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Press release – 29th August, 2013
100 day countdown to the
Fifth London Chess Classic
Chess in Schools and Communities is delighted to announce the 100
day countdown is underway for the 5th London Chess Classic to be staged
at the Olympia Conference Centre in Kensington, running from Saturday
7th December to Sunday 15th December.
Due to a demanding elite-player schedule through 2013 – that
will culminate with the World Championship match in Chennai, India
between Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen set to end on November 26th,
and the World Team Championship in Antalya, Turkey on 6th December
– this year the Classic will be headlined by a world-class Rapid
tournament (25 minutes + 10 seconds per move) that will start on Wednesday
11th December and finish on Sunday 15th December.
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This will feature a 16-player field split into four groups, with the top
two from each group qualifying for the quarter final knockout stages. Scoring
will be three points for a win, one for a draw, zero for a loss (Sofia Rules
will apply regarding draw offers). The total prize fund on offer will be
€150,000 – the full breakdown being: 1st €50,000; 2nd €25,000;
3rd-4th €12,500; 5th-8th €6,250; 9th-16th €3,125.
Vishy Anand analysing with David Howell and
Lawrence Trent at last year's Classic
The first two players to sign up for the 5th Classic are both big crowd-pleasers:
World Champion Anand and the US No. 1 Hikaru Nakamura. Anand (with or without
the world crown) will be heading to London immediately after his title match
with Carlsen, and Nakamura not long after playing in the Sinquefield Cup
– along with Carlsen, Aronian and Kamsky – in St Louis, one
of the strongest tournaments ever to be held in America. Over the next two
weeks, the rest of the field will be announced as player contracts have
been signed and approved.
Hikaru Nakamura, two-times US champion, is
nicknamed ‘H Bomb’ for his explosive and uncompromising style
of play and widely recognised as one of the world’s greatest players,
particularly at blitz chess.
The schools events will be expanded and the festival, with weekenders,
FIDE Open, simultaneous displays and lectures will all take place as usual
– but look out for what could be a novelty twist to the FIDE Open!
The smorgasbord of chess at the London Classic will also include Pro-Celebrity
Chess, Blindfold Chess and Chess 960. Tickets will go on sale in September
after the field has been finalised. Tickets will again be free for children.
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Chess in Schools and Communities
is a charity established two years ago with the aim of introducing chess
into primary schools, with particular emphasis on areas of economic
disadvantage. The charity already delivers chess to over 200 schools
in 38 boroughs across England and Wales, teaching chess as a classroom
subject. Participating schools receive chess sets, software, training
for teachers and 30 lessons per year from a CSC chess tutor. This innovative
approach was recognised with an award from the Sports and Recreation
Alliance. |
