Chess World Senior Championship 2016
By Messenger Staff
Friday, December 2
Four Georgian chess players out of a six-member Georgian team earned medals at the 26th World Chess Senior Championship, held in Marianske Lazne (Marienbad), Czech Republic, from November 18 to December 1.
Georgian chess player Nona Gaprindashvili, who is a five-time world chess champion and has won 11 Olympic gold medals, became the winner of the World Senior Championship 2016 in the category of women 65+ for the third time. In addition, in 1995 and 2009 she also won a similar championship for veteran chess players.
Gaprindashvili defeated Romanian Dorina Florea in the 9th round and became the winner with 8 points. Elena Fatalibekova of Russia accumulated 7.5 points and took second place, with the bronze going to another Georgian, Tamar Khmiadashvili, who earned 6.5 points and took the 6th overall place in the championship. Khmiadashvili is a four-time world champion.
Among the players above 50 years of age, Giorgi Bagaturov defeated Alexander Reprincev from Ukraine and won the tournament with 9.5 points. The second and third places went to Alexander Reprincev from Ukraine and a Gorgian Zurab Sturua. Another Georgian, Varlam Vepkhishvili, took 48th place with 6.5 points.
Georgian sportsman Tsiala Kasoshvili took part in the same age category for women and took the third place together with five other players.
In total, six Georgian players participated in the tournament, and the team won 2 gold and 2 bronze medals overall.
