Iturrizaga is the first seed in the elite section. Photo: taken from ChessBase Author: chess base

After hosting in 2022 at the Hotel Nacional, the Capablanca International Memorial, one of the most popular and respected chess tournaments on the continent, returned yesterday to the capital’s Habana Libre Hotel, where it was last held four years ago. with the victory of the Ukrainian Vasily Ivanchuk (his eighth crown) in the Elite group, the strongest in wrestling.

The main part of the 56th round-robin draw is played by ten grandmasters from six countries with an average Elo rating of 2579.

Competing on the Cuban side are Carlos Daniel Albornoz from Camaguey, Luis Ernesto Quesada from Avila, Omar Almeida from Havana, Lelis Martinez from Santiago and Elier Miranda from Villa Clara, the reigning national champion. Of these, Almeida, Albornoz and Luis Ernesto were in the previous version – the best places with his fourth place in tiebreak – while last year’s island quintet did not include Isan Ortiz from Holguin (he is registered in the Open group) and Yasir Quesada from Villa -Clara.

The foreign representation consists of nationalized Venezuelan Spaniard Eduardo Iturrizaga, Indian Raunak Sadhwani, German Rasmus Swane, Dane Jonas Boule Bierre and Brazilian Alexander Fier, the only one with an Elo coefficient below 2600. As reported exclusively rebellious youth Specialist Osmani Pedraza is participating in the top tier bracket for the first time since Iturrisaga, the holder of the highest Elo rating, with 2637, has played Capablanca three times in a row (2005, mixed group; 2006, open, third place; and 2007, open).

Pedraza noted that the last time the West Indian won in the elite was in 2009, when Mayabe’s Leinier Dominguez did so in the 44th edition held at the Panamericano Hotel east of the capital.

At the end it was the first round of nine, and the duels were as follows: Fjer vs. Robe, Quesada vs. Miranda, Iturrisaga vs. Almeida, Bierre vs. Sadwani & Martinez vs. Svan

Source: Juventud Rebelde