Challengers Chess Tour - Polgar v Kramnik Apr-Aug 2021

[Desmond]

https://challengerschesstour.com/

Two chess icons, Judit Polgar and Vladimir Kramnik, will captain two teams of exciting young players in the search for the next big talent in chess!

What is the Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour?
The Julius Baer Challengers Chess Tour is a set of tournaments running alongside the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour featuring the world’s most exciting young chess players. These players will compete individually for their teams, either Team Polgar or Team Kramnik. Kramnik and Polgar together with their teams of world-renown coaches will provide weekly coaching sessions with the players throughout the Tour.

What is the format of the Tour?
The Tour will feature four “Challenges” and one Final for a total of five events. The Challenges will each be four-day, round robin tournaments, while the Final will bring the top 8 players together for a thrilling knock-out tournament to decide the winner of the Tour. All tournaments will be played in rapid format (10+5) with all games played on chess24.

Who is playing?
The Tour will bring together 20 of the most exciting young male and female chess players. There will be ten female and ten male players split into two teams: Team Polgar and Team Kramnik. Stay tuned for the announcement of the lineup!

Where do I watch?
The Tour will be broadcast live on this website as well as chess24.com, and also available on chess24’s official YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels. The first event will feature Judit Polgar and Vladimir Kramnik as commentators.

Team Polgar

Player			Country		Age	Rating
Nihal Sarin		India		16	2620
Awonder Liang		United States	17	2592
Vincent Keymer		Germany		16	2591
Gukesh D		India		14	2578
Sarasadat Khademalsharieh	Iran	24	2494
Volodar Murzin		Russia		14	2478
Polina Shuvalova	Russia		20	2476
Zhansaya Abdumalik	Kazakhstan	21	2472
Zhu Jiner		China		18	2459
Gunay Mammadzada	Azerbaijan	20	2443
Average age: 18
Average rating: 2520

Team Kramnik

Player			Country		Age	Rating
Nodirbek Abdusattorov Uzbekistan	16	2627
Praggnanandhaa		India		15	2608
Jonas Bjerre		Denmark		16	2550
Leon Mendonca		India		15	2549
Lei Tingjie		China		24	2505
Dinara Saduakassova	Kazakhstan	24	2500
Christopher Yoo		United States	14	2455
Olga Badelka		Belarus		18	2433
Carissa Yip		United States	17	2430
Nurgyul Salimova	Bulgaria	17	2397
Average age: 17.6
Average rating: 2505.4

Tournament schedule
April 8-11
Polgar Challenge
$15K Prize Fund
+ Wildcard to following Meltwater Champions Chess Tour tournament

June 10-13
Gelfand Challenge
$15K Prize Fund
+ Wildcard to following Meltwater Champions Chess Tour tournament

July 15-18
Hou Yifan Challenge
$15K Prize Fund
+ Wildcard to following Meltwater Champions Chess Tour tournament

August 12-15
Kramnik Challenge
$15K Prize Fund
+ Wildcard to following Meltwater Champions Chess Tour tournament

TBA 0-0
Final
$40K Prize Fund
+ Invitation to Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2021-2022 season

[Desmond]

Standings after day 2:

1	 Praggnanandhaa R	8½/10	2608
2	 Abdusattorov, Nodirbek 8/10	2627
3	 Yoo, Christopher Woojin 8/10	2455
4	 Gukesh D 		7/10	2578
5	 Nihal Sarin 		7/10	2620
6	 Liang, Awonder 	6/10	2592
7	 Keymer, Vincent 	6/10	2591
8	 Lei, Tingjie 		6/10	2505
9	 Murzin, Volodar 	5½/10	2478
10	 Zhu, Jiner 		5½/10	2459
11	 Mendonca, Leon Luke 	5/10	2549
12	 Bjerre, Jonas Buhl 	5/10	2550
13	 Shuvalova, Polina 	4½/10	2476
14	 Salimova, Nurgyul 	4/10	2397
15	 Abdumalik, Zhansaya	3½/10	2472
16	 Mammadzada, Gunay 	3/10	2443
17	 Yip, Carissa 		2½/10	2430
18	 Khademalsharieh, Sarasadat 2/10	2494
19	 Badelka, Olga 		1½/10	2433
20	 Saduakassova, Dinara 	1½/10	2500