^[1]

Being under steady looks of 13 arbiters the players met at the chess boards once again in order to determine who will stay in Khanty-Mansiysk minimum for about a couple of days and who will buy a return ticket to go home.

Those lucky ones who managed to get the ticket to the 3^rd Round in advance could not resist from coming to the chess academy as spectators.

Report by Valentina Volokitina.

It is worth saying that it is rather fascinating to watch chess games. Even despite the fact that there is serenity and concentration in the air of the playing hall. As soon as you are seated among spectators you forget that something else exists behind the walls of the academy. No wonder that chess players are thought to be «weird people» — they spend most of their life in the atmosphere of intellectual silence.

Baadur Jobava, surrounded by young chess fans squinting at him and comparing him with his photos in the magazine thus hoping to get his autograph, also watched the games together with me. On the side holding a cup of tea Nikita Vitiugov was from time to time approached by Sergey Karjakin who shared fresh impressions on the game.

If in classical games chess players are actively walking along the rows watching other games, it is not the case in rapid matches. Although Peter Svidler still had time to run in between the tables while his opponent, young Grandmaster Nguyen, was thinking over his next move. Peter did not have any competitors in the non-official championship of walking in the playing halls!

^[1]

Every game is thoroughly watched by the arbiters

^[2]Anton Filippov (Uzbekistan)

^[3]

While the rest of the participants are chatting before the start of the game, «№1» Sergey Karjakin is placing his pieces on the board

^[4]

Peter Heine Nielsen has a lot of fans among Ugra chess amateurs.

^[5]

The holder of the most complicated name of the tournament Nguyen Ngoc Truong

^[6]

New drawing of colours

^[7]

Behind the glass wall the American player Shankland watches the games on the screen

^[8]

Peter Svidler

^[9]

After the end of the game the two compatriots Ian  Nepomniachtchi and Alexander Riazantsev were discussing it for a long time as if five minutes ago they were not opponents at all

^[10]

Recklessly finished their first game in a draw, Ruslan Ponomariov and Ni Hua were the last to finish their second game.

^[11]

After winning the game, Sergey Karjakin was giving autographs to his fans with satisfied Yury Dohoyan

^[12]

Before the start of the press conference Sergey is joking about his outfit

^[13]

… after they said: «On air» he changed his look and started discussing his battle against Wesley So with a serious expression on his face.

^[14]

The tournament is over for friends Francisco Vallejo-Pons and Ruben Felgaer

^[15]

Ruben looked very happy at the press conference and confessed that he was pleased with his performance…

^[16]

...while Francisco could not hide his disappointment after his «American swings» at the chess board