Krasnaya Polyana Meets Masters and Grandmasters

The Russian Championships Higher League starts on June 1.

On June 1, the Higher League of the Russian Championships among men and women starts in Roza Khutor, a worldwide famous resort in Sochi. Many well-known chess players are going to take part in the event. 

Rating favorites in the open section are Evgeny Alekseev, Vladislav Artemiev, Maksim Vavulin, Sergey Volkov, Aleksey Goganov, Alexey Dreev, Daniil Dubov, Vadim Zvjaginsev, Mikail Kobalia, Dmitry Kokarev, Maxim Matlakov, Alexander Motylev, Evgeniy Najer, Grigoriy Oparin, Pavel Ponkratov, Aleksandr Rakhmanov, Ivan Rozum, Evgeny Romanov, Sanan Sjugirov, Denis Khismatullin, and Aleksandr Shimanov.  

In the women’s section, the top seeds are Olga Girya, Alina Kashlinskaya, Polina Shuvalova, Alina Bivol, Baira Kovanova, Oksana Gritsayeva, Bibisara Assaubayeva, Daria Charochkina, Evgenija Ovod, Anastasia Savina, Ekaterina Ubiennykh, Elmira Mirzoeva, Dinara Dordzhieva, Maria Fominykh, Dina Belenkaya, Elena Tomilova, Ekaterina Diakonova, Anastasia Travkina, and Anna Styazhkina. 

In general, 54 chess players will take part in the open section, and 48 participants will play in the women’s section. The event is a 9-round Swiss with one rest day.

Playing days are July 2-6, July 8-11. The rest day is July 7. All rounds begin at 3 P.M. (Moscow time).

The venue is Hotel «Golden Tulip Roza Khutor», Balnyi Hall (Panorama Embankment, 3).

Total prize fund is 5,000,000 RUR.

Top 5 finishers in each tournament receive the right to play in the Superfinals-2017.

The Chief Arbiter is IA Alexey Moskvin; the tournament’s director is IA, IO Alexander Tkachev.

Our correspondent Dmitry Kryakvin will write reports from a historical Higher League tournament in Krasnaya Polyana.

Tournaaments’ page