10/11/2012 – The 28th European Club Cup 2012, a seven-round Swiss, is taking place in Eilat from October 11 to 18. The average rating of the top five teams is 2700+, the top women's team is fielding the top three on the world's women's ratings. A total of 28 players are rated 2700 or higher – they include 110 GM and 10 WGM. And the venue on the southern tip of Israel has to be seen to be believed.
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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.
Playing venue: the Isrotel Royal Beach Hotel in Eilat
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."
List of top teams
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.
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.
Prizes
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,
It
gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Eilat, Israel's southernmost
city, for the 2012 European Chess Club Cup.
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.
Chief Arbiter Almog Burstein (left) together with Tournament Director Malkiel
Peretz
Preparing the sensor boards for the live broadcast
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Opening videos: Sipke Ernst brings the Ulvestad Variation up to date + Part II of ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’. Special: Jan Werle shows highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in the video. ‘Lucky bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.
In this video course, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov explores the fascinating world of King’s Indian and Pirc structures with colours reversed, often arising from the French or Sicilian.
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