No top players at World Juniors

This week another big event started: the World Juniors (and Girls) in Yerevan, Armenia. In contrast with the European Club Cup, this tournament has to do without many top players. First seeded is Wang Hao (2643) from China, because players such as Radjabov, Carlsen and Karjakin clearly have something better to do. But winning this event is still a prestigious achievement (and generates an invitation for the 2008 Essent Tournament).

The World Juniors and Girls is the world championship for chess players under 20, which means the players must have been under 20 years old on 1 January in the year of competition.

The current Juniors top 20 of the FIDE 1 October list:

 1. Radjabov, Teimour         g   AZE  2742  1987
 2. Carlsen, Magnus           g   NOR  2714  1990
 3. Wang, Yue                 g	  CHN  2703  1987
 4. Karjakin, Sergey          g	  UKR  2694  1990
 5. Nakamura, Hikaru          g	  USA  2648  1987
 6. Tomashevsky, Evgeny       g	  RUS  2646  1987
 7. Predojevic, Borki         g	  BIH  2645  1987
 8. Wang, Hao                 g	  CHN  2643  1989
 9. Stellwagen, Daniel        g	  NED  2639  1987
10. Wojtaszek, Radoslaw       g	  POL  2635  1987
11. Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime   g	  FRA  2634  1990
12. Rodshtein, Maxim          m	  ISR  2615  1989
13. Nepomniachtchi, Ian       m   RUS  2611  1990
14. Laznicka, Viktor          g	  CZE  2610  1988
15. Koneru, Humpy             g	  IND  606   1987
16. Caruana, Fabiano          m	  ITA  2594  1992
17. Vitiugov, Nikita          g	  RUS  2594  1987
18. Lysyj, Igor               m	  RUS  2591  1987
19. Mamedov, Rauf             g	  AZE  2586  1988
20. Kuzubov, Yuriy            g	  UKR  2582  1990

Of this list, only the numbers 8, 9, 12, and 14 participate in Yerevan.

The current Girls top 20 of the FIDE 1 October list:

 1. Koneru, Humpy             g   IND  2606  1987
 2. Hou, Yifan               wg   CHN  2502  1994
 3. Harika, Dronavalli       wg   IND  2480  1991
 4. Muzychuk, Anna           wg   SLO  2469  1990
 5. Lahno, Kateryna           m   UKR  2459  1989
 6. Ruan, Lufei                   CHN  2453  1987
 7. Shen, Yang               wg   CHN  2450  1989
 8. Dzagnidze, Nana           m   GEO  2416  1987
 9. Charochkina, Daria       wm   RUS  2403  1990
10. Tairova, Elena           wg   RUS  2391  1991
11. Mongontuul, Bathuyag     wg   MGL  2389  1987
12. Zawadzka, Jolanta        wg   POL  2371  1987
13. Melia, Salome            wg	  GEO  2365  1987
14. Gunina, Valentina        wf	  RUS  2359  1989
15. Foisor, Sabina-Francesca wm	  ROU  2359  1989
16. Muzychuk, Mariya         wm	  UKR  2357  1992
17. Ju, Wenjun                    CHN  2354  1991
18. Nebolsina, Vera          wm   RUS  2349  1989
19. Kovanova, Baira          wm   RUS  2346  1987
20. Vasilkova, Svetlana      wm   RUS  2343  1988

Of this list, only the numbers 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 18 participate.

For the players it's a pity that so few top juniors play. However, it might turn out positively too, since the winner automatically receive the Grandmaster or Woman Grandmaster title, and the second and third place finishers receive the International Master or Woman International Master titles.

Former Junior winners include Boris Spassky (1955, Antwerp), Anatoly Karpov (1969, Stockholm), Garry Kasparov (1980, Dortmund), Viswanathan Anand (1987, Bagiuo), Levon Aronian (2002, Goa), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2003, Nakhchivan and 2005, Istanbul). Last year the winner was Zaven Andriasian (also in Yerevan). Former Girls winners include Ketevan Arakhamia (1985, Dobrna), Allisa Galliamova (1988, Adalaide), Zu Chen (1994, Caiob?ɬ° and 1996, Medell?ɬ?n), Humpy Koneru (2001, Athens) and Elisabeth P?ɬ§tz (2005, Istanbul). Last year the winner was Yang Shen.

The event is held in the Chess House named after Tigran Petrosian in Yerevan.

The results of the event can be followed here.