Spain strengthening the ranks
With the first days of this year Alexei Shirov concluded the spell with the Spanish national team and moved back to his native Latvia.
But the Spanish Chess Federation didn’t wait long before registering some of the foreign players that are already settled in the country.
WGM/IM Anna Matnadze, long time active as a player, organizer and journalist in Barcelona, switched from the Georgian Chess Federation and is now the top ranked woman in Spain. Her elo on the May 2012 list is 2446. With Anna in the roster Spain will become a strong competitor in the female team events.
GM Oleg Korneev, trainer and one of the world’s most active players, completed the transfer from the Russian Chess Federation. With the elo of 2586, Oleg is now 4th highest rated player on the Spanish list.
Miguel Munoz Pantoja, International Master since 2002, settled in from the Peruvian Chess Federation. Miguel participates in many local events and is currently rated 2484.
Nice imports.