2005 CCA-ICC International

May 11-15, 2005:

Lake George, New York


 Final Standings

            GM Victor Mikhalevsky of Israel scored 6 ½ points in nine games to turn in a 2705 tournament performance, culminating in a dramatic last round victory over GM Jaan Ehlvest, to clinch the top honors in the annual CCA-ICC International Tournament in Lake George, New York May 11-15.   Victor displayed the instincts of a true professional competitor, shaking off  a crushing loss to GM Alexander Shabalov in Round 6, to score 2 ½ critical points in his final three games.    Happily for Mikhalevsky, the other two tournament leaders, GMs Zviad Izoria and Giorgi Kacheishvili  were content with a lightning fast draw in the last round, clearing the way for Victor to take home the entire $5,000 First Prize.   GM Alex Shabalov, on the other hand, took almost the whole six hours to squeeze out a victory over GM Valerij Filippov.  “Shabba” also showed a thing or two about the necessary frame of mind to prevail in an extremely competitive event of this caliber.   Coming off a heartbreaking loss in a thrilling game this morning, Alex nevertheless focused on the necessary job ahead in the final round.  His reward for winning the final game and tying for 2nd-4th was to take home $1,500, as did Izoria and Kacheishvili, who also scored 6 points.   GMs Vladimir Epishin and  Suat Atalik, and British IM David Howell each ended up with 5 ½ points and $500.   Howell’s prize was more than a little overshadowed by his final result, though.  After defeating GM Daniel Fridman in the morning, David then proceeded anew with the Black pieces, to dispatch GM Nick De Firmian in the afternoon.  His second victory was particularly impressive.  After reaching a critical point in the game, he was confronted with a myriad of different possible captures, each one leading to a subtly, but completely different outcome.  Howell exhibited the hallmark of a serious professional, spending nearly an hour to exhaustively analyze every variation, selecting the one winning line.   Those two must-win games on the final day earned the fourteen-year-old his second GM norm, one of the youngest players ever to perform this impressive feat.

            This year’s edition of Continental Chess’s annual International tournament was the strongest one yet, with no less than thirteen(!) Grandmasters, four International Masters, and 3 FIDE Masters!   The tournament was made possible by the generous sponsorship of the ICC,  which also provided live broadcasts of the top games each round to chessplayers around the world, over the internet.

 

 

