Chess Classic Mainz – counting the days

by ChessBase
7/27/2010 – The tenth edition of the Chess Classic Mainz has become a three-day event – but one at which you can see and play against dozens of world-class stars and strong grandmasters. There is also a 40-board simul with World Champion Viswanathan Anand and a 20-board 960 simul with women's world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. It's just ten days away, but you can still join the fun.

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Press release

Counting down the days to the tenth edition

The tenth edition of the Chess Classic Mainz is just days away. From 6th - 8th August 2010 Mainz will be the centre of the rapid chess world.

As we announced earlier, the organizing Chess Tigers had to cut down the event to three days, but the Chess Classic is still the main rapid chess event in the world, with many top grandmasters in the entry list.

The winner of the Open Grenke Rapid World Championship will not only be amply rewarded with € 6000 prize money, but will also receive the prestigious title “Rapid Chess World Champion”.

The main sponsor of the event is Wolfgang Grenke, chairman of the GRENKELEASING AG. He started sponsoring the Chess Classic in 2005 and has increased his involvement every year. On 13 June, Grenke was honored with the European Culture Initiative Award for his abundant merits for cultural projects in Baden-Baden and his dedication to promote and support chess in Germany. Together with the many paying participants, he is responsible for the fact that the showpiece of the Chess Classic, the gigantic Open, will be played again and is upgraded to a world championship.


Wolfgang Grenke and World Champion Viswanathan Anand

However, we should not forget to mention the other sponsors and partners of the Chess Classic Mainz. Without FiNet AG, Stadtwerke Mainz AG, Livingston, Hilton Mainz, the Congress Center Mainz and our prime partner ChessBase and Schach Niggemann, organizing such an event would be impossible. The city of Mainz and its Lord Mayor Jens Beutel is proud to host the Chess Classic for the tenth year in a row. Beutel is an excellent chess player and this year he is not only the patron of the event, he is eager to play the open rapid world championship as well.


Jens Beutel versus top GM Vugar Gashimov, organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt watching

The format of the open tournament will not be changed. Eleven hard-fought rounds will be played and the tempo will be 20 minutes + 5 seconds per move. The tournament will take place in the fully air-conditioned Rheingoldhalle of the Congress Center Mainz. During the world championship the very popular “Kids Club” will be opened again during the tournament. Chess loving parents can fully concentrate on their games, knowing that their kids are in good hands.


Massive Rapid Chess Open in the Rheingoldhalle

Levon Aronian, who won the title in a match against Anand last year, will try to defend his title in Mainz. This task will not be easy, since the Armenian star will face strong opposition this year. Top 2700+ players like Alexei Shirov, Alexander Grischuk, Sergei Movsesian, Gata Kamsky and Vugar Gashimov have already confirmed their participation! We are also happy to welcome some of the best female chess players in the world to Mainz, like Alexandra Kosteniuk, Inna Gaponenko, Almira Skripchenko and Natalia Zhukova to name just a few.


Rapid World Champion Levon Aronian

The Chess Classic will be opened on Friday 6th August with the traditional opening press conference with three world champions: Viswanathan Anand, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Levon Aronian. At 16.00h, Anand will start his simul on 40 boards and Kosteniuk will play a Chess960 simul on 20 boards. Due to very high demand, there are no seats available anymore for the simuls, but you are kindly invited to visit the event on Friday.


World Champion Viswanathan Anand

More information about the Chess Classic Mainz 2010 can be found on our website (see below). It is still possible to register online for the Open Grenke Rapid World Championship. You can save € 5, if you register before 31.07.2010! Note: GM, IM, WGM and WIM are free!

Top participants (GMs and WGMs) so far:

Aronian

Levon

GM

2783

Grischuk

Alexander

GM

2760

Shirov

Alexei

GM

2749

Movsesian

Sergei

GM

2723

Gashimov

Vugar

GM

2719

Kamsky

Gata

GM

2713

Kasimdzhanov

Rustam

GM

2699

Bologan

Victor

GM

2695

Inarkiev

Ernesto

GM

2671

Bareev

Evgeny

GM

2663

Zvjaginsev

Vadim

GM

2656

Markowski

Tomasz

GM

2628

Kazhgaleyev

Murtas

GM

2619

Iturrizaga

Eduardo

GM

2614

Kempinski

Robert

GM

2612

Tregubov

Pavel

GM

2610

Kovalyov

Anton

GM

2599

Pelletier

Yannick

GM

2589

Hera

Imre Jr.

GM

2585

Ghaem Maghami

Ehsan

GM

2574

Moradiabadi

Elshan

GM

2571

Andersson

Ulf

GM

2567

 

Milov

Leonid

IM

2562

Bischoff

Klaus

GM

2553

Berczes

David

GM

2551

Mahjoob

Morteza

GM

2546

Jaracz

Pawel

GM

2541

Prohaszka

Peter

GM

2526

Szabo

Kriszian

IM

2523

Kosteniuk

Alexandra

GM

2519

Zhukova

Natalia

WGM

2499

Davis

Nigel

GM

2494

Lalic

Bogdan

GM

2491

Hort

Vlastimil

GM

2473

Gaponenko

Inna

WGM

2465

Skripchenko

Almira

WGM

2458

Siebrecht

Sebastian

GM

2417

Foisor

Cristina

WGM

2381

Foisor

Sabina

WGM

2317

Berend

Elvira

WGM

2307

Kochetkova

Julia

WGM

2302

Jaracz

Barbara

WGM

2280

Pourkashiyan

Atousa

WGM

2269

Paridar

Shadi

WGM

2264

Mike Rosa/Eric van Reem

Event overview

This year the Chess Classic Mainz will be staged from Friday, 6th of August to Sunday 8th of August, 2010. The Chess Classic features excellent viewer oriented and media friendly entertainment: huge screens and TV sets transmit the event into every corner of the Rheingoldhalle, several grandmasters provide live comments of the games. Everyone can play in the opens and watch the the grandmasters. All tournaments are broadcast live on the Internet.

Besides traditional chess, there is also a Chess960 simul. All tournaments are played at rapid chess time controls: 20 minutes for the game plus 5 seconds increment per move. The Open participants are simultaneously playing in the world championship!

Chess Classic Mainz 2010 consists of the following events:

  • Grenke Rapid World Championship Open
    World's biggest and highest ranked rapid chess Open in traditional chess an also world championship in rapid chess. Elo average of top 10: 2737. Combined price fonds 30,000 EUR. More info...

  • Simul on 40 boards
    World Champion Viswanathan Anand plays a simul in traditional chess. Details...

  • Chess960 simul at 20 boards
    Chess960 world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk stands a Chess960 simul. Details...

  • Children's Club
    Children will be taken care of by competent personnel. They can play, do handicrafts, paint, together with other children. Alternatively, they play a round of "Fritz und Fertig".

  • Course of events
    The tournament plan 1 (.pdf) shows the main events in a graphical overview.

  • Accomodation
    Different accomodations are available from Jugendherberge to player's hotel Hilton Mainz, located directly at river Rhine. Accomodation offers...

  • Contact
    If you have questions, please contact Hans-Walter Schmitt as your personal assistant, phone +49 (6196) 22926.

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