Chess Tournament Magistral Ciutat de Barcelona 2009

Thursday, 29 October 2009 10:58

INFORMATION

CHESS TOURNAMENT MAGISTRAL CIUTAT DE BARCELONA - CASINO DE BARCELONA 2009

On Monday, November 2nd at 15.45 the Chess Tournament Magistral Casino de Barcelona 2009 will take start. This year the Tournament is organised by the Catalonian Chess Federation and sponsored by the Casino of Barcelona (Group Peralada), Barcelona City Hall, Catalonian Sports Council and Hotel Icaria of Barcelona.The Venue of the Turnament is the Casino of Barcelona (Marina Avenue, 19-21 ), the dates are from November 2nd to10th, 2009, and the games will start at 16.00.

The following ten internationally recognized Grandmasters will participate in this Round Robin Tournamet:

1 GM OMAR ALMEIDA (CUB) 2513
2 GM ALEXANDER FIER (BRA) 2644
3 IM DANIEL ALSINA (ESP) 2544
4 GM ALEXEI DREEV (RUS) 2659
5 GM JORDI MAGEM (ESP) 2553
6 GM PAVEL V. TREGUBOV (RUS) 2649
7 GM JOSE MANUEL LOPEZ (ESP) 2570
8 GM MARC NARCISO (ESP) 2533
9 GM GADIR GUSEINOV (AZE) 2667
10 GM ULF ANDERSSON (SUE) 2582

Omar Almeida was born in La Habana, Cuba, in 1981 and was intorduced into chess at the age of 6 by his grandfather who was a big amateur. When little Omar won his first Cuban Championship U12 in 1992, he realised that chess was going to be his main interest in life. So far he has achieved many great reasuts, of which most remarkable are: Winner of International Tournaments: Andres Clemente Vazquez (Guines) (2000), Tomas Jimenez (Ciego de Avila 2001), Capablanca in Memoriam (Mixed Group) (1999), Guillermo Garcia in memoriam (2001) Group 1, Open Málaga (2008), Canovelles Closed (2008), Open Badalona (2009), Catalonian Rapid Chess Champion 2009, and finally, Winner of the Catalan Circuit 2009.

Alexandr Hilário Takeda Sakai dos Santos Fier, mostly known to the chess world as Alexandr Fier, is a young strong GM from Brasil, born in Joinville, in 1988. He is the youngest ever Brazilian player in achieving the GM title. In the strong tournament of "Parque de Aguas Claras", he got one of the best performances in the history of chess, 3120, only comparable to the performance of Bobby Fischer at US Champioships.

Alexandr´s best results so far count: World´s U10 Vice-Champion; Several times Pamanerican Champion; Several times Brazilian Champion; Several times Champion of South America U20; XI Open Sants 2009 Champion.

Daniel Alsina is a young Catalan chessplayer, with 2 GM norms. He is studying Physics at the University of Barcelona, still having the time to do well in chess. Was Catalonian Champion U12, U14 and U16 and Spanish Champion U18. Juniors Vice - Champion of Catalonia in 2005. Champion of Spain with his Club UGA in 2003, 2004 and 2005; Open International Vila de Sant Boi 2005 Winner. He was 3rd in the Open International de París-Ile de France 2009.

Alexey Dreev of Russia is the Winner of the 2008 Casino Magistal edition, which makes him one of the top favorites. The great Russian earned his well - deserved place among the Super-GMs by breaking the 2700 ELO barrier back in 2003. In 2004 he was the 3rd at the Russian Championships which was won by Kasparov. Dreev has been representing Russia at Chess Olympiads regularly. However, his best International Tournament achievement was in 1995, at Biel, where he obtained +5=8-0.

Among his best results in 2009 there are: 1st place at Paul Keres Memorial (rapid) inTallinn; 3rd place at Jubilee-Open in Zurich and another 3rd place (with the URAL Club) at 25th European Club Cup held in Ohrid.

Jordi Magem is a strong Catalan GM. In 1981 he won the Catalan Youth Championship. Did very well in 1993 and won both Catalan and Spanish Junior titles. In 2008 he again won the Catalonian Individual Championships. He was also the Winner of Spanish Championship 1990 and Co - Winner in 1986, 1993 and 1997.

He also won the Catalan Cup in 2008 with his Club and they managed to enter both Catalan and Spanish highest Leagues.

Pavel Tregubov was born in 1971 in Russia and it was his father who taught him chess when he was 5. Two years later he took him for the first time to a chess club in their home city Krasnodar.
During his school years he played mostly for pleasure. Did not really think to become a professional that time. It came later... when he was 20.

Pavel is a GM since 1994 and among his best results there are: European Champion 2000, Russian team Championship winner with "University" Maikop 1999, three times French team Championship winner with "Clichy 92", Pivdenny Cup winner 2008.

He has plenty of memorable games on different stages of his carrier. From his recent games he mentions especially one - against Ponomarev from Odessa Rapid 2008 where he was white.

Pavel manages to divide his time between ACP activities and chess. Since 1.01.04 he is an ACP Board Member, was ACP President from 1.01.06 to 31.12.07 and now he is the ACP Board Director since 1.01.08.

