23 January 2019

Moscow Open 2019 Starts in RSSU on January 25

Around 1500 players to take part in competitions.


The 15th International RSSU Chess Cup Мoscow Open-2019 will be held in Moscow from January 25 till February 4. The venue is the Russian State Social University. 

The Cup comprises eight separate tournaments:

A Tournament – RSSU Cup - Stage of the Russian Cup.
B Tournament – RSSU Cup - Stage of the Russian Women’s Cup.
C Tournament – RSSU Amateurs' Cup.
D Tournament – RSSU Seniors' Cup.
E Tournament – RSSU Chess Solving Cup – A.P. Pochinok Memorial Tournament
F Tournament – National Student Chess League Cup
G Tournament – RSSU Rapid Chess Cup for Blind and Visually Impaired
H Tournament – RSSU Cup among School Champions – O. A. Zhuravskiy Memorial.

Around 1500 players from 30 countries are expected to participate in competitions.  

More than 350 participants will place in two main events - stages of the Russian Cups among men and women.  

Top seeds of the open event are Sanan Sjugirov (2663), Igor Lysyj (2633), Pavel Ponkratov (2630), Boris Grachev (2626), Aleksey Goganov (2612), Dmitry Kokarev (2605, all from Russia) and others.

Rating favourites of the women's tournament are Marina Guseva (2419), Anastasia Bodnaruk (2413, both from Russia), Olga Badelka (2387, Belarus), Oksana Gritsayeva (2378), Bibisara Assaubaeyva (2372), Daria Voit (2350, all from Russia) and others.

Additional events:

- RSSU Blitz Chess Cup tournaments (for children and main participants):
- Online chess competition;
- FIDE seminars for international arbiters;
- FIDE seminars for arbiters;
- Seminar for parents;
- Lectures by grandmaster A. Dreev.
- International conference “Chess in educational system of Russia and world”.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on January 25 at 3 p.m in RSSU Hall. The tournament finishes on February 3.  

A pre-start press conference with the participation of Director General of Sport and Entertainment Events Management Board of Moscow Sports Department Alexander Polinsky, RSSU Rector Natalya Pochinok, Vice-President of Moscow Chess Federation Nikita Kim, Founder of Sozvezdie Dobra Charitable Foundation Olga Zhuravskaya, and World Rapid Champion-2018 Daniil Dubov was held on January 22 in Megasport Sport Palace. 

The press conference ended with the drawing of colors for the first round. Natalya Pochinok and Misha Osipov took part in the ceremony. One of the youngest participants drew a white knight, so the rating favorites of the tournaments will play with the white pieces in the first round. 

Official website