MP in chess. Wojtaszek and Socko in the finals, Rudzińska and Kaszlinska leading the women's tournament

2023-04-18 19:49:46

Radosław Wojtaszek and Bartosz Soćko will play from Wednesday in the final of the Polish Chess Championship. In the women’s tournament, two players are leading after seven rounds: Michalina Rudzińska and Alina Kaszlinska – 4.5 points each.

In the tournament held in the Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, men compete in a knockout system, and women – in a round robin.

The first finalist was Soćko, who, after winning on Monday against Szymon Gumularz, needed a draw the next day to advance, and he achieved this result.

An extra-time was necessary to select the second finalist, because in the duel of the grandmasters who fought for the title in Kruszwica a year ago, Radosław Wojtaszek took revenge on Kacper Piorun for the previous day’s defeat and leveled the competition. In the additional games of rapid chess (15 minutes plus 3 seconds) there was a draw, and Wojtaszek won the second, which means that he will have a chance to win the third in a row, and the sixth overall Polish championship.

Two experienced grandmasters will meet in the finals: 36-year-old Wojtaszek, who won 10 medals in 13 starts so far, and 44-year-old Soćko, who in 25 appearances in the finals of the Polish Championships won nine medals, including two gold.

In the women’s competition, the defending champion Rudzińska remained at the top of the classification, drawing with Jolanta Zawadzka after a game full of twists and turns, in which each side had a chance to win.

She was joined by the highest rated of the participants, Wojtaszek’s wife Alina Kaszlinska, who defeated the current co-leader, the champion from two years ago Klaudia Kulon. Both have 4.5 points, and Kulon, Alicja Śliwicka and Julia Antolak remain with a chance for the medal position, having accumulated half a point less.

In the duel between the oldest and the youngest participant of the final, 45-year-old Monika Soćko defeated 18-year-old Barbara Goraj. This is the second consecutive victory of the eight-time national champion, who thus left the last place in the standings.

The prize pool of the Polish Championships is PLN 350,000. Medalists and medalists will receive PLN 60, 40 and 20 thousand each.

The final rounds will be played on Thursday. Games start daily at 14, possible overtime at 20.

80. PGNiG Termika Individual MP – 1/2 finals, 2nd day (in first place playing white on Tuesday):

Radoslaw Wojtaszek (KS Gwiazda Bydgoszcz) – Kacper Piorun (KSz Hetman Katowice) 1:0 and 0:1, play-off. 1.5:0.5
Szymon Gumularz (KSz Polonia Wrocław) – Bartosz Soćko (KSz Hetman Katowice) draw and 0:1

75. PGNiG Termika Individual MP Women – 7th round:

Julia Antolak (GKsz Solny Grzybowo) – Oliwia Kiolbasa (KS Gwiazda Bydgoszcz) draw
Monika Socko (KSz Hetman Katowice) – Barbara Goraj (KS Gwiazda Bydgoszcz) 1:0
Michalina Rudzińska (Strzelec Strzelce Opolskie) – Jolanta Zawadzka (KSz Polonia Wrocław) draw
Alina Kaszlinska (KS Gwiazda Bydgoszcz) – Klaudia Kulon (LKS Wrzos Miedzyborow) 1:0
Alicja Sliwicka (UKS OPP Toruń) – Aleksandra Malcewska (SzSON Zagłębie Dabrowa Górnicza) 1:0

Overall standings (after seven out of nine rounds):

1. Rudzińska 4.5 points
2. Kaszlinska 4.5
3. West 4
4. Śliwicka 4
5. Organizations 4
6. Sausage 3
7. Socko 3
8. Zawadzka 4
9. Malcewska 2,5
10. Goraj 2,5
(PAP)