World Senior Chess Championship
The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE, the World Chess Federation.
History
Originally, the age limit was 60 years for the men, and 50 for the women. Since 2014, the Senior Championship is split in two different age categories with consequently two male and two female titles: 50+ and 65+, which require the participants to reach the age of 50 and 65 years by December 31 of the year of the event, respectively (these age restrictions are unified across both genders).
The championship is organized as an eleven-round Swiss system tournament. It is an open tournament, and each FIDE member federation may send as many players as desired. A separate women's tournament is held if there are enough participants (at least 10 women from four different FIDE zones).
The men's winner (both categories) is awarded the title of Grandmaster if he did not already have it; the women's winner (both categories) receives the Woman Grandmaster title if she did not already hold it.
The 8th World Senior Championship was held 9–23 November 1998 in Grieskirchen, Austria. Vladimir Bagirov (Latvia) won the 200-player men's section on tie-break over Wolfgang Uhlmann (Germany), both with 8.5/11. Ten players tied a half point behind with 8.0/11, including former World Championship Candidates Mark Taimanov and Borislav Ivkov, the first ever World Junior Chess Champion. WGM Tamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) won the 24-player women's section outright with 9.5 points.
The 13th World Senior Championship was held 16–29 November 2003 in Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. IM Yuri Shabanov (Russia) won the 272-player men's section 9.0/11 on tie-break over GM Jānis Klovāns (Latvia) and IM Vladimir Bukal (Croatia). Khmiadashvili (Georgia) won the 22-player women's section 7.5/9 on tie-break over WGM Marta Litinskaya-Shul (Ukraine).
The 14th World Senior Championship was held 24 October–5 November 2004 in Halle (Saale), Germany. IM Yuri Shabanov (Russia) defended his championship, winning the 215-player men's section on a tie-break with five players scoring 8.5/11. GM Elena Fatalibekova (Russia) won the 19-player women's section outright with 8.0/9.
The 16th World Senior Chess Championship was held 11–23 September 2006 in Arvier, Italy. Former World Chess Championship challenger and top seed GM Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) won the 126-player men's section 9.0/11. Competing in his first (and only) Seniors' Championship, Korchnoi won his first four games, drew in the fifth round with Jānis Klovāns, and then won the next three again. Entering the ninth round with a full point lead, Korchnoi drew his final three games to take the € 3000 gold medal. WGM Ludmila Saunina (Russia), won the 14-player women's section by a full point, 8.5/11, to earn € 700.
A dispute in the 18th World Senior Chess Championship over the tiebreaker rules in use was resolved by FIDE by declaring two players joint winners of the men's section.
So far only one World Chess Champion – Vasily Smyslov – has gone on to win the World Senior Championship as well (at age of 70 in 1991). The oldest World Senior Champion is Viktor Korchnoi who won the title at age of 75 years (in 2006).
Winners
# Year City Men's winner Women's winner 1 1991 Bad Wörishofen (Germany) Smyslov, VasilyVasily Smyslov (Russia) Ladanyine-Karakas, EvaEva Ladanyine-Karakas (Hungary) 2 1992 Bad Wörishofen (Germany) Geller, EfimEfim Geller (Russia) Ladanyine-Karakas, EvaEva Ladanyine-Karakas (Hungary) 3 1993 Bad Wildbad (Germany) Taimanov, MarkMark Taimanov (Russia) Zatulovskaya, TatianaTatiana Zatulovskaya (Russia) 4 1994 Biel/Bienne (Switzerland) Taimanov, MarkMark Taimanov (Russia) Ladanyine-Karakas, EvaEva Ladanyine-Karakas (Hungary) 5 1995 Bad Liebenzell (Germany) Vasiukov, EvgenyEvgeny Vasiukov (Russia) Gaprindashvili, NonaNona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) 6 1996 Bad Liebenzell (Germany) Suetin, AlexeyAlexey Suetin (Russia) Kozlovskaya, ValentinaValentina Kozlovskaya (Russia) 7 1997 Bad Wildbad (Germany) Klovāns, JānisJānis Klovāns (Latvia) Zatulovskaya, TatianaTatiana Zatulovskaya (Russia) 8 1998 Grieskirchen (Austria) Bagirov, VladimirVladimir Bagirov (Latvia) Khmiadashvili, TamarTamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) 9 1999 Gladenbach (Germany) Klovāns, JānisJānis Klovāns (Latvia) Khmiadashvili, TamarTamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) 10 2000 Rowy (Poland) Chernikov, OlegOleg Chernikov (Russia) Fatalibekova, ElenaElena Fatalibekova (Russia) 11 2001 Arco (Italy) Klovāns, JānisJānis Klovāns (Latvia) Fatalibekova, ElenaElena Fatalibekova (Russia) 12 2002 Naumburg (Germany) Petkevich, JusefsJusefs Petkevich (Latvia) Litinskaya, MartaMarta Litinskaya (Ukraine) 13 2003 Bad Zwischenahn (Germany) Shabanov, YuriYuri Shabanov (Russia) Khmiadashvili, TamarTamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) 14 2004 Halle, Saxony-Anhalt (Germany) Shabanov, YuriYuri Shabanov (Russia) Fatalibekova, ElenaElena Fatalibekova (Russia) 15 2005 Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) Spassov, LiubenLiuben Spassov (Bulgaria) Saunina, LudmilaLudmila Saunina (Russia) 16 2006 Arvier (Italy) Korchnoi, ViktorViktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) Saunina, LudmilaLudmila Saunina (Russia) 17 2007 Gmunden (Austria) Butnorius, AlgimantasAlgimantas Butnorius (Lithuania) Ereńska-Barlo, HannaHanna Ereńska-Barlo (Poland) 18 2008 Bad Zwischenahn (Germany) Kaufman, LarryLarry Kaufman (USA) and Suba, MihaiMihai Suba (Romania) Vilerte, TamaraTamara Vilerte (Latvia) 19 2009 Condino (Italy) Cebalo, MišoMišo Cebalo (Croatia) Gaprindashvili, NonaNona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) 20 2010 Arco (Italy) Vaisser, AnatolyAnatoly Vaisser (France) Khmiadashvili, TamarTamar Khmiadashvili (Georgia) 21 2011 Opatija (Croatia) Okhotnik, VladimirVladimir Okhotnik (France) Strutinskaya, GalinaGalina Strutinskaya (Russia) 22 2012 Kamena Vourla (Greece) Kristiansen, JensJens Kristiansen (Denmark) Strutinskaya, GalinaGalina Strutinskaya (Russia) 23 2013 Opatija (Croatia) Vaisser, AnatolyAnatoly Vaisser (France) Ankudinova, YelenaYelena Ankudinova (Kazakhstan) 24 2014 Katerini (Greece) Vaisser, AnatolyAnatoly Vaisser (France) (65+)
Sturua, ZurabZurab Sturua (Georgia) (50+)Gaprindashvili, NonaNona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) (65+)
Mednikova, SvetlanaSvetlana Mednikova (Russia) (50+)25 2015 Acqui Terme (Italy) Okhotnik, VladimirVladimir Okhotnik (France) (65+)
Nikolic, PredragPredrag Nikolic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (50+)Gaprindashvili, NonaNona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) (65+)
Strutinskaia, GalinaGalina Strutinskaia (Russia) (50+)26 2016 Marianske Lazne (Czech Republic) Vaisser, AnatolyAnatoly Vaisser (France) (65+)
Bagaturov, GiorgiGiorgi Bagaturov (Georgia) (50+)Gaprindashvili, NonaNona Gaprindashvili (Georgia) (65+)
Bogumil, TatianaTatiana Bogumil (Russia) (50+)27 2017 Acqui Terme (Italy)
See also
References
- FIDE, "D.VIII.01. World Senior (Women) Championship", FIDE Handbook, archived from the original on 2007-06-08
- Crowther, Mark (23 November 1998), THE WEEK IN CHESS 211: 8th World Senior Championships, London Chess Center
- FIDE, World Senior Championship 2003
- FIDE, World Senior Championship 2004
- 15th World Senior Chess Championship, Chess-Results.com
- Viktor Korchnoi wins World Senior Championship, Chessbase.com News, 23 September 2006
- 17th Chess Senior World Championship 2007
- Mark Weeks: About World Chess Championship
- Official website of the 18th Senior World Championship (2008)
- FIDE Presidential Board meeting 1st quarter 2009 - containing the decision to declare Kaufman and Suba co-winners.
- Gaprindashvili and Cebalo become World Senior Champions Chessdom.com
- Tamar Khmiadashvili and Anatoly Vaisser are World Senior Champions Chessdom.com