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Aleks Wojtkiewicz Wins 2004 ChessCafe.com Grand Prix

For the sixth time Grandmaster Aleks Wojtkiewicz takes first place in the Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix, a United States Chess Federation competition, was sponsored by ChessCafe.com owned and operated by Hanon W. Russell.

Total case prize fund was $10,000.00 with an additional $5,000.00 in chess merchandise prizes. Wojtkiewicz wins $4,000.00 for his outstanding accomplishment with having scored 377.78 grand prix points. 2nd place went to Grandmaster Ildar Ibraginov of Connecticut with 327.52 points and 3rd to Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest of New York who totaled 288.78 points.

Hundreds of chess tournaments run each year under the auspices of the US Chess Federation but only a few meet the criteria of being deemed Grand Prix Events. It is from these events that players achieve grand prix points based on their performance. The Grand Prix is an annual year long contest, held each year since 1979, that causes more frequent play by top players, encourages organizers to reward excellence by guaranteeing more prize money that Masters are eligible to win, and helps to raise money for USCF’s Professional Players Health & Benefits Fund.

ChessCafe.com is the third corporate sponsor in the history of the Grand Prix. The others were Church’s Chicken (1979-1986) and Novag Computers (1988-1998). The event was sponsored by individual donors in 2001 and USCF in other years. This year’s prize fund will be the largest since 2000 and will include 18 special merchandise prizes for juniors and seniors.

Other cash prize winners were:
4th place prize of $800.00: GM Alexander Ivanov of MA - 230.21 pts.
5th place prize of $700.00: GM Hikaru Nakamura of NY - 166.44 pts.
6th place prize of $600.00: GM Varuzhan Akobian of CA – 160.99 pts.
7th place prize of $500.00: International Master Andranik Matikozyan of CA – 158.47
8th place prize of $400.00: IM Stanislav Kriventsov of PA – 154.66.

$5,000.00 worth of chess merchandise credit will be distributed amongst:
9th place ($350.00 cr) GM Alexander Stripunsky of NY with 151.19 pts.
10th place ($350.00 cr) Stanislav Smetankin of MN with 146.66 pts.
11th place ($350.00 cr) GM Julio Becerra of NC with 140.14 pts.
12th place ($350.00 cr) GM Sergey Kudrin of NJ with 133.75

Two other categories of the 2004 ChessCafe.com Grand Prix were: Junior Categories and Senior Category. Winners in these age categories will also receive respective chess merchandise credit (1st: $300.00; 2nd $200.00, 3rd: $100.00) from ChessCafe.com.

Junior Categories:

Born between 1981-1983: 1st place: GM Varuzhan Akobian of CA – 160.99 pts.; 2nd: FM Todd Andrews of TN – 61.70 pts.; 3rd: Andrew Samuelson of VA – 29.32 pts.

Born between 1984-1986: 1st: Kamil Miton of NY – 90.00 pts.; 2nd: IM Joshua Friedel of NY – 45.96; 3rd: Bruci Lopez of FL – 25.83.

Born between 1987-1988: 1st: GM Hikaru Namakura of NY – 166.44 pts.; 2nd: Dmytro Kedyk of NY - 55.41 pts.; 3rd: Thomas Gossell of MO - 25.40 pts.

Born between 1989-1990: 1st: FM Alex Lenderman of NY – 45.98 pts.; 2nd: Corey Acor of FL – 16.10 pts.; 3rd: Alexander Barnett of MD – 8.71 pts.

Born between 1991 and after: 1st: FM Fabiano Caruana of NY – 10.40 pts.; 2nd: Kasun Waidyaratne of OH – 9.00; 3rd: Michael Thaler of NY 6.25.

Senior Category:

Born 1939 and before: 1st & 2nd tie between Zakhar Fayvinov of PA and Klaus Pohl of SC – 8.00; 3rd: Avraam Pismennyy of MA – 7.25 pts.