#

Name

USCF ID

FIDE

Rating

Post

FIDE

Nation

Rd 1

Rd 2

Rd 3

Rd 4

Rd 5

Rd 6

Rd 7

Rd 8

Rd 9

Total

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski

12801246

2572

2588

ISR

W13

W7

W3

D2

D6

L4

W10

D5

W8

6½ - $5,000

2

GM Zviad Izoria

12922861

2602

2613

GEO

W16

D6

W9

D1

D4

W14

D5

D8

D3

6 - $1,500

3

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili

12746489

2597

2603

GEO

W12

W20

L1

L6

W13

D15

W19

W4

D2

6 - $1,500

4

GM Alexander Shabalov

12544264

2593

2604

USA

W17

D15

W11

D5

D2

W1

D8

L3

W14

6 - $1,500

5

GM Vladimir Epishin

12528452

2605

2603

RUS

L7

W23

W18

D4

D20

W9

D2

D1

D6

5½ - $500

6

GM Suat Atalik

12655112

2561

2570

BIH

W23

D2

D15

W3

D1

L8

W20

D9

D5

5½ - $500

7

IM David Howell

12771831

2416

2439

ENG

W5

L1

D8

L14

W17

L10

W18

W20

W15

5½ - $500

8

GM Jaan Ehlvest

12514557

2614

2609

EST

D11

D14

D7

D10

W16

W6

D4

D2

L1

5 - $167

9

GM Petr Kiriakov

12909235

2565

2562

RUS

W21

W18

L2

D15

D14

L5

W16

D6

D10

5 - $167

10

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz

12528454

2535

2533

USA

D14

L11

W22

D8

W21

W7

L1

D15

D9

5 - $167

11

IM Jayson Gonzales

12687052

2474

2473

PHI

D8

W10

L4

L20

D12

L18

W24

W23

W16

5 - $167

12

IM Justin Sarkar

12561884

2392

2391

USA

L3

D22

W16

L19

D11

D13

D17

W21

W23

5 - $167

13

FM Ryan Harper

12922807

2230

2248

TRI

L1

L16

W23

W18

L3

D12

D22

W24

W17

5 - $167

14

GM Valerij Filippov

12741532

2621

2613

RUS

D10

D8

D20

W7

D9

L2

D15

W19

L4

4½

15

GM Nick De Firmian

10469007

2549

2546

USA

W24

D4

D6

D9

D19

D3

D14

D10

L7

4½

16

FM Daniel Fernandez

20058682

2406

2402

USA

L2

W13

L12

W17

L8

W21

L9

W18

L11

4

17

IM James A Rizzitano

10019656

2376

2361

USA

L4

W21

D19

L16

L7

W24

D12

W22

L13

4

18

FM Miles F Ardaman

10226678

2308

2311

USA

W19

L9

L5

L13

W23

W11

L7

L16

W24

4

19

GM Alex Yermolinsky

12534917

2574

2557

USA

L18

W24

D17

W12

D15

D20

L3

L14

U---

3½

20

GM Daniel Fridman

12735968

2562

2552

LAT

W22

L3

D14

W11

D5

D19

L6

L7

U---

3½

21

Joshua Bakker

12679142

2173

2172

USA

L9

L17

W24

W22

L10

L16

W23

L12

U---

3

22

Paul H Song

11423302

2109

2112

USA

L20

D12

L10

L21

W24

W23

D13

L17

U---

3

23

Kasun Waidyaratne

12757955

unr.

2000

USA

L6

L5

L13

W24

L18

L22

L21

L11

L12

1

24

Deepak Aaron

12877422

unr.

1907

USA

L15

L19

L21

L23

L22

L17

L11

L13

L18

0

 

Tied Players Are Listed In Order Of Their Pre-Tournament FIDE Ratings

 

Pairings for Round 9: CCA-ICC International!

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

5

½

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

4

½

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

2

8

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

2

0

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

3

11

½

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

3

½

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

4

1

0

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

6

1

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

5

9

½

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

13

½

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

6

12

0

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

15

1

IM David Howell (2416)

7

14

1

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

16

0

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

8

20

1

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

18

0

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

9

17

1

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

10

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

19

1

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

 

 

    

Pairings for Round 8: CCA-ICC International

        In what was undoubtedly the most exciting and suspenseful game of the tournament (so far!), GMs Alex Shabalov and Giorgi Kacheishvili threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other in their fateful Round 8 encounter on Second Board (the yawner on top board between GMs Zviad Izoria and Jaan Ehlvest was already over before these two had even set up their pieces).  Unclear until the very end, Shabalov’s queenside blitz was just not enough to overcome Kacheishvili’s “desperate” kingside onslaught. Black certainly had to think long and hard about matters— making the time control with barely a second left!  Propelled into the pole position going into the last round, Giorgi is joined by his two fellow GMs, Zviad Izoria, and tournament stalwart Victor Mikhalevski, all at 5.5-2.5.  Half a point behind lies the GM quartet of  Ehlvest, Vladimir Epishin, Alex Shabalov, and Suat Atalik.  The race for norms is still on, as well.  Fourteen-year-old British IM David Howell kept himself alive by a nice, “simple” win over GM Daniel Fridman, exploiting a small initiative right through to the end, carefully eschewing any complications.  Finally, FM Daniel Fernandez keeps his dream alive as well, with a clutch win in the final game of the round, over fellow FM Miles Ardaman.  Both norm aspirants, Daniel and David, must win their final games to achieve their goals.

