Sutovsky Wins InventiChess
The Israeli GM Emil Sutovsky (pictured) has won the InventiChess round-robin tournament in Antwerp with an impressive score of 7/9.
Etienne Bacrot of France and Krishnan Sasikiran from India were his closest challengers on 5.5/9.
Sutovsky raced to an early lead with 5 points after 6 rounds, and ensured victory by beating Antoaneta Stefanova in the last round.
The two women competitors Anna Muzychuk and Antoaneta Stefanova held their own to perform better than their ratings predicted, on 4.5/9 and 4/9 points respectively.
Popular Dutch veteran Jan Timman also performed creditably with 4.5/9.
Congratulations to the organisers for staging such an interesting and competitive event - more than half the games ended decisively.
However, the shock of the tournament was current British Champion David Howell, who had a truly miserable time. Howell's only win came in the last round against local competitor Bart Michiels, but it still wasn't enough to save him from the ignominy of finishing last on 2/9.
The final standings:
| Sutovsky, Emil | ISR | 2676 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Sasikiran, Krishnan | IND | 2661 | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5½ |
| Bacrot, Etienne | FRA | 2709 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5½ |
| Socko, Bartosz | POL | 2637 | 0 | 1 | 1 | * | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5 |
| Timman, Jan H | NED | 2588 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 4½ |
| Sargissian, Gabriel | ARM | 2668 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 4½ |
| Muzychuk, Anna | SLO | 2533 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 4½ |
| Stefanova, Antoaneta | BUL | 2527 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | 4 |
| Michiels, Bart | BEL | 2462 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 0 | 2½ |
| Howell, David W L | ENG | 2624 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | * | 2 |
