The Tai Yuan GM is taking place in China from July 17th to 26th July 2004. The time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves, plus 15 minutes for the remaining moves, and a 30 seconds increment per move for the entire game. The prize fund is $20,000. Play starts 14:00h local time (GMT+8). The final round begins at 10:00 am local time.
Press conference with the players before the start of the tournament
A children's dance number at the openings ceremony
And one we have never seen before: a local food masters show
The four-star SanJin International Hotel, where the games are being played
Smbat Lputian vs Nigel Short, in round two
Alexei Dreev kibitzes on the game Bu Xiangzhi vs Ye Jiangchuan
At one time Bu Xiangzhi was the youngest GM in history
Top player from France: GM Joel Lautier
The only female player in the tournament: GM Xie Jun
Chinese GM Xu Jun
China's top player GM Ye Jiangchuan
Spectators listening to analysis by experts
Sensation in round 6: GM Ni Hua beats GM Smbat Lputian with black in 70 moves
Nigel Short giving a ten-board simul for young Chinese players
Ni Hua playing with against younger kids
China's number one Ye Jiangchuan against the youngest
All pictures by courtesy of the official web site. The information and links were provided by Fang Zhang, a chess fan, freelance writer, dramatist, poet and historian, who lives in Belgium. Earlier spectacularly illustrated reports by Fang Zhang:
