Prague Open 2013 and Marienbad GM

Only this fact that I am going to write an article about Prague Open 2013 and Marianbad GM tournament 2013 is achievement in it self.
One of the first article on this blog was exactly the rapport from Marienbad 2012.
This time it is not retrospective rapport. It is an introduction to these two tournaments which are my first tournaments in 2013.
You can also read about other little things that inflicted the beginning of 2013.

The very first and not very pleasant surprise came on the day before yesterday.
I wanted to see my place on FIDE rating list (out of Bosnian players) but I could not find any!
I thought that was the same old shit, and took a contact with Bosnian rating administrator.
Always in a good mood he explained me the issue, and this time it is only the minor delay in administrative system. It can be seen already today when some of the players are again on the list.
However I am still (as in the last two years) the best player in my home city Mostar.
It was probably today when I realised that I do not have much time to waste before my travel to Czech Republic (I was a bit slow in the first two days of new year).
One of the decisions for 2013 was to try to do my best in the tournaments and that includes that I will not lose energy on things which can affect my results whatever it is. 
The organisers did not updated their lists in Prague and Marienbad (and the new ratings of the players).
I will try to publish updated list.

Prague Open

This is the tournament where I achieved some of my best results.

Last year I did not played in Prague (only in Marienbad) but the year before last year (2011) I played excellently and shared the first place.

The year before that I achieved (than) my first IM norm.

This year it seems to me that the tournament is a bit weaker than before but still there are very interesting players and eminent names in international chess.

1. Agdestein Simon       GM  2555
2. Rasik Vitzeslav            IM  2516
3. Stefansson Hannes   GM  2512
4. Vokac Marek             GM  2471
5. Sergeev Vladimir       GM  2469
6. Baumegger Siegfired  IM  2462
7. Atalik Ekaterina           IM  2461
8. Matsenko Sergei         IM  2460
9. Kanovsky David          IM  2412
10. Ivanov Michail            GM  2403
11. Biolek ROchard jun.    IM  2399
12. Kulhanek Tomas         IM  2388
13. Studnicka Tomas       FM  2388
14. Bejtovic Jasmin           IM  (2387)
15. de Verdier Michael           2385
16. Sodoma Jan               IM   2379
17. Plischki Sebastian      IM   2371

............

and there are 160 players on the list, registered before 27.December 2012.

It is still possible that some of the players who will come before 09. January will be better rated than me.

Michael de Verdier will also play, and try to make his final IM norm (this includes more than +15 in Elo that makes him IM immediately).

In my opinion, one of the first 8 players on the list is going to win the tournament.

The players which I published here (up to 17) are capable to do something (again in my opinion).

This years edition is somehow different as there is a new playing venue.

Instead of Top Hotel Prague in South-East Prague, we will play in Hotel Olympic in North-East part of Prague (closer to central Prague).

I will stay in other hotel on the edge of Down Town, together with Michael de Verdier and Christopher Krantz.

"Living on the edge"

I will try to update Chess and Life every night, with the results, some pictures and the games in chess viewer.

There is only one double round and it is acceptable.
The first round will start 09.January at 4:00 PM, and the tournament will finish on 16. January.

Marienbad GM tournament

That something is not completely in the place in Czech Tour is visible on GM tournament in Marienbad.

There is still one free place in the group.

I am very satisfied with the players in the group as I played with almost every player and I won against almost every player.

Of course it means very little, but as lowest rated in the group it has to be at least some psychological advantage on my side.

In order to achieve GM norm (which is as always extremely hard) I have to make 6,5 out of 9.

It depends on the last name in the group, but according to my calculations, if his/her Elo is around 2350 (which would be the lowest in the group) I will achieve norm with 6,5. If it is very low rated player, than 7 out 9 would be the magic line.

Here is the list of the players:

GM Marienbad:

1. Chernyshov Konstatin   GM  2530
2. Matsenko Sergei             IM  2461
3. Sadzikowski Daniel          IM  2453
4. Skytte Rasmus                IM  2419
5. Kargin Arseny                 IM  2417
6. Zwardon Vojtech            FM  2408
7. Ivanov Michail                GM  2403
8. Talla Vladimir                 GM  2387
9. Bejtovic Jasmin                IM (2387)
10. ????

It can not be worse than my current place according to rating.

I am not so sure about possibility of getting good Internet connection in Marienbad, which means that there will not be daily updates from this tournaments, but as Michael de Verdier will be back on Malta, we can expect that his rapport from Prague will reach the physical phase (going through 6 phases before the final one).

Other news....

This is the year when my club in Sweden, Eksjö S.K. celebrates 100 years of establishment and it will be hard fight to achieve our goal.

We have to stay in the highest division!

Right now the biggest Swedish open tournament, Rilton Cup in Stockholm, is going to the final stages.

Some of Eksjö players are playing there (IM Axel Ornstein and GM Slavko Cicak).

During the January it will be very interesting to see what will happen in Wijk An Zee.

As always even group B is very interesting, but this time with GM Nils Grandelius.

In the same time Gibraltar Chess Festival will be organised.

In the February it will be some interesting open tournaments.

Aeroflot 2013 and Moscow Open are some of them, and of course Reykjavik Open.

It will be the month when I will play my next tournament after the Czech tour, but I will still not publish which tournament is it.