Canadians on the World Stage

Mark Bluvshtein update

Canadian GM Mark Bluvshtein finished the Corsica Masters event in Bastia with 5/7. This qualified him for the knock-out, where he lost to GM Gawain Jones’s Benko Gambit. He is now in Israel, training with GM Huzman. When he comes back to Toronto, he’ll be preparing for the tournament in Groningen, the Netherlands, at the end of December.

Mark helped open the Annex Chess Club this October, and his many fans at the club are following his professional chess career closely.

For photos, analysis, and updates, check out his blog.

Here is his Round 6 victory over Russian GM Mikhail M. Ivanov in Corsica:

White: Mark Bluvshtein (2583)
Black: Mikhail M. Ivanov (2438)

A00 King’s Indian

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. h3 Na6 9. Nd2 Nd7 10. g4 f5 11. gxf5 gxf5 12. exf5 Ndc5 13. Nde4 Bxf5 14. Bg2 b6 15. Qe2 Nb4 16. Bxc5 bxc5 17. a3 Na6 18. O-O-O Qh4 19. Rd3 Bh6+ 20. Kb1 Kh8 21. Bf3 Rg8 22. Rdd1 Raf8 23. Bg4 Bg6 24. Ka2 Rf4 25. f3 Ra8 26. Qe1 Qe7 27. Ka1 Nb8 28. Nb5 Be8 29. Ng3 Bg6 30. Qe2 Qd8 31. Bh5 Nd7 32. Bxg6 hxg6 33. Rdg1 Nf8 34. Ne4 Qe7 35. h4 Rd8 36. Rg4 Rd7 37. Rxf4 exf4 38. Qd2 Qe5 39. Qxa5 Bg7 40. Rh2 Qh5 41. Ng5 Bf6 42. Qd2 Nh7 43. Ne6 Qxf3 44. Qxf4 Qd1+ 45. Ka2 Be5 46. Qd2 Qg4 47. Qe2 Qg3 48. Rf2 Qxh4 49. a4 Re7 50. a5 c6 51. dxc6 Rxe6 52. c7 Re8 53. Nxd6 Qxf2 54. Qxf2 Bxd6 55. Qf7 Ra8 56. Qd7 Rxa5+ 57. Kb3 Bxc7 58. Qc8+ (1-0) You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

Jason Cao wins World Under-10

Nine-year-old Jason Cao won a gold medal for Canada in the World Youth Chess Championship in Greece. A grade 5 student from Victoria, Jason is now a FIDE master. He is the first Canadian World Under-10 Champion since 1986.

For more details, see the CFC press release, “Canadian Jason Cao – New U 10 World Chess Champion.”