Press release

Chess Classic Mainz 2010 – Back to the roots "Making a virtue out of necessity" is the central theme of the 17th Chess Classic Mainz. From 06 – 08 August 2010 the major international rapid chess event in the world will be played in Mainz. The Chess Tigers would have loved to present a whole week of top level chess in all its beauty and diversity, as we did in previous editions, but in this difficult economic times many companies do not have the financial resources anymore to to support sport events.

However, the Chess Tigers are still very grateful to announce the Chess Classic Mainz this year in a different format, that goes back to the roots of the first Chess Classic tournament of 1994, which was organized in Frankfurt. Just like the first-ever Chess Classic, we will be able to present two simultanious exhibitions and a rapid chess open tournament. In the simuls no less than two world champions will battle it out with amateurs: Chess World Champion Viswanathan Anand and his female counterpart Alexandra Kosteniuk, who does not only hold the title in classical chess, but also in Chess960.

There is another small, but important difference to the 1994 edition: we upgraded the the rapid chess open to the Grenke Rapid World Championship. Nothing new is the top-level field with world-class grandmasters, the renowned presentation and the excellent playing conditions in the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz. It is an open tournament, and the winner will be crowned rapid chess world champion.

The Chess Tigers would like to thank their sponsors for the fantastic support in the past nine years. The tenth edition of the Chess Classic in Mainz is sponsored by GRENKE Group, FiNet AG, Livingston GmbH, Hilton Mainz, Congress Centre Mainz, Stadtwerke Mainz AG and our Prime Partners ChessBase, DGT and Schach Niggemann. These companies are able to provide sponsorship in different ways to make the Chess Classic once again a great event. The prize fund for the rapid chess world championship is no less than €30,000. Chess960, the exciting chess variant that has been pushed in Mainz and even made it in the offical FIDE rules, has to take a break for a year. We are confident, that we will be able to carry on with Chess960 next year.

Anand and Chess Classic organizer Hans-Walter Schmitt at last year's simul

It is no secret that the 15. World Champion Viswanathan Anand is one of the closest friends of the Chess Tigers and it goes without saying that he will play a part in the 10th Chess Classic Mainz. On the first day of the event, on 06 August, Anand will play a standard simul on 40 boards. On the same day, Alexandra Kosteniuk will play a 20-board Chess960 simul. As you can see, Chess960 will still have a place in Mainz!

Armenian GM Levon Aronian, winner of the 2009 Ordix Open

The Grenke Rapid World Championship will also be a treat for chess lovers: Levon Aronian, who is the current rapid chess world champion and the winner of the 2009 ORDIX Open, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov will play the open tournament to face a unique mixture of numerous world-class grandmasters and amateurs. You do not get the chance too often to play in a tournament with so many top players and with a little luck you may face a top ten player or even a world champion on the other side of the board!

The Open will be played in the same established format as in the previous editions. On 07/08 August 11 rounds will be played, in which the time control is 20 minutes + 5 seconds per move. The ambitious Chess Tigers organization team, who all work on a voluntary basis, will present the Chess Classic with all their experience and power on the highest level with the latest technology.

The Chess Tigers team, led by main organizer Hans-Walter Schmitt and patron Jens Beutel, Lord Mayor of the Mainz, invites you to the Rheingoldhalle in Mainz from 06-08 August 2010 for three days of chess extravaganza!

Mike Rosa/Eric van Reem