Strong rapid chess in Nancy
An exceptional rapid event is going to take place in Nancy, France, with 18 of the top world Grandmasters, including the French starts GM Etienne Bacrot, GM Maxime-Vachier Lagrave, GM Laurent Fressinet, GM Sebastien Feller, GM Vladislav Tkachiev, the German N1 GM Arkadij Naiditsch, GM Istratescu, GM Gharamian, GM Ulf Andersson, GM Agrest, GM Anthony Wirig, IM Ekrem Cerko, GM Nikolic, GM Brasov, IM Almira Skripchenko, IM Sophie Milliet, and a total of 200 players, 50 of which titled.
The tournament is organized by IM Christophe Philippe and the association “Chess 54″. The competition takes place 28th and 29th of April, as the second day is the final for which only 7 players qualify. Saturday games are played from 14:00 to 20:00, on Sunday the Quarter finals are at 10:00, the semi finals at 14:00, and the final at 16:00.
Registration is still open via email to philippe.chr @ free.fr stating: Name, phone, email, club, Elo FIDE code or FFE. Official website http://echecs54.free.fr/gpffe.htm
Participants (top seeds)
| Nr | Nom | Rapid rating | Fede | Club | ||
| 1 | g | VACHIER-LAGRAVE Maxime | 2840 F | FRA | Clichy-Echecs-92 | |
| 2 | g | ISTRATESCU Andrei | 2820 F | FRA | Marseille Echecs | |
| 3 | g | FRESSINET Laurent | 2750 F | FRA | Clichy-Echecs-92 | |
| 4 | g | BACROT Etienne | 2740 F | FRA | Marseille Echecs | |
| 5 | g | GHARAMIAN Tigran | 2740 F | FRA | L’Echiquier Deauvillais | |
| 6 | m | BATTAGLINI Gabriel | 2730 F | FRA | L’Echiquier Deauvillais | |
| 7 | g | NAIDITSCH Arkadij | 2720 F | GER | Marseille Echecs | |
| 8 | g | NIKOLIC Predrag | 2670 F | BIH | Echiquier Niçois | |
| 9 | g | BARSOV Alexei | 2630 F | UZB | L’Echiquier Chalonnais | |
| 10 | g | SHCHEKACHEV Andrei | 2620 F | FRA | Grand Echiquier de Meaux | |
| 11 | g | FELLER Sebastien | 2590 F | FRA | Evry Grand Roque | |
| 12 | g | FEDORCHUK Sergey A. | 2590 F | UKR | Evry Grand Roque | |
| 13 | f | IDER Borya | 2570 F | FRA | Mulhouse Philidor | |
| 14 | g | TKACHIEV Vladislav | 2570 F | FRA | Evry Grand Roque | |
| 15 | g | ANDERSSON Ulf | 2540 F | SWE | C.E.M.C. Monaco | |
| 16 | g | JANKOVIC Alojzije | 2540 F | CRO | ||
| 17 | g | AGREST Evgenij | 2540 F | SWE | Echiquier Niçois | |
| 18 | g | WIRIG Anthony | 2530 F | FRA | Lutèce Echecs | |
| 19 | m | MONROY Charles | 2500 F | FRA | Rennes Paul Bert | |
| 20 | f | DONCHENKO Alexander | 2500 F | GER | Vandoeuvre-Echecs | |
| 21 | g | SANIKIDZE Tornike | 2490 F | GEO | C.E. Strasbourg | |
| 22 | m | MILLIET Sophie | 2470 F | FRA | Evry Grand Roque | |
| 23 | m | CEKRO Ekrem | 2450 F | BEL | Club d’Echecs Metz Fischer | |
| 24 | m | SKRIPCHENKO Almira | 2450 F | FRA | Clichy-Echecs-92 | |
| 25 | MAYER Philippe | 2430 F | FRA | Sporting Cheminot Pratique Omnisport | ||
Impressive field.