Reykjavik Chess Festival 2010

Welcome to the Reykjavik Chess Festival 2010.

It is easy to find direct flight to Iceland on www.icelandair.us from several locations in the US!

Why should you participate in the Reykjavik open 2010?

There are, of course, many reasons for participating in Reykjavik open 2010. Iceland is a traditional place of chess and most of the current chess elite has played in Reykjavik one time or another. And Reykjavik hosted the “Match of the Century” in 1972.

Iceland has a long history of chess activities, dating from the Middle Ages. The Reykjavik Chess Club was founded in 1900 and ever since have chess tournaments been organized in Iceland on a regular basis. Most Icelanders know how to play chess and her grandmaster were, for a period of time, amongst her celebrities.

Iceland’s first grandmaster, Friðrik Ólafsson, was in fact her first “celebrity”, and every popular media followed his ventures with a great interest and the public flocked to watch, as he showed his magic in Reykjavik.

Most chess players know Iceland’s affiliation to chess and her reputation for hosting great tournaments. The first Reykjavik international tournament took place in 1964. The magician from Riga emerged the winner. In 2008 the Chinese duo, Wang Hao and Wang Yue, along with the Icelandic champion Hannes Stefánsson, tied for the 1st place.

Despite the crises, Reykjavík Open in 2009 was the most crowded in her history. 110 participants from 21 countries took part. It was the first Reykjavík Open in odd number year despite the crises. Héðinn Steingrímsson, Hannes and Yuiry Kryvoruchlo were the winners.

In fact, those who play in Iceland have the tendency of wanting to return as soon as possible. Playing in Iceland is a venture you cannot dismiss.

Reykjavik 2010

Iceland has changed drastically in the last months. Her banks went bankrupt. Iceland’s currency was devalued by around 50% or more. Iceland is facing the worst economic crisis since the World War I era.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. Tourists are now flocking to Iceland as never before. Hotels are fairly cheap, as well as most consumer goods. If you want to buy Armani, Boss, Gucci, or other expensive labels, Iceland is the place to shop. Food is now fairly cheap for tourists and other visitors, as well as travels and leisure.

Reykjavik has been named as among the “places to visit” in 2009. Her nightlife is renowned throughout the Western World and beyond, and there are many wonderful places to visit in or close to the capital. You can go swimming in one of Reykjavik’s geothermal outdoor swimming pools, go to the gym or just relax and prepare for your next game in your comfortable hotel room.

Hoping to see you in Reykjavík in February!

Please send registrations and inquiries to reykjavik2010@gmail.com. All e-mails will be answered and hopefully you will get a good deal in Reykjavík!

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