The World Junior Chess Championship in Khanty-Mansyisk has come to an end. The final was extremely intriguing, keeping Russian fans on the edge of their seats until the end.
Italy is known for its supercars, Russia – its chess players http://wp.me/p1yOl8-6e We support both :) <- enjoy&have a nice weekend!
— Eugene Kaspersky (@e_kaspersky) July 15, 2011
In the middle of competition Polish player Jan-Krzystof Duda became a leader after compiling four wins. He was the favorite to win the tournament, until 18-year-old Mikhail Antipov from Russia drew up with him.
Antipov reached the final behind half of a score. To win he had to beat Francesco Rambaldi in the final 13th round. He also needed some luck, as Duda had to not win (draw or loss) in his final game against Dutchman Benjamin Bok.
Will Duda or Antipov become World Junior Champion? The last round is LIVE now! https://t.co/gghjPXHy7D #c24live pic.twitter.com/44xwIHaEWV
— chess24 (@chess24com) September 15, 2015
The stars were aligned: Antipov quickly outgamed the Italian player, while Duda and Bok finished tied. So Mikhail Antipov became the new world junior champion.
110 players from 40 countries took part in the championship, all younger than 20 years. Apart from the title, Antipov also earned the money prize of 2500 €.
Kaspersky Lab has supported Mikhail Antipov since 2011. The young man visited several events in our office, including the Children’s days. We are very proud of Mikhail’s victory and wish him further sport successes.
Mikhail has played chess since the age of 5. He held the degree of Master of Sport in Russia in the age of 15, and one year later Antipov became the youngest Grand Chess Master in Russia.