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Viktor Korchnoi, two time World Chess Champion challenger [photo by David Llada]
Press release – The two world champions and world class players are joined by the best player of the "Nutcrucker Event" 2016 in Moscow and the best Swiss chess player Yannick Pelletier. They will play seven rounds with the New Classical time control of 45 minutes and 30 seconds per move, and a Blitz Tournament with a time control of 10 minutes and 5 seconds per move on the last day.
At the same time a strong Open Tournament will be held to which all chess friends around the world are wellcome. Seven rounds will be played with a time control of 90 minutes and 30 seconds per move.
The hosts are also happy to announce, that to date 13 grandmasters with an Elo rating of 2600 and higher have registered for the Kortchnoi Open that will be played parallel to the Grandmaster Tournament. Among them are well-known world class players like Alexei Shirov, Alexander Motylev, Eltaj Safarli, Eduardo Iturrizaga, Aleksandr Rakhmanov and Loek van Wely.
More information about both tournaments in January 2017 can be found on the tournament website.
Zurich Chess Club, Oleg Skvortsov (IGC, Moscow), Aviora Holding AG Baar, Accentus Schach Schweiz, Savoy Chess Corner Zurich and other chess friends.
«IGC International Gemological Laboratories» is a Russian institute providing gemological services, such as diamond grading reports, enhanced diamonds identification, man-made/synthetic diamonds and imitation detection as well as certification of diamonds, gemstones and jewelry in the Russian Federation. IGC is the Russian branch of GCI — a group of gemological laboratories located wordwide. Oleg Skvortsov from «IGC International Gemological Laboratories» is the creator of this chess event. He not only loves chess, but also plays chess and supports chess events. Furthermore, Mr. Skvortsov knows many of the greatest chess players in the world personally and has played a lot of games with them.
Sponsor Oleg Skvortsov with his wife Natalia and Women's World Champion Hou Yifan. Natalia Skvortsova a thoroughly charming lady who we discovered is the driving force behind the Zurich tournament.
The «Savoy Chess Corner» was founded in 2004 and is an informal group of amateur chess players, mostly businessmen, doctors, attorneys, still active or retired, all friends of the Schachgesellschaft Zurich. The members pay an annual fee which is dedicated to promote chess in Zurich and also to finance events with illustrous guests at the famous Hotel Savoy in Zurich.
The «Zurich Chess Club» is the oldest chess society in the world. In its long history it has staged numerous world class events, regularly attracting the elite of the day. In 2009 it celebrated its 200-year jubilee with a spectacular chess show involving all living World champions. And it has not been idle since: 2012 the first edition of the Zurich Chess Challenge between Vladimir Kramnik and Levon Aronian, the most prestigious training match ever held, was yet another highlight in this long serie of extraordinary chess-events, organized by the Zurich Chess Club. The tradition was then continued with the Zurich Chess Challenge from 2013 to 2016 and in 2017 it will be held in honorable memory of the two times Vice World Champion Viktor Kortchnoi.
Last year in Zurich: special guest Manjul Bhargava, Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, who is known (well, world famous actually) for his contributions to number theory, chatting with Anand
In 2014 one of the visitors was Charles Aznavour, above with compatriot Levon Aronian and sponsor Oleg Skvortsov. The legendary singer, 89, provided the "musical inspiration" for round four.
This event will start on 12 April in the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville with an impressive opening ceremony that is highlighted by a musical performance of four superb musicians: Ilya Gringolts, one of the most inspirational violinists today, Boris Adrianov, a multiple international prize winner for his amazing cellist talents, Dmitry Illarionov, probably the most talented guitarists of modern Russia, and Leonard Schreiber, a Belgian violinist with a reputation of being a preeminent soloist, who has had the honour to play for several Heads of States and Royalties even in private concerts. The audience in the Savoy can therefore expect a musical performance of an outstanding artistic value.
In addition, the opening ceremony will welcome the 12th World Chess Champion and chess legend Anatoly Karpov, the 1993 Vice World Champion Jan Timman, the Russian/Dutch Grandmaster Gennadi Sosonko, who was, like Karpov and Timman, a long-time rival and competitor of Viktor Kortchnoi, plus several other honorable guests well-known throughout the chess world and beyond.
The ceremony will be followed by a round robin Blitz tournament of the eight participants of the Grandmaster Tournament. The entire event can be followed in a livestream that will be shown on the tournament website.
| Date | Wed, 12 April 2017 - Mon, 17 April 2017 |
| Venue | Opening: Hotel Savoy Baur en ville (Grand Ballroom), Paradeplatz, Zürich Tournament: Kongresshaus (Gartensaal) |
| Participants | GM Kramnik Vladimir (RUS), Elo 2811 GM Anand Viswanathan (IND) Elo 2786 GM Nakamura Hikaru (USA) Elo 2793 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian (RUS) Elo 2751 GM Svidler Peter (RUS) Elo 2747 GM Gelfand Boris (ISR) Elo 2724 GM Oparin, Grigoryi (RUS) Elo 2604 GM Pelletier Yannick (SUI) Elo 2541 |
| Format/Time Control |
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| Program | 12 April: 6 p.m.: Opening ceremony, concert and Opening Blitz 13 April: 5 p.m.: New Classical, 1st round 14 April: 12:30 p.m.: 2nd round, 5 p.m. 3rd round 15 April: 12:30 p.m.: 4th round, 5 p.m. 5th round 16 April: 12:30 p.m.: 6th round, 5 p.m. 7th round 17 April: 11 a.m.: Blitz tournament, 5 p.m.: Closing ceremony |
According the the rules of the Zurich Chess Challenge 2017 the winner of a classical game is awarded two points for the overall standings. A draw gives each player one point, and the loser gets zero points. In the final Blitz tournament on Monday, 17 April, the winner is given one point, a draw gest a player half a point, and the loser gets zero points.
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi was a professional chess player, one of the strongest grandmasters in the world, twice World Championship challenger, the strongest player never to have won the title. He was also, in recent years, the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit. Korchnoi was born on 23 March 1931 in Leningrad, Soviet Union, to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother. He learned to play chess from his father at the age of five. He graduated from Leningrad State University with a major in history. Read our obituary on the occasion of his passing last year.
In 2005, at the age of 73, Viktor visited us in Hamburg to record two fascinating DVDs on a life devoted to chess – a career that spanned more than five decades and six generations of opponents. Don't miss these historical and very instructive DVDs.
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Viktor Korchnoi
