Ruslan Ponomariov scored back-to-back wins on Saturday to leapfrog former sole leader Kirill Alekseenko in the standings and win the Salamanca Masters. Alekseenko would have at least tied for first had he not lost his final-round game against Michael Adams. The Austrian representative finished in sole second place, while Eduardo Iturrizaga grabbed clear third place. | Photos: Official website
Salamanca: Alekseenko sole leader chessbase.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chessbase.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Salamanca: Alekseenko and Iturrizaga share the lead chessbase.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chessbase.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Salamanca Masters, an 8-player all-play-all event, kicked off on Wednesday with the first two rounds. Elisabeth Paehtz and Kirill Alekseenko won their first two games to become the early co-leaders. Paehtz beat Mariya Muzychuk and upset Eduardo Iturrizaga, while Alekseenko defeated Nurgyul Salimova and Mónica Calzetta. | Photos: Official website
For the third time since 2022, the Plus City Centre in Pasching (near Linz, Austria) is hosting a major rapid chess and blitz event. Four tournaments will be held from 9 to 12 May, namely the Open Austrian Team Championship in Blitz Chess and Rapid Chess, an Open Blitz Tournament and an Open Rapid Chess Tournament. The total prize fund is €60,000, and with Vishy Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Zhu Chen, three world champions are taking part in this year's Open Blitz Championship.