Vallejo Strongest Among Beautiful Minds
On Sunday, Francisco Vallejo won the Beautiful Minds - Krulich Cup in Munich, Germany, a rapid tournament on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Munich Chess Academy.
It's not uncommon to organize a special event for a 10th anniversary of a chess club or academy, but if you have access to a good sponsor, this particular event can become rather special.
This is what happened in Munich, Germany last weekend, where a wonderful group of chess players (five female, seven male) from different countries got together and played an 11-round rapid tournament.
Played on Saturday and Sunday, the games had a time control of 15 minutes with a 10-second increment per move. The sponsor was Immobilien Krulich, a local property and assets management and investment company.
The opening ceremony saw "duo chess" in which sponsor Roman Krulich was paired with former women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria ... | Photo David Llada.
...vs Dijana Dengler playing together with GM Nigel Short. (GM Stuart Conquest is holding the mic.) | Photo David Llada.
GM Paco Vallejo won the tournament with 8.5/11, but it was close. Both GMs Nigel Short and Anna Muzychuk finished on 8.0/11. Muzychuk's sister, Mariya, the former women's world champion, did worse with 5.0/11.
In round six, Vallejo won a nice endgame against GM Gerald Hertneck starting from a London System. Black's setup against this popular opening (both on the club and elite level nowadays!) is one to remember perhaps. And, in the rook ending, White surely could have defended better?
GM Gerald Hertneck. | Photo David Llada.
The Spaniard's win in the penultimate round was a nice one too. King activity is the main theme here!
Paco Vallejo, seen here in his game with Antoaneta Stefanova. | Photo David Llada.
Nigel Short won a curious game in round 10.
Not sure I have won too many games without a single piece or pawn being captured. Short-Derakshani, Beautiful Minds Krulich Cup, rd 10.
— Nigel Short (@nigelshortchess) November 27, 2016
Nigel Short. | Photo David Llada.
A quick and curious loss for Dorsa Derakhshani. | Photo David Lada.
Beautiful Minds - Krulich Cup | Final Standings
| # | Fed | Name | Rtg | Perf | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Pts |
| 1 | Vallejo Pons, Francisco | 2711 | 2739 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8.5/11 | ||
| 2 | Short, Nigel D | 2670 | 2700 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 8.0/11 | ||
| 3 | Muzychuk, Anna | 2561 | 2710 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8.0/11 | ||
| 4 | Bezold, Michael | 2502 | 2643 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7.0/11 | ||
| 5 | Ragger, Markus | 2700 | 2560 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0/11 | ||
| 6 | Stefanova, Antoaneta | 2512 | 2544 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5.5/11 | ||
| 7 | Muzychuk, Mariya | 2532 | 2512 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 5.0/11 | ||
| 8 | Kindermann, Stefan | 2509 | 2513 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5.0/11 | ||
| 9 | Hertneck, Gerald | 2476 | 2484 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 4.5/11 | ||
| 10 | Bromberger, Stefan | 2535 | 2479 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 4.5/11 | ||
| 11 | Vega Gutierrez, Sabrina | 2414 | 2384 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.0/11 | ||
| 12 | Derakhshani, Dorsa | 2384 | 2157 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1.0/11 |
Both Mariya (l.) and Anna Muzychuk played in the tournament. | Photo David Llada.
Vallejo with the winner's trophy. | Photo David Llada.
Left-right Dijana Dengler, Roman Krulich, Nigel Short, Paco Vallejo-Pons and Anna Muzychuk | Photo David Llada.
Peter Doggers joined a chess club a month before turning 15 and still plays for it. He used to be an active tournament player and holds two IM norms. Peter has a Master of Arts degree in Dutch Language & Literature. He briefly worked at New in Chess, then as a Dutch teacher and then in a project for improving safety and security in Amsterdam schools. Between 2007 and 2013 Peter was running ChessVibes, a major source for chess news and videos acquired by Chess.com in October 2013. As our Director News & Events, Peter writes many of our news reports. In the summer of 2022, The Guardian’s Leonard Barden described him as “widely regarded as the world’s best chess journalist.”
Peter's first book The Chess Revolution is out now!
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