Scottish champion GM Jonathan Rowson of Aberdeen won the Pula Open in Croatia, May 12-19, 2002. Rowson, 25, scored an unbeaten 7.5/9 to finish a half-point clear of the chasing pack. Rowson was seeded 7th of a 128 player field which included 11 GMs. A last round win against Israeli GM Jacob Murei secured outright first prize of 1200 (Euro).
Rowson has been in superb form for the last year. He recorded an unbeaten 8/11 in the 4NCL, the UK wide national league, which finished last month in Birmingham. A comfortable draw with world no.8 Alexander Morozevich was the highlight. Rowson's aim of a world top 100 rating of over 2600 looks a realistic ambition.
Rowson will visit Germany for a one week training course with former Candidate Artur Jussupov, Peter Leko’s trainer. Unfortunately Rowson will be unable to defend his Scottish crown this summer in Stirling since he has signed up for the $200,000 World Open, in Philadelphia. Rowson, who almost two years ago left the dreamy spires of Oxford with a first in philosophy, politics and economics, will be going back to University in Cambridge (Massachusetts!) this September, to spend a year at Harvard studying psychology. (Photo JBH)
------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Pula CRO (CRO), 12-19 v 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Rowson, Jonathan g SCO 2527 7.5 38.5 48.0 37.5 2. Hulak, Krunoslav g CRO 2553 7 39.5 50.0 36.5 3. Murey, Jacob g ISR 2472 6.5 44.0 55.5 39.0 4. Cvitan, Ognjen g CRO 2570 6.5 41.0 52.0 34.5 5. Sulava, Nenad g CRO 2548 6.5 40.5 52.0 34.0 6. Cebalo, Miso g CRO 2515 6.5 40.0 51.0 36.0 7. Stocek, Jiri g CZE 2566 6.5 39.0 49.0 31.5 8. Fercec, Nenad m CRO 2466 6.5 37.5 48.0 34.5 9. Kuljasevic, Davorin CRO 2297 6 42.0 54.0 35.0 10. Filipovic, Branko m CRO 2442 6 41.0 53.0 34.0 11. Palac, Mladen g CRO 2574 6 41.0 51.5 33.5 12. Stefanova, Antoaneta m BUL 2473 6 39.5 50.5 34.0 13. Tratar, Marko m SLO 2443 6 39.5 50.0 32.5 14. Bistric, Faruk m BIH 2494 6 39.0 49.5 34.5 15. Zelcic, Robert g CRO 2547 6 38.5 48.5 31.5 16. Zaja, Ivan g CRO 2459 6 38.0 48.0 33.0 17. Franic, Milan m CRO 2413 6 37.5 49.0 31.5 18. Feletar, Darko m CRO 2435 6 37.0 47.5 30.5 19. Molnar, Bela HUN 2318 6 37.0 45.5 31.0 20. Kovacevic, Vlatko g CRO 2510 6 36.0 46.0 31.0 21. Rukavina, Josip m CRO 2368 6 36.0 46.0 30.5 22. Sebestyen, Balazs HUN 2171 6 36.0 45.5 28.5 23. Podlesnik, Bogdan m SLO 2385 6 34.5 45.0 29.5 24. Mikac, Matjaz m SLO 2414 6 34.0 44.0 30.0 25. Levar, Nenad f CRO 2241 6 34.0 43.5 27.0 26. Fucak, Emilijo f CRO 2314 6 33.5 42.5 28.5