Tag: NewZealandOpenChampionship2016

A draw against GM Fier in the 9th and final round of the New Zealand Open Chess Championship 2016 proved sufficient for GM Gawain Jones to finish as the sole winner. Jones, who started off as the second seed, finished with 7.5/9 and remained unbeaten throughout the course of the tournament.

For the second place, a three-way tie was witnessed as GMs Nigel Short, Ju Wenjun and Ma Qun finished with 7 points each. However, it was Ju Wenjun who emerged as the frontrunner in the race for the second place, thanks to her superior tie-break score.

Amongst players from the host country, FM Alexei Kulashko turned out to be the best player. Kulashko scored a total of 6 points.

Final Standings: Here

A convincing victory over FM Koop Thorben in the 8th round of the New Zealand Open Chess Championship 2016 helped GM Ju Wenjun inch closer to the tournament leader GM Gawain Jones. The Chinese GM has notched up 6.5 points so far whilst Jones, who drew GM Ma Qun in today’s round, is leading the table with 7/8.

Meanwhile, the clash between GMs Fier and Short on the second table ended peacefully. The duo, together with GM Ma Qun, IM Daulyte and FM Kulashko, are placed joint-third with 6 points each.

The 9th and final round of this open event will witness tournament leader Jones take on Fier while Ju Wenjun is paired against Daulyte. The tournament is poised for an exciting finish, especially if Ju Wenjun manages to rack up a victory.

Round 8 Results: Here

GM Gawain Jones’s excellent endgame technique helped him register a comfortable victory over FM Aleksei Kulashko in the seventh round of the New Zealand Open Chess Championship 2016. With this victory, the English GM has now moved on to an impressive 6.5/7, a point ahead of his closest competitors.

However, the 2nd and 3rd boards, featuring GM vs GM clashes, generated a lot more interest. Despite an interesting draw in Fier – Ju Wenjun, it was GM Nigel Short’s convincing win over GM Matthieu Cornette that hogged the limelight. Playing the White side of the King’s Indian Defence, the former World Championship Challenger duly capitalized on his opponent’s mistakes to emerge with a dominant position. Cornette saw nothing better and decided to resign on move 31. GMs Short, Fier, Ma Qun and Ju Wenjun are currently placed joint-second with 5.5/7.

Round 7 Results: Here