From May 22 to June 03, 2013, the fourth stage of the FIDE Grand Prix Series
2012-2013 is taking place in Thessaloniki, Greece. Twelve players are competing
in a round robin tournament with time controls of 120 minutes for the first
40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes and an increment
of 30 seconds per move for each player. The Grand Prix Series consists of six
tournaments to be held over two years, with 18 top players, each participating
in four of the six tournaments. The winner and second placed player overall
of the Grand Prix Series will qualify for the Candidates Tournament to be held
in March 2014.
Free day activities
Sunday was the first rest day of the Thessaloniki Grand Prix, and a number
of players used the opportunity to hop on the open desk bus and go on sightseeing
tour.
You may recognize Firuza Kasimdzhanova, Etienne
Bacrot and Alexander Morozevich
... and tournament leader Leinier Dominguez (right)
with his father
The Church of Saint Demetrius (Hagios Demetrios),
the patron saint of Thessaloniki,
dating from the time the city was the second largest city of the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine Castle or Heptapyrgion ("Fortress
of Seven Towers", picture from Wiki)
is a Byzantine/Ottoman fortification, probably first constructed in the fourth
century.
It is the highest point on the north-eastern corner
of Thessaloniki, with a breathtaking view of the city
Thank heavens graffiti is not easily possible on
the ancient structures (or
is it?)
A break for refreshments in a castle restaurant
Aristotelous Square
is the city center of Thessaloniki. It was designed by French architect Ernest
Hébrard in 1918, but most of the square was built in the 1950s. Many
buildings surrounding the central square have since been renovated and its northern
parts were largely restored in the 2000s.
White Tower of Thessaloniki is a monument and museum
on the waterfront,
symbol of the city. It is 23 m (75 ft) in diameter and 27 m (89 ft) tall.
The tower has been altered substantially over the
years. Until 1917 a 75 meter
wide chemise at the foot of the tower supported the heavy guns [image Wiki].
See, Leinier, you can take great pictures with
a smartphone...
... but you have to shield it from direct sunshine
to see them.
Photos by Anastasya Karlovich, Wikipedia
