IX Internet Chess Tournament “Ciudad de Dos Hermanas”

(Internet Chess Club (ICC), March 28th-April 5th 2008)

IM Michael Rahal (EDAMI, Barcelona)

Jorge Sammour-Hasbun wins for the second time in a row

For the second time in a row, ex-prodigy Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (aka NECF-InSchools on ICC) has won clearly the 9th Dos Hermanas Internet Chess Tournament 2008, which has been played on the ICC Internet Chess Club. A total of 2167 players have participated with 5455 in the 12 qualifiers.

The KO final stage, with the 32 qualifiers, was specially exciting this year, as more than half the players were seasoned GM's, with special attention going to Blitz American Hikaru Nakamura (2670), one of the fastest players on the planet.

In the end, with a spectacular result of 15/17 points), Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (2460), an ex-prodigy kid, with 28 years old, from Massachusetts (USA) was the only untitled player of the 8 finalists. He had to defeat consecutively IM Anton Kovalyov (2.5-0.5), GM Timur Gareev (3-0), favourite GM Baadur Jobava (3-0), in semifinals GM Dmitry Kononenko (2.5-0.5) and in the final he defeated his friend GM Ronen Har-Zvi, 4-1, thus keeping the title that he won in 2007, and winning the 2.000 euros first prize. Har-Zvi finished second, earning a 1.300 euros prize, while Kononenko and GM Zaven Andriasian (eliminated by Har-Zvi in the other semi-final) shared 3rd/4th winning 700 euros each.

After the final finished, Har-Zvi congratulated his opponent and interviewed him during 30 minutes in the following video http://webcast.chessclub.com/DosHermanas/2008/DosHermanas.html in which both players discuss the Dos Hermanas tournament and analyze some of the most interesting games of the final.

Jorge (Zamora) Sammour-Hasbun was a chess child prodigy. He won the Under 10 World Championship in 1988, the same year and at the same venue that one Alexei Shirov became Under 16 World Champion,  and he also became under 12 world champion a couple of years later. Jorge’s family emigrated from Palestine to America and there, at the age of 15 he already had a USCF rating of 2500 and an over-the-board defeated of Gata Kamsky. 

Alongside the prizes for the main winners, this year the tournament direction established several other cash prizes for amateurs for rating sections, bad on accumulate scores. The most important are:

a) Best ICC Amateur member from all over the world (<1800 ICC blitz
rating).

1. (250 EUR) OxidisedLizard // William Taylor (GBR)
2. (150 EUR) Intelectual // Giovanni Gonzales (COL)

b) Best ICC FIDE Rated members (No FIDE title) from all over the world

1. (250 EUR) Baltimora // Mike Gough (GBR)
2. (150 EUR) fito // Juan Pablo Demaria (ARG)

c1) - Special prize to the best ICC Spanish amateur member (<1800 ICC
Blitz rating): two nights full accommodation to come to Dos Hermanas
(Spain) from April 17th to 21st to see the Top 4-player event with tour
of the best players in the world, plus 250 euros cash for travel.

WINNER: metaxas // Gustavo Gaviria (ESP)

c2) - Best “Peón de Rey” magazine Spanish amateur subscriber (<1800 ICC
Blitz rating): two nights full accommodation to come to Dos Hermanas
(Spain) from April 17th to 21st to see the Top 4-player event with tour
of the best players in the world, plus 250 euros cash for travel.

WINNER: "MrCamel" // Manuel Iglesias Novo (ESP)
 

Dos Hermanas is a Spanish City 15 km south if Seville, with nearly 115.000 residents. Chess has always been an important sport there, and they have organized many important tournaments, with the best players in the world. A new edition of this event, this year with rapid games, will be held from the 18th to the 21st of April, with the participation of Topalov, Shirov, Polgar and Paco Vallejo.

The complete classifications, games in PGN format, and other interesting information can be found at the official Dos Hermanas website.