Antipov, Buksa Win World Junior In Russia

Antipov, Buksa Win World Junior In Russia
By Arvind Aaron

Russia’s Mikhail Antipov and Nataliya Buksa of Ukraine won the World Junior Chess Championships that concluded at Khanty-Mansiyst in Russia on Sep 15, 2015.

Top seeds rarely win in Swiss format contests. Antipov scored a final round win to catch up with the event leader and top seed Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland on 10/13 and win the title on tie-break score.

Antipov and Duda scored 10 points apiece and the tie-break decided the title. German GM Bluebaum won the bronze medal with nine points, one clear point below.

Asia did not get much. Zhansaya Abdumalik of Kazakhstan who was leading the girls section won a bronze medal on lower tie-break score.

Woman Grand Masters fared poorly among Girls. Seed 23, Nataliya Buksa, only an WFM gathered steam and overtook Zhansaya to win the World Junior Girls title by a clear half point margin. Drawn games became the order of the day in the lead boards of girls.

India can hope to get better results in 2016 when this event will be held in Bhubaneswar, in the east coast of India next year.

Complete Indian and Asian placings are given below.

Final placings: 1 GM Mikhail Al Antipov (Rus) 10/13; 2 GM Duda Jan-Krzysztof (Pol) 10; 3 GM Matthias Bluebaum (Ger) 9; 4 IM Quentin Loiseau (Fra) 8.5; 9 IM G. Akash (Ind) 8, 13 IM Tran Tuan Ming (Vie) 8; 22 IM S.L. Narayanan (Ind) 7; 23 GM Karthikeyan Murali (Ind) 7; 24 FM Denis Makhnyov (Kaz) 7; 29 IM Shardul Gagare (Ind) 6.5; 30 IM Bai Jinshi (Chn) 6.5; 36 FM Sumiya Bilguun (Mgl) 6.5; 40 IM Zhanat Saiyn (Kaz) 6; 41 Shamsiddin Vokhidov (Uzb) 6; 42 Harsha Bharathakoti (Ind) 6; 46 FM Chingiz Serikbay (Kaz) 6; 49 Chyngyz Isaev (Kgz) 5.5…62 players.

Girls: 1 WFM Nataliya Buksa (Ukr) 10; 2-3. WIM Alina Bivol (Rus), WGM Zhansaya Abdumalik (Kaz) 9.5 each; 4 WGM Dinara Saduakassova (Kaz) 9; 6 WIM Dorsa Derakhshani (Iri) 8.5; 11 WFM Nguyen Thi Thuy Trien (Vie) 7.5; 19 WGM Aulia Medina Warda 7; 20 WFM J Saranya (Ind) 7; 22 WIM P Michelle Catherina (Ind) 6.5; 24 WFM Bibissara Assaubayeya (Kaz) 6.5; 27 WFM G.K. Monnisha (Ind) 6.5; 29 WFM Bayarmaa Bayarjargal (Mgl) 6; 35 Badamkhand Norovsambuu (Mgl) 6; 39 WIM B Pratyusha (Ind) 5.5; 48 Shakhnazi Musaeva (Kgz) 1.5…48 players.