€19.95
International Russian Cup at the RSSU
There are only a few chess tournaments in the world that are famous for having been organized for a very long time without interruption. Hastings (1895) and the Moscow Tournament are probably the most famous. The Moscow City Chess Championship was first played in 1899. Among the winners we find the names of Alekhine, Smyslov, Botvinnik, Bronstein, Averbakh, Petrosian and, more recently, Morozevich. Over the years it has changed formats and names, but it still is an important yearly event played in Moscow.
This year’s edition, which took place from February 19 until March 1, did not include famous figures in the lineup. With so many opportunities bestowed upon the elite players, it is understandable that they bypass tournaments that live on ‘old glory’. Neither were there many foreign players as in previous years. The current Covid-19 crisis naturally contributed to the absence of foreigners, so this ye