There are the expected events such as the Master Tournament reserved for players rated 2000 and above, and to ensure the largest turnout possible, the organizers offered any player rated 2500 and above free accommodation in a five-star hotel.
The tournament venue is the five-star Sofitel Hotel
It is a nine-round swiss with a generous purse with $10 thousand for first place, $7000 for second, and so on. The top seed is Chinese GM Wang Hao (2730), followed by Ukrainian Yury Kryvoruchko (2708), and no fewer than 32 grandmasters out of 70 titled players.
Simul by Wang Hao
GM Wang Hao gave a simul to players and fans
It was a rare treat to play against one of the top players in the world
Blitz tournament
The Blitz tournament brought over a hundred players, though some players avoided it to save
their energy for the main opens
The blitz was well enjoyed by the aficionados, and brought a $1000 first prize
A young fan follows the frenzy at the end
Vijay Kumar brings a video report of the Blitz competition
After six rounds 15-year-old Indian IM Murali Karthekeyan leads together with Russian GM Sergey Volkov with 5.0/6, though the young Indian enjoys the higher tiebreak. Murali's result so far has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it is not just that the 2462-rated player has a stupendous 2783 performance, but that it was achieved playing five grandmasters including wins over Alexander Areshchenko (2684) and Yury Kuzubov (2667). He will face co-leader Volkov in round seven.
Of note in the Main tournament is Iranian WIM Mitra Hejazipour (2268),
who is enjoying a spectacular 2519 performance, including two wins
over grandmasters
Video of the Opening Ceremony and first round (courtesy of Vijay Kumar)
Video of round four (courtesy of Vijay Kumar)
In a dramatic round six, 15-year-old IM Murali Karthekayan beat GM Kuzubov to take the lead
(courtesy of Vijay Kumar)
In parallel to what can be considered the main attraction, there are also an Open Tournament for players rated under 2000, a Junior Tournament for players under sixteen years old, a Blitz tournament for aficionados, and also a Media and Journalists tournament, limited to journalists needless to say, and even a Homeland protector's tournament reserved to members of the military and police!
Junior Tournament
Lost in thought as he writes down his move
Sometimes criticized for gender segregation, in chess tournaments there seems to be none
Some young players come dressed in traditional garb...
...while others continue the tradition of wearing shirts of their heroes, in this case Lionel Messi
Abu Dhabi City Tour
On the rest day, the players were invited to a tour of the city and some sites. One was the
fun Ferrari World.
There they were able to enjoy many of the historic cars by Ferrari
They were also taken to the Sheikh Zayd Mosque. It is the largest mosque in the United
Arab Emirates and the eighth largest mosque in the world. It is large enough to accommodate
over 40,000 worshipers. The main prayer hall can accommodate over 7,000 worshipers.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque's design and construction "unites the world", using artisans
and materials from many countries including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey,
Malaysia, Iran, China, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece and United Arab Emirates.
More than 3,000 workers and 38 renowned contracting companies took part in the construction
of the mosque. Natural materials were chosen for much of its design and construction due to
their long-lasting qualities, including marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics.
The construction is full of beautiful lines, combining traditional and modern
architecture styles
A view inside with a combination of natural and artificial light
Pictures from the official tournament Facebook page
Standings in Masters after six rounds