Grandmasters José Manuel López, and Marc Narciso - two times winner of the Catalan Circuit, are the two strongest professional chessplayers of Catalonia, with great perspectives in the future.

José Manuel studied Statistics at the University, but he is better known to the Catalan Society as the "Super López of Chess", a nickname which he earned back in 1997 at Spanish Junior Championships, where he came 3rd beating the top Spanish born GM Paco Vallejo in the final round. He is the reigning Catalonian Champion and Vice - Champion of Spain.

Marc Narciso became GM in 2003. In 2006 he represented Spain at Torino Olympiads. The same year he managed to win Open Barberà and Open de Sants. He was also the Winner of the Catalan Circuit in 2006 and 2007. He is the Catalonian Clubs Champion with his Club "Montcada".

Gadir Guseinov is the highest ranked player of the Tournament which makes him also one of the top favorites. He started playing at 6 and Won his first European Championship U10 in 1994, earning his FM title at the age 8 years + 1 month, being by that time the youngest FM ever. At 13 he was already an IM, at 15 GM. Participated in all European Team Championships and Olympiads since 2002. Won 4 medals in World and Europe Youth Championships. Gadir has won medals on his board at Olympiads, and plenty of number of strong Open Tournaments. Played in World Championship 2004 Tripoli, Libya. Qualifed to the World Cup 2009, by sharing 1-12 places in the European Individuval Championships in Budva.

Sweden´s Ulf Andersson is well known to the chess world as "The Endgame King". He has won plenty of games in rook endgames, these normally are extremely long games. He is known as one of the toughest players in the world to defeat, but ironically his best-known game is a loss: a crushing defeat in 30 moves to 18-year-old Garry Kasparov at Tilburg, 1981. After the game he reportedly said, "I will not play against Kasparov any more!" However, in reality they have met in about 20 subsequent chess tournaments, and close to 75% of their games ended in a draw.

At his peak, Andersson reached number four on the FIDE Elo rating list. In recent years, he has begun playing Correspondence chess, quickly becoming a grandmaster in that form of chess as well. In 2002, he reached the top of the correspondence chess rating list. His correspondence games tend to be very tactical, which contrasts sharply with his style of play over the board. Very few players in history have been as successful as Andersson at both forms of chess.

The Tournament reaches category 14 which makes it the strongest tournament in Catalonia, and one of the strongest in Spain. Also it is included in the ACP Tour, as one of the most important events in the Chess World.

There will be live broadcasting of the tournament offered by the Catalonian Chess Federation website: http://www.directefcde.org/ and by the Internet Chess Club (ICC).

For more information please visit the FCE website: http://escacs.cat/ciutat09/

There will be more activities besides the Tournament, on the 7th and on the 8th of November. Grandmaster Jordi Magem will give a lecture "How To Prepare Your Opening Repertoire", and Brazil´s Grandmaster Alexandr Fier will offer a Simultaneous Exhibition. Free entry for everyone.

TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
The Catalonia Chess Federation is organising the tournament, which is being sponsored by the Casino de Barcelona and SB Hotels (Hotel Icaria Barcelona), the Barcelona City Hall and the Government of Catalonia.

PLAYING SYSTEM:
Round Robin

PARTICIPANTS:
10 Players

CATEGORY:
XIV

TOURNAMENT VENUE:
Gran Casino of Barcelona (Carrer Marina, 19-21). Capacity around 125 persons. Free entry.

SCHEDULE:
Round every day at 16:00 h, from the 2nd to the 10th of November of 2009.

Players more than 20 minutes late for round will atomatically lose the game.

TIME CONTROL:
90 minutes + 30 sec increment per move from move one for 40 moves, then 30 minutes + 30 sec increment per move finish (90'/40 + 30') + 30'' increment. Draw offers not allowed until the first time control is finished.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTION:
Director Mr. Jordi Parayre i Soguero
Co-Director Mr. Josep Garcia i Riera.

CHIEF ARBITER:
Mr. Manel Navarro

APPEALS COMMITTEE:
Is composed by Mr. Jordi Parayre Soguero (Director), Mr. Josep Garcia Riera (Co-Director) and Ms. Anna Matnadze (IM).

PRIZE FUND:
1st: 1.500 euros + trophy
2nd: 1.200 euros + trophy
3rd: 900 euros + trophy
4th: 600 euros.
5th: 300 euros.

According to Spanish Tax Law, Organization shall retain 25% of each prize from players not resident in Spain and 15% from players of Spanish Nationality and also from those resident in Spain.

Each participant will have to annotate one of his/her games played in this tournament, which will be published in the next edition of the FCE magazine "El Butlletí d'Escacs".

TIE-BREAKERS:
The prizes are not divisible. When individual scores are equal, the following order of tie-break systems will be used to designate individual awards:
a) Sonnenborn-berger
b) Most Blacks
c) The greater number of victories
d) Game result between tied players

OTHER:
The tounament hall will be equipped by screens and it will be possible to view the games.

There will be live broadcasting offered by the Catalonian Chess Federation website where it will be possible to follow the games : http://www.directefcde.org/, also ICC will be offering live coverage for the tournament.

Anything that is not foreseen and specified in these Regulations, will be covered by FIDE Regulations.