Fourteen years will be fulfilled since the new management team joined the Catalonian Chess Federation Board very soon. For this very reason we are pleased to announce the holding of an international tournament, composed by World´s prestigious and the best Catalan players, amongst others. In 2004 we organized the 75th Anniversary of the Catalan Opening, named after the famous Tournament of Barcelona 1929, with famous players like Capablanca or Tartakower in it.
On this occasion we were able to count on the participation of the great Viktor Korchnoi, whos recent passing away we deeply regret, keeping an unforgettable memory of the record. Since then, we have organized a tournament for grandmasters and international masters in Barcelone every year. During these editions a lot of renowned chess players have participated, such as Felgaer, Marin, Moskalenko, Granda, Ivanchuk, Bologan, Beliavsky, Vaganian, Krasenkow, Dreev, Georgiev, Timman, Jobava, Andersson, Jussupow, Inarkiev, Spraggett, Seirawan, Smirin, Sokolov, Nielsen, Balogh, Li Chao, Nakamura, Dominguez, Illescas, Gulko, Nikolic, Morozevich; as well as two amazing players who unfortunately passed away already – Gashimov and the aforementioned Korchnoi. These and many other players we had the opportunity to see during these thirteen editions, have been facing the best Catalan players of the moment.
This 2016 Edition of the Chess Magistral Ciutat de Barcelona will be the last one I will experience as the President of the Catalonian Federation. My mandate ends next year, and as I have announced already, I will not stand for re-election.
This year’s Edition will be featured by 8 players, mostly very young ones, who have already accumulated significant achievements and in a great progress. Yet two other tournaments will be held with the top Catalan players at the same time, under-10 and under-12, continuing the formula we tried two years ago for the first time and that we love and value highly. This year though, in addition, these two promotion closed tournaments will be called Arturo Pomar In Memoriam, in memory of the great chess player, and a child prodigy of his era, who also left us this year unfortunately.
The tournament will take place at the Catalan Chess Federation offices, Fabra i Coats complex, belonging to Sant Andreu district in Barcelone. Besides of the unique opportunity to follow the games in situ, we will be offering live commentary with a bunch of prestigious players for the public. Also the participants will be commenting their own games every single day just after finishing those.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the Barcelona City Council for their support which I greatly appreciate. Without their help it would not have been possible to organize this event. I hereby would like to thank the presence and participation of the many catalan fans of our wonderful sport who attend and support the game of chess day by day.
Antoni Ayza Casamitjana
President
Catalan Chess Federation
MAGISTRAL D’ESCACS CIUTAT DE BARCELONA 2016
TECHNICAL REGULATIONS
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
The Catalonia Chess Federation is organising the tournament, which is being sponsored by the Barcelona City Hall.
PLAYING SYSTEM:
Round Robin
PARTICIPANTS:
8 Players. At the same time there will be held another two Round Robin tournaments, U-10 and U-12, called Arturo Pomar In Memoriam.
CATEGORY: XIV
TOURNAMENT VENUE:
Catalonian Chess Federation (Federació Catalana d’Escacs). Fabra i Coats complex. Sant Adrià Str 20. Free entry.
SCHEDULE:
Round every day at 16:30 h, from the 22nd to the 28th of October of 2016.
Players more than 20 minutes late for round will automatically lose the game.
TIME CONTROL:
90 minutes + 30 sec increment per move from move one for 40 moves, then 30 minutes + 30 sec increment per move finish (90’/40 + 30’) + 30’’ increment. Draw offers not allowed until the first time control is finished.
TOURNAMENT DIRECTION:
Director Mr. Jordi Parayre i Soguero
CHIEF ARBITER:
APPEALS COMMITTEE:
Is composed by tournament’s director and two Catalan Chess Federation members.
PR & PRESS MANAGER:
Ms. Anna Matnadze
PRIZE FUND:
Total prize: 7.500€
1st: 1.800€ + trophy
2nd: 1.350€ + trophy
3rd: 1.100€
4th: 950€
5th: 800€
6th: 650€
7th: 500€
8th: 350€
According to Spanish Tax Law, Organization shall retain 15% of each prize from players resident in Spain, 19% from player resident in the European Union, and 24% from players of the rest of the world.
Each participant will have to annotate one of his/her games played in this tournament, which will be published in the next edition of the FCE magazine “El Butlletí d’Escacs”.
TIE-BREAKERS:
The prizes are not divisible. When individual scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to designate individual awards:
- a) Most Blacks
- b) Game result between tied players
- c) Sonneborn-Berger
- d) The greater number of victories
OTHER:
The tounament hall will be equipped by screens and it will be possible to view the games.
Games will be commented in other room close to the playing room.
There will be live broadcasting offered by the Catalonian Chess Federation website where it will be possible to follow the games : http://www.directefcde.org/,
Anything that is not foreseen and specified in these Regulations, will be covered by FIDE Regulations.
GM Arkadij Naiditsch (2684)
Azerbaijan
Born in Riga (Latvia) in 1985
GM since 2001
European U-10 Champion
German Champion 2007
Gold in the European Team Chess Championships (board 1) 2007
Winner: Dortmund Sparkassen 2005, 15th International Neckar Open, Grandmaster Group B of Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2013, 2nd Grenke Chess Classictournament in Baden-Baden, Zurich Christmas Open 2014 and 2015, Basel Chess Festival 2015 and 2016.
GM Jan Krzysztof Duda (2678)
Poland
Born in Krakow (Poland) in 1998
GM since 2013
World U-10 Champion
European U-14 Champion
European Rapid Chess Champion 2014
European Blitz Vice – Champion 2014
Silver at the World Junior Championships in 2015
Winner: Olomuc 2012, Budapest First Saturday 2013, Lake Sevan (Armenia) 2015
GM Vadim Zvjaginsev (2573)
Russia
Born in Moscow in 1976
GM since 1994
European U-16 Champion
Gold with the Russian team at the World Team Chess Championships in 1997
Olympic Gold with the Russian team 1998
Silver medalist with the Russian team at the Olympiad 2004
Winner: Vidmar Memorial (Portoroz 1997), Essen (2000 and 2002), Russian Cup (2011)
GM David Antón (2628)
Spain
Born in Murcia in 1995
GM since 2013
World U-18 Vice – Champion 2013
European Vice – Champion 2014
Spanish Blitz Champion in 2014 and 2015
Spanish Vice – Champion in 2015 and 2016
GM Josep Manuel López (2547)
Spain (Catalonia)
Born in Barcelona in 1980
GM since 2007
Spanish Junior Champion in 1999 and 2000
Spanish Vice – Champion in 2004 and 2007
Winner of Memorial Garcia Ilundáin 2006
GM Fernando Peralta (2577)
Argentina
Born in Lomas de Zamora (Argentina) in 1979
GM since 2004
Champion of Argentina 2006
Vice – Champion of Argentina Argentina in 2001 and 2007
Has participated in 7 Chess Olympiads with the Argentinian National Team
Winner of many tournaments in Catalonia
GM Miguel Muñoz (2471)
Spain (Catalonia)
Born in Junín (Peru) in 1975
Catalonia Blitz Champion 2006, 2009, 2010
Catalonia Champion in 2012
Spanish Vice – Champion 2012
MI Hipólito Asis (2499)
Spain (Catalonia)
Born in Barcelona in 1986
Spanish U-18 Champion 2004
Catalan U-18 Champion 2003, 2004 and 2015
Vice – Champion of Catalonia in 2016