Mintimer Shaimiev: Chess tournaments favor Kazan

Mintimer Shaimiev: Chess tournaments favor Kazan 

 Opening Ceremony of FIDE Women Grand Prix Kazan 2012 took place at the luxurious “Korston” Hotel on 9 June. The event saw presence of the Tatarstan Republic State Advisor, Senior Advisor to FIDE President Mintimer Shaimiev, FIDE Director General Geoffrey Borg together with 12 participants of the tournament.  

“Kazan brought together these gorgeous ladies, whom we love and admire, - said Mintimer Shaimiev, addressing to FIDE Women Grand Prix participants, -  FIDE and personal its president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov favor Kazan, bringing here a number of top international tournaments. Just a year ago we hosted FIDE Candidates Matches, won by Boris Gelfand from Israel. The winner played eventual Indian Viswanathan Anand for the world crown. The present tournament is taking place one year before the 2013 Universiade, and this is a pleasure for us to have chess in its sport program”.  

“Unfortunately, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov didn’t manage to catch the Opening Ceremony due to the heavy Moscow traffic, - Mintimer Shaimiev proceeded, - and therefore he transferred the rights to me, as his Senior Advisor, to take the reign to my hands, which I’m pretty accustomed to. I officially declare the competitions open”, - he concluded.

Geoffrey Borg apologized for his President’s absence and noted, that “the tournament, which is about to start, is pretty important, since it gathered almost all the strongest women chess-players in the world”.

The speeches followed by the Draw, which provided all the competitors with their starting numbers. 1. Elina Danielian (ARM). 2. Humpy Koneru (IND). 3. Betul Yildiz  (TUR). 4. Tatiana Kosintseva (RUS) 5. Viktorija Cmilyte  (LTU). 6. Nadezhda Kosintseva  (RUS). 7. Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL). 8. Katerina Lahno (UKR). 9. Alexandra Kosteniuk (RUS). 10. Alisa Galliamova (RUS). 11. Hou Yifan (CHN)/ 12. Anna Muzychuk  (SLO).

Games will start at 3 p.m. local time. The parings of the first round:  Elina Danielian – Anna Muzychuk, Humpy Koneru – Hou Yifan, Betul Yildiz – Alisa Galliamova, Tatiana Kosintseva – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Viktorija Cmilyte – Katerina Lahno, Nadezhda Kosintseva – Antoaneta Stefanova.