The New Zealand Chess Federation is delighted to announce official confirmation of the 2012 Queenstown Chess Classic, to be held 15th-23rd January 2012. The $50,000 sponsorship is being provided by New Zealand Chess Grandmaster Murray Chandler.
The tournament will be a nine round Swiss-system, staged over nine days. As with the previous Queenstown events of 2006 and 2009, the 2012 Classic will be a fully-fledged International Open tournament.
The 119th New Zealand National Championship will also be incorporated within the event. This event has a famous history, being the oldest continuously staged national championship in the world.
The venue will be the ballroom of the Millennium Hotel, Queenstown.
Previous Queenstown events have attracted numerous international players, including Grandmasters and Masters. Opportunities for international title norms are once again expected to be available.
For further information see the tournament website.
There will be live games and live blogging at http://www.queenstownchess.com. Top seeds include Li Chao, Gawain Jones, Surya Ganguly, Rozentalis, etc etc. Come and watch!