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 It´s a great pleasure for me, to announce a new edition of the Chess Magistral Ciutat de Barcelona to the chess world. The Catalonian Chess Federation just beat its all-time record: for the first time we have reached 7.500 licenses. This big news, associated to the traditional dynamism of the catalan chess clubs as for organizing different chess events, makes Catalonia the World´s most active chess place. And its capital - Barcelona, indeed deserves to have a prestigious international tournament, such as the Magistral Ciutat de Barcelona, which will be celebrating its 20th edition now. The last twelve editions have been Round Robin ones, composed of strong GMs and IMs.
This 2015 edition though, copies once again last year´s format, being a closed 6-player-event. All of the participants are World known high class players. Also two other tournaments will be held at the same time; for younger Catalan players U10 and U12, respectively. We do believe, the format was successful last year, thus we would like to repeat it this year as well.
This year we also want to introduce even more chess activities into the programme, in order to popularize the city who is hosting the tournament. For this very reason, we will be organizing yet another two different events in public spaces in Barcelone, where chess lovers and amateurs will have a nice opportunity to enjoy participating in simultaneous exhibitions and Giant Chess games.
Therefore, I would like to ask the chess lovers to be present at this important event. This year the tournament will be held at the very Catalonian Chess Federation Offices, at the venue Fabra i Coats, belonging to Sant Andreu district in Barcelone. Besides of the unique opportunity to follow the games in situ, we will be offering live commentary with a bunch of prestigious players for the public. Also the participants will be commenting their own games every single day just after finishing those.
Last but not least, I would like to thank the Barcelona City Hall for their support and huge efforts to make this amazing chess event happen in Barcelone. Thank you very much.
Antoni Ayza Casamitjana
Catalonian Chess Federation
REGULATIONS
Tournament website
Participants
Alexander Morozevich, RUS
Born in 1977
ELO 2711
World´s 2nd ranked in 2008
Two time Russian Champion
Qualified two times for the World Candidates´ Championships
Participated seven times at the World Chess Olympiad with the Russian National Team and won it three times
Winner at Lloyds Bank (1994), Pamplona (1994, 1998, 2006), Melody Amber (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008), Biel (2003, 2004, 2006), Sarajevo (2008), Saratov (2011), Vladimir Petrov Memorial (2012), Karpov Poikovsky (2014)
Csaba Balogh, HUN
Born in 1987
ELO 2657
IM in 2002 and GM in 2004
Winner of the U-16 section of the 2003 European Youth Chess Championship
Member of the national team that won both the U-16 World Team Championships 2003 and the U-18 European Team Championship in 2003
In 2011 he tied for 2nd-5th with Parimarjan Negi, Murtas Kazhgaleyev and Jon Ludvig Hammer in the 13th Dubai Open Chess Championship
The game Balogh describes as one of his "most memorable", is a win over Viktor Korchnoi, at the 5th Gyorgy Marx Memorial (2007)
Winner of the Magistral Casino Barcelona – Ciutat de Barcelona 2013 and 2014
Bronze medal on the second board on the European Team Championship in Warszaw 2013
Qualified to the World Cup from the European Individual Championship in Yerevan, 2014
Double silver medal in the Olympiad Tromsö, 2014. 2nd place with the Team and 2nd place on the 2nd board
Karen H. Grigoryan, ARM
Born in 1995
ELO 2600
GM in 2013
Champion of Armenia U14 (2008)
European Champion U16 (2010)
Winner of Memorial G. Kasparyan – Young Masters 2010
Winner of the Youth Stars Tournament 2011
Winner of Albena Open (2012)
Winner of Open Internacional Escacs Vila de Sitges 2013
Champion of Armenia in 2011 and 2013
Winner of the Open Internacional Badalona 2014
Winner of the Open Internacional Barberá 2015
Winner of the Catalan Chess Circuit in 2014 and 2015
Axel Bachmann, PAR
Born in 1989
ELO 2593
Champion of Paraguay (2004)
Pan-American Champion U16
Participated five times at the World Chess Olympiad with the National Team of Paraguay
Winner at Magistral Mercosur (2007), Rochefort (2014), Capelle La Grande (2014), Lasi (2014), Golden Sans (2014), Figueres (2015), Rhodes (2015)
Iberoamerican Champion 2014
GM Marc Narciso Dublán, ESP
Born in 1974
ELO 2529
GM in 2003
5th place at the World Youth Championships in Timisoara, 1988
Member of the Spanish National Team at Turin Olympiad in 2006
Winner of the Open International Barberà and Open de Sants. 2006
Winner of the Catalan Circuit in 2006 and 2007
Catalonian Club Champion with "Montcada" and “Foment Martinenc “
Vice-Champion at OBERT INTERNACIONAL ILLES MEDES 2009
Vice-Champion at CAMPIONAT DE CATALUNYA DE RÀPIDES 2010
Champion of Catalonia 2011
Winner of OPEN INTERNACIONAL ACTIU DE VALLFOGONA DE BALAGUER 2011
1st Catalan Player at the Catalonian Chess Circuit in 2011
3rd at the General and 1st Catalan at the Catalonian Chess Circuit in 2014 y 2015
Hipólito Asis Gargatagli, ESP
Born in 1986
ELO 2483
MI since 2006
One GM Norm, 2013
Spanish National Champion U18 in 2004
Champion of Catalonia U18 in 2003 and 2004
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