GM Jonathan Rowson followed up his win at the Pula Open with a share of the top prize at the World Open in Philadelphia. Rowson has an excellent chance of breaking into the elite group of approximately 100 players in the world who are rated over 2600.
The 30th World Open took place June 29th - July 7th 2002. There was a nine way tie for first amongst Alex Smirin, Alexander Onischuk, Artur Yusupov, Jaan Ehlvest, Alek Wojtkiewicz, Benjamin Finegold, Jonathan Rowson, Varuzhan Akopian and Kamil Miton.
SCOTTISH Champion Jonathan Rowson played for the big bucks by competing in the 30th World Open in Philadelphia, rather than defend his title in Stirling. The decision paid off in spectacular style as the top Scot put in a superb performance to take equal first in the notoriously tough tournament.
The World Open, organised by the legendary Tournament Director Bill Goichberg, is regarded as the largest and richest chess festival of its kind with a cosmopolitan field of over 1,000 that lures many of the world's top grandmasters; all battling for the $175,000 prize fund.
Rowson finished on an unbeaten score of 7/9 - an outstanding result that included a 'miniature' over former US Champion Alex Yermolinsky and an overall TPR of 2646 - to share first place with eight other titled players, including a number of the world's top grandmasters like Illya Smirin, Alexander Onischuk, Artur Yusupov, Jaan Ehlvest and Aleksander Wojkiewicz. Each of the nine sharing first place receiving $3,500.
Following hard on the heels of his recent victory at the Croatian Open in Pula, the win bodes well for Rowson's aim to be the first Scot to breach the 2600 Elo barrier - his estimated results after the two superb victories takes his rating to near 2560, 40 points short of the magical figure. (JBH Scotsman)
World Open: 1-9 GM I Smirin (Israel), GM A Onischuk (USA), GM A Yusupov (Germany), GM J Ehlvest (Estonia), GM A Wojtkiewicz (Poland), IM B Finegold (USA), GM J Rowson (Scotland), IM V Akobian (USA), IM K Miton (Poland) 7/9.
J Rowson - A Yermolinsky World Open (4), Sicilian Rossolimo
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 d6 4 0-0 Bd7 5 Re1 Nf6 6 h3 Rc8 7 c3 Ne5 8 Bxd7+ Qxd7 9 d4 cxd4 10 cxd4 Rxc1 11 Qxc1 Nd3 12 Qe3 Nxe1 13 Qxe1 e6 14 Nc3 Be7 15 Rd1 0-0 16 e5 Nd5 17 Nxd5 exd5 18 Qa5 Qc6 19 Qxa7 Qc2 20 Rd2 Qc1+ 21 Kh2 Bg5 22 Re2 Bf4+ 23 g3 Qd1 24 Ng1 1-0
--------------------------------------------------------- 30th World Open Philadelphia USA (USA), 29 vi-7 vii 2002 --------------------------------------------------------- 1. Smirin, Ilia g ISR 2685 7.0 2. Onischuk, Alexander g USA 2641 7.0 3. Jussupow, Artur g GER 2618 7.0 4. Ehlvest, Jaan g EST 2588 7.0 5. Wojtkiewicz, Aleksander g POL 2554 7.0 6. Finegold, Benjamin m USA 2527 7.0 7. Rowson, Jonathan g SCO 2527 7.0 8. Akobian, Varuzhan m USA 2480 7.0 9. Miton, Kamil m POL 2516 7.0 10. Ibragimov, Ildar g RUS 2588 6.5 11. Yudasin, Leonid g ISR 2564 6.5 12. Perelshteyn, Eugene m USA 2434 6.5 13. Paschall, William M. m USA 2428 6.5 14. Muhammad, Stephen A f USA 2329 6.5 15. Stripunsky, Alexander g USA 2554 6.0 16. Shulman, Yuri g BLR 2591 6.0 17. Morovic Fernandez, Ivan g CHI 2556 6.0 18. Schmaltz, Roland g GER 2559 6.0 19. Anka, Emil g HUN 2438 6.0 20. Fedorowicz, John P g USA 2514 6.0 21. Kreiman, Boris m USA 2515 6.0 22. Ashley, Maurice g USA 2473 6.0 23. Garcia, Gildardo g COL 2486 6.0 24. Summerscale, Aaron g ENG 2503 6.0 25. Rohde, Michael A g USA 2506 6.0 26. Strugatsky, Vladimir f USA 2430 6.0 27. Vovsha, Eli ISR 2411 6.0 28. Enhbat, Tegshsuren f MGL 2381 6.0 29. Burnett, Ronald m USA 2404 6.0 30. Lapshun, Yury f USA 2387 6.0 31. Kaufman, Larry C m USA 2410 6.0 32. Lein, Anatoly g USA 2394 6.0 33. Mikhailuk, Slava f USA 2440 6.0 34. Kaliksteyn, Alexander f USA 2390 6.0 35. Smith, Bryan G f USA 2412 6.0 36. Siegel, Noah J. USA 2239 6.0 37. Ivanov, Alexander g USA 2579 5.5 38. Blatny, Pavel g CZE 2444 5.5 39. Nakamura, Hikaru m USA 2466 5.5 40. Kriventsov, Stanislav G. f USA 2418 5.5 41. Zugic, Igor m CAN 2450 5.5 42. Ginsburg, Mark m USA 2388 5.5 200+ players