 

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

4

1/2

GM Zviad Izoria (2602):  5.5

2

1/2

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614): 5.0

2

6

0

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593): 5.0

5

1

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597): 5.5

3

3

1/2

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605): 5.0

8

1/2

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572): 5.5

4

11

1/2

GM Suat Atalik (2561): 5.0

9

1/2

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565): 4.5

5

13

1/2

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535):  4.5

12

1/2

GM Nick De Firmian (2549):  4.5

6

7

0

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574): 3.5

1

1

GM Valerij Filippov (2621):  4.5

7

15

1

IM David Howell (2416): 4.5

10

0

GM Daniel Fridman (2562): 3.5

8

19

0

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308): 3.0

16

1

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406): 4.0

9

17

1

IM Justin Sarkar (2392): 4.0

21

0

Joshua Bakker (2173): 3.0

10

18

1

IM James A Rizzitano (2376):  4.0

22

0

Paul H Song (2109):  3.0

11

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.): 1.0

14

1

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474): 4.0

12

20

1

FM Ryan Harper (2230):  4.0

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.):  0.0

 

 

Pairings for Round 7: CCA-ICC International

     GM Victor Mikhalevski re-joins the leaders this round, following his miniature over GM Wojtkiewicz, where the latter found his Queen trapped on the 8th rank on Move 17.  GM Alex Shabalov went for a highly unorthodox game on Board 2 with GM Ehlvest, but managed to hold on to half a point 42 moves later.  GM Zviad Izoria took a faster approach to 5 points, with an 11-move peace against GM Epishin on Board 1.  Both games were carried live on ICC.  Three players are still in the hunt for norms:  14-year-old British IM David Howell seeks a GM norm, and American FMs Miles Ardaman and Daniel Fernandez are trying for IM.  But first they each need to win both their games Sunday. The games from previous rounds are also on ICC, at “lib CCA-ICC05.”

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

4

½

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

3

½

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

2

2

½

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

6

½

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

3

8

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

13

0

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

4

5

1

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

7

0

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

5

10

0

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

11

1

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

6

1

½

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

7

9

1

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

16

0

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

8

15

1

IM David Howell (2416)

19

0

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

9

18

½

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

17

½

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

10

22

½

Paul H Song (2109)

20

½

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

11

21

1

Joshua Bakker (2173)

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

12

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

14

1

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

 

 

Pairings for Round 6: CCA-ICC International

     A very exciting Round 6 Saturday morning, as the tournament standings were rocked for the first time since we started.  Two new leaders emerged:  GM Alex Shabalov had not quite assimilated to the new 11 am starting time, one hour earlier than the previous mornings.  Already in some time trouble before move 1 (after arriving 50 minutes late), he turned the tables with a nice attacking game on Board 1 against the tournament leader, uncorking a very pretty Knight sacrifice on Move 17.  GM Zviad Izoria followed suit on Board 2, amassing a powerful initiative from a “quiet” opening before rolling his three connected passed pawns to victory.   Both games were broadcast live on ICC, and we hope to showcase even more exciting chess with live broadcasts of the top games in the home stretch of the tournament.  Games from previous rounds are also on ICC, at “lib CCA-ICC05.”

 

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

6

1

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

8

0

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

2

1

0

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

4

1

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

3

11

0

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

2

1

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

4

3

1

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

9

0

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

5

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

5

½

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

6

7

½

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

10

½

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

7

13

1

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

15

0

IM David Howell (2416)

8

14

0

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

19

1

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

9

16

1

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

21

0

Joshua Bakker (2173)

10

20

½

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

17

½

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

11

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

22

1

Paul H Song (2109)

12

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

18

1

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

 

 

Pairings for Round 5: CCA-ICC International

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

8

½

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

11

½

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

2

6

½

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

4

½

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

3

9

½

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

1

½

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

4

10

½

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

3

½

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

5

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

7

½

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

6

2

1

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

16

0

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

7

5

1

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

20

0

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

8

21

0

Joshua Bakker (2173)

13

1

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

9

17

½

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

14

½

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

10

15

1

IM David Howell (2416)

18

0

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

11

19

1

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

12

22

1

Paul H Song (2109)

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

 

 

Pairings for Round 4: CCA-ICC International

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

4

½

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

8

½

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

2

3

½

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

6

½

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

3

5

0

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

11

1

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

4

9

½

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

5

1

1

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

15

0

IM David Howell (2416)

6

13

½

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

2

½

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

7

7

1

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

17

0

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

8

14

0

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

10

1

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

9

16

1

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

18

0

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

10

20

1

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

19

0

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

11

21

1

Joshua Bakker (2173)

22

0

Paul H Song (2109)

12

23

1

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

 

 

Here’s a nice game from Round 3, more than a little bit “different,” except for its fighting spirit!

