11.06.2016

Head of FIDE opens the Friendship Match between Russia and China

The eleventh traditional Friendship Match between the national teams of Russia and China will be held at the Botvinnik Central House of Chess on Gogolevski Boulevard in Moscow.

The opening ceremony was attended by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov; Presidential aide Igor Levitin; Russian grandmaster and contender for the world crown Sergey Karjakin; head of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov; Chairman of the Management Board of RCF Mark Glukhovsky.

The FIDE President believes that Russia and China are the leading powers in world chess. "The upcoming match will be a good test of strength of the rivals in the run-up to the Chess Olympiad, which will be held in the Azerbaijan's capital Baku on the 1st of September this year,"  said Ilyumzhinov, speaking to the tournament’s guests and participants.
Later, the chief referee, Anatoly Bykhovsky drew lots. Its results showed that the opening by white on the first board in the first round will be made by men of the Chinese team and by women of the Russian team.
The competition will be held from 11th to 15th of June.
Here is the Russian team’s current line-up: men - Ian Nepomnyashchiy, Dmitry Yakovenko, Nikita Vitiugov, Dmitry Andreykin and Maxim Matlakov; women - Valentina Gunina, Natalia Pogonina, Anastasia Bodnaruk, Alexandra Goryachkina and Ekaterina Lagno.
The Chinese team’s line-up: men - Wang Yue, Yu Yangyi, Lu Shanglei, Wen Yang and Zhou Jianchao; women - Tan Zhongyi, Shen Yang, Guo Qi, Ding Yixin and Lei Tintsze.