2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship
Report by Peter Hum and Tim Bouma
Parliament Hill and the Mounties – just a quick trot from the tournament venue
For more the 40 years, the Canadian Open Chess Championship has been a roving
tournament, taking place each year in a different Canadian city so that no group
of chess lovers across this broad country would be favoured.
Mounted guards on the grounds of Parliament Hill
The 44th edition of the event – whose winners have included illustrious players
from Boris Spassky in 1971 to Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexei Shirov in 2005 – will
be staged in Ottawa, one of the world’s most beautiful capital cities.
An attraction for visitors and tourists
This city of one million lacks the sprawl and population of Montreal, Toronto
and Vancouver, but it provides a rich, human-scale experience that is at the
same time quintessentially Canadian and culturally diverse and dynamic. It's
common of course to hear English and French spoken on Ottawa's streets. Canada's
two official languages flourish in its capital. But the city has thriving Chinese,
Vietnamese, Lebanese, Italian, Polish, Dutch and South Asian communities as
well, among others.
In the winter, Ottawa's Rideau Canal is the world's longest skating rink.
But it's a different matter in summer.
Ottawa lies in northeast North America, in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north, while the historic Rideau River
and Rideau Canal meander north to south through the city. Directly across the
Ottawa River, in the French-speaking Province of Quebec, are the City of Gatineau
and the picturesque Outaouais region. While Ottawa in winter ranks among the
world's coldest capitals, in summer it will be hot and could even be sweltering.
If anything, the Mounties above are a bit uncomfortable under their red serge
tunics. The average maximum summer temperature is 26.4 C, and humid days with
highs above 30 C are not uncommon.
The seat of Canada’s federal government, Ottawa is a major centre for the visual
and performing arts. Yet the city retains the accessibility, atmosphere and
charm of a smaller centre — rich in wide-open green spaces, parks and wilderness
areas.
A four-hour drive north-east of Toronto and two hours west of Montreal, Ottawa
presents visitors with a wide selection of sightseeing and outdoor-leisure options.
In fact, with more than a dozen national museums and galleries — and a full
calendar of festivals and activities — Canada’s Capital Region has something
for everyone.
Skip your pre-game preparations and instead go kayaking on the Ottawa River
Use your imagination – that could be you on a free day
Finished your game early? Enjoy the nightlife in the Byward Market
Experience the Aboriginal dance – in the shadow of the Supreme Court of
Canada
The Canadian Open
But we digress. The tournament will run from July 7th to 15th, 2007 and players
of all strengths are welcome! So far, the tournament has registered nearly 180
players including 15 GMs from nearly as many federations. It is shaping up to
be a very strong and interesting field.
Ottawa Marriott (bottom left with circular top), which boasts a rotating
rooftop restaurant with a splendid view of the Gatineau Hills and Parliament
Chess players receive an incredible deal at the Ottawa Marriott during the
Canadian Open, starting at $89 CAD for a single or double room. Reservations,
though, must be made by June 6th.
Cafe Toulouse in the Ottawa Marriott
The tournament is a one-section event, with one game a day except on Sunday,
July 8, when two games will be played. The time control will be game in 120
minutes plus 30 second increments. The prize fund is to total $25,000 CAD based
on 200 paid entries, and the organizers will be very surprised if they don't
surpass that attendance target by a considerable margin. Entrance for GMs and
IMs is free.
Nigel Short will be returning to Canada for the first time in nearly 20
years.
Nigel Short, the current Commonwealth Chess Champion and European Union Men's
Champion, is the top seed of the field. He has played twice before in Canada
– at the Quebec Open in Montreal and at his 1988 Candidates Match with Gyula
Sax in Saint John, New Brunswick. "I look forward to coming," says Short. "I
noticed in the Wikipedia entry for Ottawa that there are even some cricket clubs
in the city – so it is obviously a very civilised place," Short joked.
Nigel will also be attending the 8th International Empresa Tournament in Montréal
which is being held just before the Quebec Open 2007
Super GM Sergey Tiviakov reflecting on his July trip to the Canadian Open
Dutch Super GM Sergey Tiviakov has visited 54 of the world's
countries and territories, but will be seeing Canada for the first time when
he plays in Ottawa in July. “I'm very pleased to come to Ottawa and the Canadian
Open because I have never been in the country before, but well dreamed of visiting
Canada from my early years,” says GM Tiviakov. “And what else can be dreamed
of than starting a visit to the country from its capital city?! I am very glad
that my dream will soon come true and that I'll play in a very interesting strong
tournament as well."
Getting to Ottawa is a snap. Many major airlines fly directly to Ottawa. If
they do not, then they will fly to Toronto or Montreal. Zoom Airlines of Ottawa
flies from London Gatwick to Ottawa. A number of short-haul carriers fly several
times each day between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.
The Canadian Open falls between the World Open in Philadelphia (connected to
Ottawa by a U.S. Airways 90-minute flight) and the Quebec Open in Montreal (a
two-hour trip by car, train or bus). So the Ottawa event could well be the middle
leg of a grand North American chess tour in July!
Sponsors
The tournament's success is due in large part to the generosity of a number
of corporate sponsors, chief of which are Hill
& Knowlton Canada and Magmic Games.
The former is Canada's industry leader in public relations, public affairs and
strategic communications. Magmic Games, based in Ottawa, is a leading developer
and publisher of mobile entertainment, offering a wide variety of action, sports,
casino, puzzle, and multiplayer games for BlackBerry, J2ME, Brew, and Sidekick
handsets.
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