Mar Del Plata 2012 – Two norms for the price of one

Tourney type: Eleven-round swiss open
Time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game and a 30 second increment as of move one.
Location: Mar Del Plata, Argentina
Dates: October 12-21, 2012
Prizes: 1st - US$5000, 2nd - US$3400, 3rd - US$2400, 20 prizes in all, not including prizes per category.

Special: Event is considered a world championship qualifier thus all norms earned are worth double.

From the 12th of October to the 21st, the ultra-traditional Mar Del Plata tournament will be held, an event that has seen champions such as Fischer, Spassky, and many more over its rich history. This year, the tournament also brandishes the title of the 7th Continental Chess Tournament, having been chosen over candidate cities New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico, and is a particular boon for norm-seeking players. Bear in mind this event is restricted to players from the Americas (North, Central, and South) according to the FIDE divisions.

As the event is classified as a world championship qualifier, all IM and GM norms scored over the course of the event are upgraded to count as two. Any player fulfilling a nine-round norm (remember the event lasts eleven) will see their norm considered as a twenty-game norm (!), true of Women norms as well. Even a nine-round ratings performance of 2600 for a GM norm, or 2450 for an IM norm will be bumped up to 13 games.

What if you are not in that particular stratosphere of chess? The tournament has no Elo limitations, and is open to all, so marks also a rare chance for a rank beginner to face an elite player such as defending champion GM Lazaro Bruzon (2713), ranked 31st in the world. There are many prizes per category including unranked, under-1800, under-2000, under-2200, under-2300, Best Female, under-20 years old, best over-60 and more.

One of the beaches of Mar del Plata during summer tourism season (source: Wikipedia)

Aside from the chess, Mar Del Plata is well worth the visit in and of itself, being Argentina's seventh largest city and single largest beach resort. Its main economic revenue is tourism, meaning hospitality and entertainment are its prime qualities. Also, since this is the southern hemisphere, it means it will take place in mid-spring, not autumn as in the northern hemisphere.

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