Russian Championships Superfinals Open in Saint Petersburg

The venue is the State Museum of Political History of Russia. 

The Superfinals of 70th Russian men's championship and 67th Russian women's championship are taking place on December 2-15 at the State Museum of Political History of Russia (2-4, Kuybysheva St., Saint Petersburg). 

The Opening Ceremony was held on December 2. 

The exhibition “USSR – A Great Chess Power” is represented at the Museum’s atrium. One will manage to see the Soviet chess posters of the 1930s-1960s, rare archival photos and many other interesting items. The exposition was presented by its author, Deputy Head of the Museum's Scientific and Exhibitory Department Margarita Samoylova. 

Then there was a press conference with Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation Mark Glukhovsky, Director General of the State Museum of Political History of Russia Evgeny Artemov, Deputy Director General of Timchenko Foundation Igor Baradachev, Deputy Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation Vladimir Barsky, manifold Russian and Olympic champions Peter Svidler and Valentina Gunina. 

A Chess Schools: Second Academic Level tutorial by Vladimir Barsky, issued by the RCF with support of the Timchenko Foundation, was presented by its author during the press conference. 

Mark Glukhovsky, Evgeny Artemov, and Igor Baradachev spoke at the Opening Ceremony. 

Chief Arbiter IA Igor Bolotinsky conducted a drawing of lots. The players got the following starting numbers:

Men:

1. Sanan Sjugirov, 2. Maxim Matlakov, 3. Vladimir Fedoseev, 4. Vladimir Malakhov, 5. Nikita Vitiugov, 6. Daniil Dubov, 7. Sergey Volkov, 8. Peter Svidler, 9. Evgeny Romanov, 10. Alexander Riazantsev, 11. Evgeny Tomashevsky, 12. Ernesto Inarkiev.

Round 1 pairings:

Sjugirov - Inarkiev, Matlakov - Tomashevsky, Fedoseev - Riazantsev, Malakhov - Romanov, Vitiugov - Svidler, Dubov - Volkov.

Women:

1. Aleksandra Goryachkina, 2. Olga Girya, 3. Anastasia Bodnaruk, 4. Alisa Galliamova, 5. Valentina Gunina, 6. Oksana Gritsayeva, 7. Marina Nechaeva, 8. Alina Kashlinskaya, 9. Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, 10. Evgenija Ovod, 11. Polina Shuvalova, 12. Natalija Pogonina.

Round 1 pairings:

Goryachkina - Pogonina, Girya - Shuvalova, Bodnaruk - Ovod, Galliamova - Kovalevskaya, Gunina - Kashlinskaya, Gritsayeva - Nechaeva.

St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra performed several pieces of classical music. 

Total prize fund is 9,000,000 roubles. Besides, the winners of men's and women's tournaments will also receive a special prize – a four-wheel-drive crossover Renault Kaptur.  

The tournaments are round-robin events with 11 rounds. 

Schedule. Opening ceremony: December 2. Playing days: December 3-7 and 9-14, rest day – December 8. 

The organizers are the Russian Chess Federation, Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation, the State Museum of Political History of Russia, Chess Federation of Saint Petersburg, and Physical Culture, and Sports Committee of Saint Petersburg. The competition is also supported by Renault Russia Company, Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System (FGC UES), and PhosAgro. Logistics partner of the Russian Chess Federation is Russian Post.

The tournament is a part of the Chess in Museums program, carried out by the RCF together with Timchenko Foundation since 2012. 

Tournament page

A photo spread from the Opening Ceremony will be published later. 

Photos by Vladimir Barsky