Who says lightening doesn't strike twice? Last year's Cinderella-story winner of the Internet Chess Club's annual Dos Hermanas blitz tournament, Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (ICC NECF-InSchools), proved that lightening does indeed strike twice as he retained his title.Sammour-Hasbun, 28, who lives in Massachusetts, was the only untitled player among the seven-strong grandmasters in the eight-player final, yet he defied the odds again to win the title and $3,4000 (approx. ?¢‚Äö¬¨2,000) first prize, just like he did
last year. En route to the title, he beat IM Anton Kovalyov, GMs Timur Gareev, Jobava Baadur and Dmitry Kononenko, before he (NECF-InSchools) defeated his good friend, GM Ronen Har-Zvi (Indiana-Jones), by a score of 4-1, to take the top prize and online blitz bragging rights for another year.
Ronen Har-Zvi was the first to congratulate Sammour-Hasbun in yet another stylish performance, and was even magnanimous enough to interview the 2008 Dos Hermanas champion for Chess.FM. Recorded LIVE, just minutes after the match, you can listen (free to non-members) to the two finalists' thoughts on Dos Hermanas (including some amazing analysis of their games) in this exclusive, 36 minute video from Chess.FM. To view the video,
click here. You can download all games in PGN
here.
John Henderson, ICC
Who says lightening doesn't strike twice? Last year's Cinderella-story winner of the Internet Chess Club's annual Dos Hermanas blitz tournament, Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (ICC NECF-InSchools), proved that lightening does indeed strike twice as he retained his title.Sammour-Hasbun, 28, who lives in Massachusetts, was the only untitled player among the seven-strong grandmasters in the eight-player final, yet he defied the odds again to win the title and $3,4000 (approx. ?¢‚Äö¬¨2,000) first prize, just like he did last year. En route to the title, he beat IM Anton Kovalyov, GMs Timur Gareev, Jobava Baadur and Dmitry Kononenko, before he (NECF-InSchools) defeated his good friend, GM Ronen Har-Zvi (Indiana-Jones), by a score of 4-1, to take the top prize and online blitz bragging rights for another year. Ronen Har-Zvi was the first to congratulate Sammour-Hasbun in yet another stylish performance, and was even magnanimous enough to interview the 2008 Dos Hermanas champion for Chess.FM. Recorded LIVE, just minutes after the match, you can listen (free to non-members) to the two finalists' thoughts on Dos Hermanas (including some amazing analysis of their games) in this exclusive, 36 minute video from Chess.FM. To view the video, click here. You can download all games in PGN here.John Henderson, ICC
