season “Voice. Children” (Ukraine), participant of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest from Kazakhstan, a 12-year-old Danelia Tuleshova, who features a strong and, I would say, a very adult-like voice.
The drawing of lots procedure was also part of the ceremony as team captains were being invited one by one to draw the starting numbers. Facing the Russian men's team in round one is the young team from Iran, whereas the Russian women's team is paired against the host team.
Men’s section:
1. India, 2. Iran, 3. Egypt, 4. China, 5. England, 6. Kazakhstan, 7. Azerbaijan, 8. USA, 9. Russia, 10. Sweden
Pairings of round one:
India - Sweden, Iran - Russia, Egypt - USA, China - Azerbaijan, England - Kazakhstan
Women’s section
1. Armenia, 2. Russia, 3. India, 4. China, 5. USA, 6. Ukraine, 7. Hungary, 8. Georgia, 9. Kazakhstan, 10. Egypt
Pairings of round one:
Armenia - Egypt, Russia - Kazakhstan, India - Georgia, China - Hungary, USA - Ukraine.
Round one begins March 5 at 12:00 PM MSK. Stay tuned with us to watch the teams play -- it promises to be interesting!