IM Justin Sarkar 2392 – FM Daniel Fernandez 2406

1.      d4 d5

2.      c4 e6

3.      Nc3 c6

4.      e4 de4

5.      Ne4 Bb4+

6.      Bd2 Qd4

7.      Bb4 Qe4+

8.      Ne2 Na6

9.      Bf8 Ne7

10.  Bg7 Nb4

11.  Qd6 Nc2+

12.  Kd2 Na1

13.  Nd4 e5

14.  Be5 Nf5

15.  Qf6 Nd4

16.  Qh8+ Ke7

17.  Qf6+ Ke8

18.  Bd3 Qg2

19.  Bd4 1-0

 

Pairings for Round 3: CCA-ICC International

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

8

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

5

0

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

2

4

1

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

9

0

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

3

6

1

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

14

0

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

4

11

½

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

5

10

½

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

1

½

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

6

2

½

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

15

½

IM David Howell (2416)

7

19

0

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

3

1

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

8

18

½

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

7

½

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

9

17

1

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

16

0

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

10

13

1

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

22

0

Paul H Song (2109)

11

20

1

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

12

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

21

1

Joshua Bakker (2173)

 

 

IM Jayson Gonzales’ games were the last to finish in Rounds 1 and 2:

Round 1 saw a 100+ move double time scramble blitz to hold an amazing draw down the Exchange against GM Ehlvest;

Round 2 was a nice display of Q+N attacking GM Wojtkiewitcz’s King vs. Q+B not quite defending

Pairings for Round 2: CCA-ICC International

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

11

½

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

4

½

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

2

15

0

IM David Howell (2416)

8

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

3

12

½

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

6

½

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

4

5

1

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

10

0

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

5

9

1

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

19

0

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

6

1

½

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

2

½

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

7

14

1

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

13

0

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

8

3

1

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

9

7

1

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

10

16

1

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

20

0

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

11

22

½

Paul H Song (2109)

17

½

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

12

18

1

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

21

0

Joshua Bakker (2173)

 

Some First Round Upsets:

14-year-old British IM David Howell (2416) defeats GM Vladimir Epishin (2605),

FM Miles Ardaman wins “Three Queens” game vs. GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

Pairings for Round 1.

Bd

#

Res

White Player Name

#

Res

Black Player Name

1

13

½

GM Aleks Wojtkiewicz (2535)

1

½

GM Valerij Filippov (2621)

2

2

½

GM Jaan Ehlvest (2614)

14

½

IM Jayson Gonzales (2474)

3

15

1

IM David Howell (2416)

3

0

GM Vladimir Epishin (2605)

4

4

1

GM Zviad Izoria (2602)

16

0

FM Daniel Fernandez (2406)

5

17

0

IM Justin Sarkar (2392)

5

1

GM Giorgi Kacheishvili (2597)

6

6

1

GM Alexander Shabalov (2593)

18

0

IM James A Rizzitano (2376)

7

19

1

FM Miles F Ardaman (2308)

7

0

GM Alex Yermolinsky (2574)

8

8

1

GM Victor Mikhalevski (2572)

20

0

FM Ryan Harper (2230)

9

21

0

Joshua Bakker (2173)

9

1

GM Petr Kiriakov (2565)

10

10

1

GM Daniel Fridman (2562)

22

0

Paul H Song (2109)

11

23

0

Kasun Waidyaratne (unr.)

11

1

GM Suat Atalik (2561)

12

12

1

GM Nick De Firmian (2549)

24

0

Deepak Aaron (unr.)

 

Games are in “lib CCA-ICC05” on ICC

 

Home