The 22nd Nikaia International Chess Open 2014 is taking place from 26th August to 2nd September 2014 in Nikaia suburb in the western part of the Athens-Piraeus agglomeration, in Greece.
The event is dedicated to the National Resistance against the occupation forces from 1940 to 1944 and is played at the Cultural Complex “Manos Loizos” in a 9-round Swiss format.
The Festival is split into two main tournaments – Open A (for players rated over 1700) and Open B (for players rated lower than 1500), but the in-between rated participants may choose where to play. There is an exception only for the U12 players, who are rated over 1400, they can also take part in the Master Section.
Open A gathers 132 players from Greece and Poland, including 2 GMs, 1 IM, 4 FMs and 2 WFMs, while Open B consists of more than 200 participants.
Top seed in the Master event is GM Vasilios Kotronios (2552).
Main prizes: 900 €/ 600 €/ 300 €/ 150 €/ 100 €/ 5 X 50 €
The organizers provide many side activities, such as a Team Blitz Tournament on Sunday evening and a traditional 34th (!) rapid tournament which took part on the 22nd August, just before the start of the 22nd Nikaia Open. This year’s winner was Panagiotis Koutoukidis with 6,5/7 points.
The rapid event took place at the Municipal Theater, the same venue where on 17th August 1944 many locals were executed by the invasive army. Starting from today, old movies and documentaries about the National Resistance in the Municipal Theater will be shown as well.
Nice tournament.