Decade of chess makes its opening move next week

Largest tournament ever gets under way on Tuesday at 3pm

GIBRALTAR (Panorama) The biggest ever global event in Gibraltar celebrating 10 years of chess will make its opening move next week. The 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival has grown beyond all recognition since it first started 10 years ago. The open tournament, the Gibraltar Masters, with the largest concentration of chess Grand Masters and players ever, begins on Tuesday, with the first move scheduled for 3pm. “The Tradewise International Chess Festival is ready to play host to the greatest number of world chess players and Grand Masters ever who will compete in Gibraltar in its 10th edition,” stressed organiser Brian Callaghan. The success of the tournament is described as down to the team both at the Caleta Hotel which has become the home of chess on the Rock, and the international team of chess arbiters etc., in the first few years headed by Stewart Rubens, and now by Stuart Conquest.>>>

Gibraltar intenational chess tournament under way

GIBRALTAR - The Rock's annual chess tournament got under way on Monday at the Caleta Hotel. Offering  £109,100 in prizes, the Tradewise Chess Festival 2011 brings together  about 300 players from some 50 countries, including most of Europe, others from the USA and China. Several degrees, including Gibraltar Masters, Challenger and Amateur tournaments, are played simultaneously with the presence of the likes of British Champion Nigel Short, who won the first Gibraltar tournament nine years ago and returns after  a number years, as well as the current British Champion Mickey Adams, who won last year and is back to defend his title. The women's section is strong this year, too, although the current Women's World Chess Champion, Hou Yifan pulled out at the eleventh- hour. The young Chinese player informed the organizers of her decision, due to personal reasons because of critical illness in her family, as she was about to travel to the Rock. (More info on www.gibraltarchesscongress.com, from whom photo of Vassily Ivanchuk and Miss Gibraltar, Larissa Dalli, at opening ceremony)