Short-Cheparinov: 1-0

In a very convincing manner, Nigel Short has beaten Ivan Cheparinov today, surely getting a certain amount of satisfaction along the way.


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After the tumultous day yesterday, it wasn't clear if this game would be played at all. Cheparinov had delivered his written apologies twelve minutes before the deadline of 11.00 hrs, for refusing to shake hands with Short. It wasn't clear whether the Englishman would show up for the game, because the night before he had declared he would not.

To the Organizing Committee Corus chess tournament

CC : Appeal Committee

STATEMENT

Dear All,

I accept the decision of the Appeal Committee and on the name of chess ,the chess fans and showing respect to the opinion of my colleagues would like to state the following:

I apologize officially to Mr. Short, to the Organizing Committee and the sponsors of Corus chess tournament.

I am ready to play the game today at 13'30 and will shake hands with Mr.Short according to the decision of the Appeal Committee.

Best regards,

Ivan Cheparinov

Many believe that the whole incident was one big testcase for tomorrow, when Topalov-Kramnik is scheduled. A dress rehearsal, a hundred percent directed (literally) by the Bulgarians. Because it couldn't have been a coincidence that it was filmed yesterday from A to Z by someone. ChessVibes is desperately trying to stay neutral.

Anyway, Short did show up, to the relief of those diehard journalists who were present on the rest day, because we feared we had to wait for an hour for nothing. At around 13.37 hrs the two shook hands and the game started.

In a positional line of the Najdorf, Black was outplayed from the beginning - we don't know how to put it differently. Even without its dramatic history, Short would have been proud of this game. But especially today, his win must have given him great satisfaction.

Hopefully the worst is now behind us, but given tomorrow's pairings, that remains to be seen. "The chess world is getting tougher and tougher," as Ljubojevic put it yesterday.