The Curacao Chess Players Foundation and CCF organizing committee cordially invite you! Please visit our website http://www.curacaochess.net for more information.

While some things may be cheaper by the dozen, CCF 2012 is about being a “dozen of chess fun”. Combine your upcoming summer: vacation and chess tournament into one and head on over to Curaçao. With quite some spare time during the tournament you may engage in a dozen of activities Kicking off in 2001 and making it through over a decade, the Curacao Chess Festival is on its way for and amenities to enjoy and explore the island of Curaçao along with a great time of chess.

Curaçao is an island located in the tropics, just 12° north of the Equator. It has a warm, sunny climate all year, with average temperatures hovering around 27°C (mid 80s F). Cooling trade winds blow constantly from the east, picking up in the spring months. Its rainy season, which is between October and February, is usually marked by short, occasional showers, mostly at night, and continued sunny weather by day. Total annual rainfall averages only 570 mm (22 inches). Additionally, Curaçao is located on the outer fringes of the hurricane belt. Consequently, the frequency of hits by tropical storms is much lower than for other parts of the Caribbean.

Twenty-eight games were to be played on the tropical island, in a contest that lasted two months. One of the favorites, the brilliant Mikhail Tal, was taken to hospital after 21 rounds and had to withdraw. Three other players from the Soviet Union, Keres, Petrosian, and Geller, were making suspiciously short draws when playing each other. And one of the favorites was a lanky 19-year-old boy from Brooklyn, Bobby Fischer, who openly accused the Soviets of collusion and was later proven right.

In the end, Tigran Petrosian was the winner and went on to become the new World Champion the following year. But such was the impact of Fischer’s accusations that this was the last time such a battle was organised. Henceforth the challenger to the highest crown was determined in a series of matches. Curaçao 1962 was the last Candidates’ Tournament. (Source: Curaçao 1962, The Battle of Minds that Shook the Chess World by Jan Timman. A book published 06-2005, Bijleveld Press).

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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