Games Festival, Thessaloniki 2010

Over 450 to compete in the festival

The Games Festival, featuring two major official ECU events and an open tournament, will be one of the largest European chess festivals for 2010. Over 450 players have signed up to participate in the various sections of the festival.

European Individual School Chess Championship

The European Individual School Chess Championship will have 250+ players in different age categories, competing for the official title European School Champion for 2010. The 5 first winners (U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17) and the 5 Girls winners (U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17) will play as invited players (free accommodation) in the 2010 World School Chess Championship on July 2010 in Turkey. The invitation is a very kind offer of the Turkish Chess Federation.

The 5 second winners (U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17) and the 5 second Girls winners (U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17) will have 50% discount in their accommodation package in the 2010 World Youth Chess Championship on November 2010 in Greece. The invitation is a very kind offer the Organising Committee “Porto Carras WYCC 2010″.

The games will take place 5th (1st round) – 11th (last round) April. Rate of play will be according to FIDE regulations 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the Game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.

Full regulations and participants lists
Official website

European Senior Chess Championship

The European Senior Chess Championship features 70 participants, 36 of which are GMs, IMs, WGMs, and titled players. Top seeded is GM Vitaly Tseshkovsky, and among the top players are GM Rashkovsky, GM Timoscenko, GM Pushkov, IM Fradkin, GM Kupreichik, GM Butnorius, GM Chernikov, etc. Top women participants are the legendary GM Nona Gaprindashvili, WGM Ludmila Saunina, WIM Strutinskaya, and WGM Fatalibekova.

Participants lists and official website

International Chess Open Thessaloniki

The International Open Chess Tournament Thessaloniki 2010 is organized by Chess Club “Chess Academy of Thessaloniki Galaxias”. It will be a 9 rounds Swiss system with rate of play 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the Game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.

Over 100 players will compete for this year’s title. Top seeded is GM Rasul Ibrahimov (ELO 2538), and top contenders will be IM Marijan Petrov, IM Grigor Grigorov, IM Baris Esen, GM Dejan Antic, GM Daniele Vocaturo, etc.

Full regulations and participants lists
Official website

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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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