The International Qualification Tournament, 2001 By Ants Soosrv, 2001 22 players participated in the tournament, it is more than ever before. Lets recall the statistics of earlier qualifications:1993, Arjeplog, 17 contestants. Three of the best got into finals - Meritee, Soosrv and N. Mikhailov. I consider the tournament the strongest QT throughout times.1995, Tallinn, 8 contestants. Gardstrm, Peskov, Ilyin, Pogosyan and Veidemanis got ahead. There is no need to mention that it is the poorest QT by the number of participants.1997, St.-Petersburg, 20 contestants. Japanese took part for the first time. Soosrv, Sagara, Sinyov, Nara, Karlsson got into the finals.1999, Beijing, 19 contestants. A powerful domination of Russian players. In addition to Kozhin, Sushkov, Sinyov and Makarov, only Karlsson made it to the finals. Kyoto QT could have been much stronger, but a lot of remarkable players did not arrive - above all Klimashin (due to financial problems), but also Kozhin, who just lately had received a special permission from the RIF, which allowed him to compete regardless of not playing 10 games on RIF tournaments. To remind our readers, it was the first time that players in the top 20 of RIF ratinglist were allowed to participate in QT without national quotas. With the condition, that during 01.05 - 30.04 ten tournament games must be played. Hasegawa, Nara and Karlsson played in QT using this right. In addition to Klimashin and Kozhin, the pace of the tournament could have been influenced by the participation of Chinese players.Without reservations, the favourites were Hasegawa, Nara, Karlsson and Gardstrm. Predicting the fifth place to the finals I heard at least eight different variants. In the first round the main favourites did not slip. In other more interesting games Johann Lents won Albert Pogosyan and Lin Shieng Min beat Andrey Khramov. In the second round an unpleasant surprise occurred - Hasegawa and Nara made a quick draw. But more words about it in a special article. Stefan defeated Leonid Glukhovsky (also one of the possible favourites), Hiroshi Okabe subdued Nizami Eibatov and Petter Gardstrm won Lin Shieng Min. In the third round Nara was hit by a cold shower. Already in the first round he had played one losing variant of D8 against Evelyn Tihkan. Unfortunately Evelyn did not remember the win (she, Johann Lents and Marko Pellikka arrived at Kyoto in the morning of the first day of the tournament, which influenced their playing without a doubt). But Kim Byong Jun quickly seized the opportunity and became one of the leaders with 2.5 points. A grandmasterly draw (at least after battling for a while) was made between Stefan and Petter. Hasegawa was victorious.The fourth round. Kim received his only loss, he was subdued by Japanese rising star Okabe. Gardstrm defeated Kusajima, who has also developed quickly during recent times; Stefan and Hasegawa made a draw. The standings after four rounds: Gardstrm 3.5, Hasegawa, Karlsson, Lin Shieng Min, Pogosyan and Okabe 3. Nara, Kim, Kusajima had 2.5. The fifth round. Hasegawa won Pogosyan and it seemed that he was practically in the finals. Karlsson subdued Lin, Kim beat Pellikka and Nara Kusajima. Gardstrm and Okabe halved a point. Standings after five rounds:Gardstrm, Karlsson, Hasegawa - 4 points; Okabe, Nara, Kim - 3.5; Lin, Pogosyan, Lents - 3.The sixth round. Hasegawa was beaten by Gardstrm and Stefan by Kim, which turned the nice standings of the losers straight into uncertainty. Nara subdued Okabe and Lin beat Lents. Pogosyan came back in the limelight by winning Wang Zi. Standings before the last round: Gardstrm - 5 points, Kim and Nara - 4.5, Karlsson, Hasegawa, Lin and Pogosyan - 4.The last round. Unfortunately Petter was not too serious about beating Nara - they made a draw and two of the finalists were known. Pogosyan threw a superhalyava on the board against Stefan and the latter quickly became the third finalist. Two pairs remained battling - Hasegawa - Kim and Okabe - Lin. Hasegawa was clearly nervous, for he needed to win. But trying to accomplish that he finally lost. For Lin had subdued Okabe, a sensation occurred - Korea and Taiwan both in the finals at the same time! Great in every respect, a triumph of a new generation! Gardstrm - Hasegawa, 1-0, 31 moves, D3, -, 5A=6 When Petter won this game, I heard someone say that the whole progressive mankind rejoiced at his win. I am completely sure that the one who said this has nothing personal against Hasegawa, he just meant that the exclusion of Hasegawa from the finals would be a lesson to everyone after his quick draw with Nara in the second round. There is not much to write about the game itself. 10(?) gives black a huge foothold for attack. 14-17 is usually played, with that white has some possibilities to fight on. 14(?) and after 15(!) white loses control of the position.