Online qualification for VIII Festival in Benidorm

We offer you a place in the Benidorm Open Tournament, which will take place from 4th December until 8th December 2009 and is part of the Benidorm Chess Festival. You will receive free accommodation during the event (sponsored by the Benidorm Chess Festival) and some software to prepare yourself for your oppoennets (sponsored by ChessBase GmbH). Just win our online-qualifyer on the upcoming Saturday, which will start at 15.00 CEST in the Emanuel Lasker Arena.

I. Main prize:

For the winner the accommodation in Benidorm during the event will be paid, as well as a place in the event. In order to prepare for the strong opponents the winner will receive a ChessBase Mega-Package. However, the cost of traveling to Benidorm has to be paid by the winner.

II. Mode of play

The Qualifyer will be a two-stage event on the Playchess server. At first there will be an open preliminary with 13 rounds Swiss. The thinking time is 3 min + 2 seconds increment per move. The top twelve of the preliminary will play the round robin final (3+2), which will start after a break of approximately 30 minutes.

As mentioned before the event is open to everybody. You need the rank pawn or better and a valid serial number. However, in order to participate in the final you have to give your name in your personal information window (press F2). Without this information you are not allowed to play. In addition, the Playchess.com tournament rules will be used.

III. Location

We will play on playchess.com in the "Emanuel-Lasker Arena". You need an account on playchess.com and a valid serial number.

IV. Schedule

The Online Qualifier will take place on Saturday, 24th October 2009. The registration for the tournament will be open at 14.30 CEST (server time). Play commences at 15.00 CEST (server time). The preliminary will last between three and four hours. The final will start at around 19.00 CEST and will last between two and three hours.

V. Entry fee

There is no entry fee. All you need is a valid serial number.

VI. Prizes

Winner:	Participation at the rapid tournament in Benidorm, 4th to 8th December 2009, (accommodation and entry fee, but no travel costs) + ChessBase 10 Megapackage
places 2 and 3:	ChessBase Software-Pakacge worth € 100,00
places 4 to 6:	ChessBase Software-Pakacge worth € 50,00

All other players will receive a € 10,00 voucher for every full point they made in the final.

Tiebreaks

If a tiebreack is needed to determine the winner, the tournament director will schedule a play-off immediately after the event. The mode will be the decision of the tournament director.
In any other case the prizes will be divided between the winners.
In order to determine the participants of the final the general server tiebreak systen will apply (points, progessive score, medium Buchholz).
In addition we will have several extra prizes the players who finished the preliminary. Many lucky wins will be at stake.
In order to win a prize you have to publish your full name in your personal information.

VII. Tournament Director

The tournament will be directed by Martin Fischer.