Last update - 00:00 08/09/2006
Top names in world chess upset in blitz championship in Israel
By The Associated Press
An underdog Russian grandmaster trounced some of the top names in chess to win the World Blitz Championship -a high-speed game in which competitors have seconds to make each move.
Alexander Grischuk, ranked 18th in the world, defeated compatriot Peter Svidler, world No. 5, to win the $16,000 (-12,600) first prize in this
Tel Aviv suburb. The world's No. 2 player, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, finished a disappointing fourth.
Blitz chess is played by the usual chess rules, but each contestant is allotted just five minutes total for each game. When a player completes a move, he stops his watch and starts that of his competitor, who has a few seconds to make his next move.
Teimour Radjabov, 19, of Azerbaijan, finished third. Ranked 11th in the world, he is considered the top player under the age of 20.
The top woman in the world, Hungarian Judit Polgar who is ranked 17th,
finished fifth.
Competition organizers had feared they would have to cancel the games due to Israel's war with Lebanon, which ended Aug. 14. But by Aug. 16 dozens of chess players from around the world had signed up for the games, which followed Israel's hosting of the Chess Championships last year.
The championship was settled with a tie-breaking round after Grischuk and Svidler finished a first match tied with 10.5 points each.
Blitz chess may attract spectators with its faster pace, but it is less fun for the players, Radjabov said.
"Personally I prefer the long, classic chess that allows for deep thought and creativity," said Radjabov.
Chess players must stay physically fit to maintain their competitive edge, he said. "I have the mentality of an athlete," said Radjabov, who has been playing since age five.
Hundreds of spectators turned out for the final games Thursday. The room was quiet as they watched electronic screens above the stage that depicted chess boards and showed the moves of each of the eight games that were being played simultaneously.