First Games of the Russian Championships Higher League Are Played in Krasnaya Polyana

Not all rating favourites started with victories.

The first round games of the Russian Championships Higher League were played in Krasnaya Polyana on July 2. Not all rating favourites won their games. In the open tournament Sanan Sjugirov was defeated by the U20 Russian champion Alexey Sorokin. The European champion Maxim Matlakov didn't manage to outplay a rising star of the Russian chess Andrey Esipenko. The games Motylev-Triapishko and Khegay-Rakhmanov were drawn as well. Natalija Pogonina, the only woman participating in the event, saved a rook endgame against Daniil Dubov. 

The central games of round 2 are Oparin-Najer, Artemiev-Ponkratov, Goganov-Zvjaginsev, Dreev-Bocharov, and Rozum-Khismatullin.  



In the women's section, one of the favourites Alina Bivol was defeated by Margarita Potapova, Anastasia Savina lost to Marina Baraeva. The game Gritsayeva-Grigorian was drawn. Other top seeds won their games. 

The following encounters will take place at the first boards in the second round: Girya-Charochkina, Vasilevich-Galliamova, Kashlinskaya-Dordzhieva, Ovod-Nechaeva, Pustovoitova-Tomilova, and Potapova-Assaubayeva.  



Tournament page

Round 2 pairings

Photos by Dmitry Kryakvin