The event takes place from August 15 to 20 at the Rheingoldhalle of the Congress Centre, Hilton Hotel in Mainz, Germany. It includes matches and Opens in traditional and Random Chess, with stars like Anand, Aronian, Svidler, Radjabov and Pähtz participating.
Grenkeleasing Rapid
This is the biggest attraction. It features the world’s number two (and rapid chess specialist) Vishy Anand, rated 2779, matched against 19-year-old Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, rated 2728 and number 11 in the world rankings, in an 8-game rapid chess match.
Format: eight Rapid Chess games (25 min/game + 10 sec/move increment). Schedule: two rounds a day from Thursday, August 17 to Sunday, August 20. The rounds start at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (5:30/7:00 p.m. London, 12.30/2:00 p.m. New York).
Clerical Medical Chess960
Here we have Peter Svidler of Russia playing Levon Aronian of Armenia in an 8-game Chess960 (Fischer Random) match. Svidler defeated Peter Leko in a Chess960 match in 2003 and has successfully defended his title since then. Aronian is currently the number three player in the world, Svidler is number five.
Format: eight Chess960 games (25 min/game + 10 sec/move increment). Schedule: two rounds a day from Thursday, August 17 to Sunday, August 20, with the rounds starting at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. The starting positions will be revealed about five minutes prior to the start of the games.
Exihition man vs machine matches
Teimour Radjabov vs the chess program Shredder and Peter Svidler vs the Chess960 program Spike. The games will be played on Wednesday, August 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Here is the official website. More info can also be found on ChessBase.
This year I predict L.Aronian will defeat P.Svidler in their chess960 match. As FIDE ratings show, Aronian is a much stronger chess player now then when these two played their first chess960 match in 2004/08.
I will be curious to see the castling format in the FEN notation of the download-able .PGN files from this match.
Will the Chess Tigers decide to use the old but modified KQkq (promoted by R.Sharnagl), or the more robust rook column letters, such as BFbf (promoted by the Shredder team).
I believe Fritz9 demands the rook columns style for chess960 .PGN.
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
This is one of my favourite chess events of whole year. Bravo!!!!
My prediction, Svidler will defeat Aronian and Anand will defeat Radjabov.