Coming Even Sooner: The FIDE Grand Prix Comes to Tashkent
The first tournament of the new FIDE Grand Prix cycle finished a few days ago, and next Monday many of the same players will start all over again in the second Grand Prix tournament, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Here's the line-up this time around:
- Fabiano Caruana (2839)
- Anish Giri (2774)
- Sergey Karjakin (2770)
- Hikaru Nakamura (2767)
- Boris Gelfand (2759)*
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2757)
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2750)
- Dmitri Jakovenko (2747)
- Teimour Radjabov (2730)
- Dmitry Andreikin (2717)
- Baadur Jobava (2715)
- Rustam Kasimdzhanov (2709)
The asterisk after Gelfand's name and rating indicates that there's a bit of a problem, since he's playing in the Petrosian Memorial the same day this tournament finishes. (Or the day after, in case November 3 is the date of the opening ceremony of the latter event.) I'm wondering, but do not know, if the recent and highly commendable decision by FIDE to scrub the proposal to hold the third Grand Prix tournament in Tehran and move it to Tbilisi accounts for this. By moving that one, it gives Gelfand the ability to play there rather than in Tashkent, and then there wouldn't be any conflict or crazy back-to-back issue for him to deal with.
It should be a fun tournament and a nice lead into the world championship next month. And who knows - if Caruana plays at the top of his level it might suck some more of the air out of the Anand-Carlsen match.
Reader Comments (4)
So every leg will be held in the former Soviet Union? Good to see FIDE spreading the game...
It seems that Gelfand can make it as the Tashkent Grand Prix actually ends November 2nd. Giri and Jobava still play in Hoogeveen tomorrow, so they also have to 'hurry' to make it to Tashkent in time [Tashkent-Moscow is a shorter distance, with presumably more (direct) flights to choose from].
@Ciaran: Lack of interest from non-Soviet organizers, who apparently prefer private events where they have full control over the field and don't have to deal with an 'excess' of ex_Soviet players.
Gelfand was already reported to be in Tashkent, having traveled immediately after Baku wrapped.
It's a lot of chess back-to-back, but at least he won't be rusty!
Gelfand would not have been allowed to play in Tehran because he is Israeli. The Iranians won't allow it.
[DM: Right, that's what I was getting at. Moving the third event from Tehran to Tbilisi could have allowed Gelfand to skip Tashkent and play in Tbilisi instead.]