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The 28th European Club Cup 2012 is taking place in Eilat, Israel, as a seven-round Swiss from October 11 to 18 (no free day). The rounds starts at 15:00 local time. The time controls are 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move, starting from move one. The zero tolerance rule (6.6a of the FIDE Laws of Chess) will be applied: any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session loses the game.
Eilat has an excellent central location in the Middle East, between Taba in Egypt and the Jordanian city of Aqaba. Compared with similar tourist resorts in Australia and Central America, Eilat is located within a conveniently short distance of Europe's major cities, making it an attractive option for European tourists. It is also a "free trade zone" exempt from VAT and other taxes, making it a popular destination for international tourists.
The other reasons for Eilat's popularity are clear: the excellent weather, gorgeous beaches, and the aquamarine waters of the Red Sea, featuring a stunning natural coral reef. The climate is comfortable, even during the winter (28-30°Cin October), and the landscape is a unique meeting point between desert dunes and mountainous slopes. The city features amusement sites suitable for all the family, including the Kings City "biblical theme park", the Submarine Observatory, and an IMAX cinema.
The Royal Beach Hotel in Eilat, a seven-star deluxe part of the Isrotel
chain
View of the swimming pools on the hotel compound
Close-up of swimming pool (temptation: quick draw and then take a dip...)
From the hotel web site: "Redefining the concept of luxury, it is clear to any visitor that the Royal Beach is far more than a mere hotel. It is a complete, unique worldview. Every single detail, from the pampering mattresses in each suite to the fine artwork adorning the walls, is tended to with the meticulous attention and dedication required to offer guests an experience, in accordance with the Isrotel luxury concept, that truly approaches perfection."
The 34 clubs of the open group are the very best in Europe, with average ratings of the players exceeding 2700 in five cases. A total of 28 players are rated 2700 or highter. The top women's club has a 2578 average and fields the world's top three on the women's rating list (Hou Yifan, Humpy Koneru, Anna Muzychuk). The teams are from 27 different federations and include 10 GM and 10 WGM.
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Women's section
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Usually the first round of a big Swiss event can be somewhat boring, due to the big difference in strength between competitors. Not this time. The ECU has decided to apply accelerated pairing, meaning that teams from the top half of the draw have to meet each other already at the first round.
For example, the top seed SOCAR of Azerbaijan, featuring an all-star team including Radjabov, Mamedyarov, Topalov and Grischuk, among others, have a far from easy match facing Ashdod, the highest rated team from the host country, whose lineup includes three members of the Ukrainian national team: Ivanchuk, Volokitin and Eljanov. No less fascinating will be the match between SHSM-64 Moscow and Beer-Sheba. The world championship challenger Boris Gelfand is sitting out against the team whose lineup includes his trainers Roiz, Rodshtein and Huzman, but with Peter Leko and Anish Giri playing the top two boards, Moscow are still the favorites, although not by that much.
The first three teams receive trophies, with each member of the winning team (players, reserves and captain) receiving gold, silver and bronze medals. For the best placed teams and for the best individual results on each board in the men's competition, the organizer provide prizes to the value of 40,000 Euro, for the women's competition it is 9,000 Euro.
Dear Chess Enthusiasts,
Chess has enjoyed a resurgence in Israel in recent years, especially since the large influx of lews that came to Israel after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Israeli players have been earning titles in international competitions, including a second place finish by Grandmaster Boris Gelfand at the recent World Chess Championship. The Government of Israel recently increased its investment in promoting the sport, and we look forward to strengthening Israeli chess in the coming years. I wish the participants good luck in the tournament, and I invite you all to enjoy the wonderful resort city of Eilat, as well as the rich heritage, historical places and beautiful sites that Israel has to offer.
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Chief Arbiter Almog Burstein (left) together with Tournament Director Malkiel
Peretz
Preparing the sensor boards for the live broadcast
Links
The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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