No fewer than 54 players have won both their first encounters at the main event of the Sunway Festival in Sitges. However, round 2 saw five 2600+ rated players draw against much lower-rated opponents. Russian rising star Andrey Esipenko was held to a draw by French FM Mathieu Phileas, who in fact could have won the game had he made the most of his chances in a queen and rook endgame. | Pictured: The first blitz tournament of the festival took place on Tuesday night
Fury as Iranian Chess Grandmaster Pulls Out of Match Against Israeli Opponent algemeiner.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from algemeiner.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
No major upsets were seen in round 1 of the Sunway Main Tournament, as 16 out of the top 20 seeds won their games in Sitges. Amin Tabatabaei, the tenth seed, lost by forfeit, while two former winners of the event (plus Jules Moussard) were held to draws by lower-rated opponents i.e. Ivan Cheparinov and Anton Korobov. | Pictured: A beautiful sunset from the 2021 edition. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The Sunway Chess Festival, sponsored by Chessable, is taking place on December 12-22 at the Playa Golf Hotel in Sitges, Catalonia. Two massive open tournaments will be played at the resort southwest of Barcelona. Over 300 players have registered to participate in the main group, with the likes of Andrey Esipenko and Vasyl Ivanchuk in the mix. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 16.30 CET (10.30 ET, 21.00 IST)
The Sunway Chess Festival, sponsored by Chessable, is set to take place on December 12-22 at the Playa Golf Hotel in Sitges, Catalonia. Two massive open tournaments will be played at the paradisaic resort southwest of Barcelona. Over 300 players have registered to participate in the main group, with the likes of Yu Yangyi, Andrey Esipenko and Vasyl Ivanchuk looking to claim the 5.000 € first prize. | Photo: Lennart Ootes