British Chess Legends Adams, Nunn Win World Senior Titles

British chess has gotten another boost as legends GM Michael Adams (50+) and GM John Nunn (65+) both secured gold medals in the World Senior Championship last week. WGM Monica Calzetta Ruiz (50+) from Spain and WGM Galina Strutinskaia (65+) won women's titles.

The favorites prevailed in the 11-round World Senior Championship, which ended in Terassini, southern Italy last weekend with a total of 271 players who competed for medals in two categories (ages 50+ and 65+) in the Open and Women's groups.

While players from Eastern Europe or former Soviet states have historically dominated this event, three out of the four champions this year are from Western Europe.

Adams Takes First Individual World Championship Title

51-year-old Adams was the overwhelming favorite in the 50+ category, with his 2670 rating 140 points higher than second-seeded GM Hannes Stefansson from Iceland.

The former world number-four met the expectations and narrowly won his first world senior title with 8.5 points. Adams edged out former Turkish star, now playing for Serbia, GM Suat Atalik on tiebreaks. GM Maksim Novik took the bronze medal with eight points.

It was a remarkably close call between Adams and Atalik, who both went through the event undefeated. Atalik kept a half-point lead before the final round but had to settle for a draw against GM Michele Godena, while Adams defeated GM Martin Mrva. That led to the Englishman taking first by the third tiebreak criteria.

"It felt great to win a world title," Adams told Chess.com. "Especially given the slim chances of that with two rounds to go." The Englishman trailed Atalik and Stefansson by half a point, along with four other players, but then ended on a good note with two wins.

Adams says he is particularly happy about finding the precise 25...Nh4! in the last round, as 25...Nxf4 looked more natural.

Adams, accompanied in Italy by his wife Tara, says they stayed in a pleasant apartment in Terassini, which is located near Palermo in Sicily. "The weather, views and the food were good. The playing conditions were also fine for me," he says, expressing satisfaction with the organization.

Unless veterans such as GMs Viswanathan Anand, Boris Gelfand, Alexei Shirov, Vasyl Ivanchuk, or Gata Kamsky show up next year, Adams is going to be the huge favorite again, as he intends to play future world senior events.

Nunn Defends 65+ Title

In the 65+ category, another familiar name took the gold medal, namely Adams' compatriot Nunn, who defended his title from 2022. The 68-year-old mathematician and three-time world champion in chess problem-solving was ranked ninth among the world's top players in 1985, but in the last two decades he's become one of the world's most highly-rated chess writers, with more than 30 books on his resume.

Nunn was also the top seed by more than 100 points and eventually edged out the 1976/1977 European Junior Champion GM Lubomir Ftacnik from Slovakia on tiebreaks. France's GM Nikolay Legky took the bronze medal.

Nunn's finish in his round-one game was brutal.

"I've been impressed by John Nunn's play in many 65+ events, he's been very consistent. It's not so simple to win these events," Adams says about his compatriot.

For England, the two gold medals add to an increasing list of successes since winning the double in the 2022 World Senior Team Championship. At the end of October, eight-year-old WCM Bodhana Sivanandan also won the World U8 Championship, completing a historic triple and becoming England's first world youth champion in 25 years.

"These two successes at the seniors level are further evidence of England’s growing reputation as a leading nation at seniors chess, after our recent successes at both World and European Senior Team Chess Championships." the English Chess Federation wrote on their website.

50+ Final Standings | Top 10

65+ Final Standings | Top 10

Calzetta And Strutinskaia Take Women's Titles

In the Women's category, a total of 32 players played in one group. 18 competed for the 50+ title, while 14 went for the 65+ title.  Georgian legend GM Nona Gaprindashvili has turned 82 and had won six out of the last seven titles in the 65+ category, but only finished 13th (5th among 65+) this time.

Instead, the title went to Ruiz from Spain, who was the only player scoring 8.5 points. Representing FIDE, Strutinskaia finished second on eight points and took the title in the 65+ category.

Women's Final Standings: