Reykjavik Chess Festival 2012
The Icelandic Chess Federation, in co-operation with the Reykjavik Chess Academy, welcomes you to the Reykjavik Chess Festival on March 6 to March 13 2012.
* Total prizes of €15000
* World-class playing conditions
* Extraordinary depth and width of chess talent
* Many side events: sightseeing, Fischer-Spassky exhibit, soccer and pub quiz
An Even Better Playing Venue for the 27th Edition
The Reykjavik Open 2012 will be held for the 27th time from March 6 to March 13, 2012 in a spectacular new venue in Reykjavik, which will be announced in September. The 2012 tournament is expected to be very strong. In 2011, 166 players from 30 countries participated, including 27 grandmasters, 11 of which with a ELO rating of 2600 and higher. Total prizes in 2012 will be €15000, including many special prizes for various age and rating categories, in addition to the traditional top women prize.
The 2011 Reykjavik Open saw six joint winners, Yuriy Kuzubov (2627), Vladimir Baklan (2602) and Illya Nyzhnyk (2563), all of Ukraine, Kamil Miton (2600) of Poland, Jon Ludwig Hammer (2606) of Norway and tournament regular Ivan Sokolov (2643) of Bosnia.
Join the Legends and Be Part of Chess History
The City of Reykjavík has sponsored the tournament since its inception in 1964, when Mikhail Tal won it with a record 12½ points out of 13. The tournament was initially held every two years, but has since 2008 taken place every year. It was closed in its early years, but has been an open event since the 1980s.
Throughout its history the Reykjavik Open has featured many of the strongest chess players in the world at the time, including Mikhail Tal, Nona Gaprindashvili, David Bronstein, Vassily Smyslov, Bent Larsen, Friðrik Ólafsson, Mark Taimanov, Lev Polugaevsky, Ulf Andersson, Jan Timman, Victor Korchnoi, Samuel Reshevsky, Anthony Miles, Nigel Short, Magnus Carlsen and Alexander Grischuk.
Much More than a Chess Tournament
As in earlier years, several chess-related events will take place at the same time as the tournament, including the now famous the Reykjavík Open Chess Pub Quiz and the Golden Circle sightseeing tour that includes stops at Geysir and Bobby Fischer’s final resting place in the southern part of Iceland. And given the favorable exchange rate of the Icelandic króna, Iceland is one of the most attractive places in the world to visit and play in chess tournaments.
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Fischer-Spassky “Match of the Century”
During the Reykjavik Open in 2012, there will be an exhibition in the National Museum of Iceland commemorating the 40th anniversary of “The Match of the Century” between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. The museum is within a 5-minute walking distance from the playing venue. The exhibition will feature, among others, the board and chess sets from the match, and of course much more.
Preliminary list of players (top seeds):
1. GM Kryvoruchko Yuriy UKR 2666
2. GM Sokolov Ivan NED 2646
3. GM Jones Gawain C B ENG 2635
4. GM Hess Robert L USA 2625
5. GM Kuzubov Yuriy UKR 2621
6. GM Smeets Jan NED 2615
7. GM Baklan Vladimir UKR 2608
8. GM Avrukh Boris ISR 2605
9. GM Shulman Yuri USA 2598
10. GM LAmi Erwin NED 2594
11. GM Maze Sebastien FRA 2577
12. GM Papin Vasily RUS 2570
13. GM Danielsen Henrik ISL 2542
14. GM Williams Simon K ENG 2513
15. GM Harika Dronavalli IND 2512
16. GM Kveinys Aloyzas LTU 2512
17. IM Ziska Helgi Dam FAI 2467
18. GM Ashley Maurice USA 2452
19. IM Gretarsson Hjorvar Steinn ISL 2452
20. IM Gunnarsson Arnar Erwin ISL 2441
How’s the economy in Iceland?