International Chess Festival in Predeal

Report by WGM Elena Partac

The Predeal Chess Festival is the largest of its kind in Romania. It consists of five separate tournaments, with more than 500 players from a five continents participating:

• The World Amateur Chess Championship: 11-18 August, FIDE event, FIDE rated, 9 rounds
• The European Women Rapid and Blitz Championships: 7-10 August, two ECU events, FIDE rated
• The Romanian International Open: 11-18 August, FIDE rated, 9 rounds
• the International Children Open: 11-18 August, FIDE rated, 9 rounds

Predeal, which literally translates to "on the hill", is the town located at the highest altitude in Romania, a well known climatic and winter resort. The town lies in a sunny open spot, offering a great view of the surrounding mountains. Founded during the 16th-17th centuries, Predeal has become, due to its picturesque location and to the unpolluted mild climate, an important tourist centre. The town resort has a large range of hotels, guest houses and lodges in picturesque scenery. Restaurants, clubs, discos, music and theatre halls, swimming pools, sport grounds, modern cable ways, sport gear hiring centers, internet, all are here, for the visitors.

Predeal is located in Romania, a Central European country and member of the European Union

The train station – this is one of the ways chessplayers used to get to Predeal

There a lot of nice villas in Predeal – currently the main guests are chessplayers

The European Women Rapid and Blitz Championships

These events will be held from August 7th to 10th in Predeal City. In both tournaments 55 female players from ten countries are participating. The Rapid Championship is a nine-round Swiss, the Blitz is a 20-round Swiss.

The playing venue from the outside...

... and from the inside, before the start of the tournaments

The hall is filled up for the opening ceremony before round one

... after which the play can begin

Second seed WGM Lela Javakhishvili, Georgia vs WIM Iozefina Paulet, Romania (1-0)

WFM Raluca Sgircea of Romania vs WGM Lela Javakhishvili of Georgia (0-1)

WGM Margarita Voiska (right), Bulgaria vs Iva Videnova, also Bulgaria (1-0)

WGM Viktorija Cmilyte vs Teodora Traistaru: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 e6 8.g3 Bb4 9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Na2 Be4 12.Nxb4 Bxg2 13.Kxg2 Qxb4 14.b3 c5 15.Bd2 1-0.

WIM Maria Muzychuk of Ukraine (right) vs Mathe Katalin of Romania (1-0)

The Muszchuk family, with Anna (left), 17, 2456 and Maria (right), 14, 2330

Standings after six rounds (4.0 points and higher)