Panama
Chess Open 2011
This event was staged by the National Chess Federation of Panama from November
3–7 in the Great Hall Portobello Atlapa Convention Center in Panama City.
It was the first large international tournament since the 70s. It is the intention
of the organisers to make this an annual event. The tournament was a nine round
Swiss with over 130 players. Time controls: 90 minutes per player for the entire
game, with the addition of 30 seconds per move from move one. First prize was
US $2000, second $1300, third $1000, etc., with special prizes for the best
players under Elo 2200, best players from Panama, etc.
Panamá City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama,
with a total population of around one million. The city has a dense skyline
of mostly highrise buildings, and it is surrounded by a large belt of tropical
rainforest. It has an advanced communications system; and Tocumen International
Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Central America.
Naturally Panama is most famous for the Panama Canal (Canal de Panamá),
a 77 kilometre (48 mile) ship canal that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific
Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. The canal was built
from 1904 to 1914 in one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects
ever undertaken (it has been named one of the seven modern wonders of the world
by the American Society of Civil Engineers). It had an enormous impact on shipping
between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, replacing the long and treacherous
route via either the Strait of Magellan or Cape Horn at the southernmost tip
of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal
travels 9,500 km (5,900 miles), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 miles)
route around Cape Horn.
Panoramic view of the Panama Canal from the top of Ancon
Hill – scroll to the right for a full breath-taking view.
[Source: Wikipedia,
where you will find a full 10,557 x 1248 stitched image]
Panama Canal Puzzle
We have a little puzzle for our readers: when you travel through the
Panama Canal from east to west, i.e. from its eastern-most entrance to its
western-most exit, which ocean do you end up in? The answer is given
at the end of this report – but do think about the problem before you
jump to it.
Top final standings of the Panama Chess Open 2011
Photo impressions by GM Sergei Tiviakov
Do not ask us how he does it – we have no idea. But the Dutch grandmaster
somehow manages to (1) travel to the most exotic places, (2) win the tournament,
and (3) send us a huge batch of photos he has taken during his stay. Here are
his impressions of the Panama Chess Open and of Panama City.

Our GM reporter in front of the modern high-rise skyline of Panama City
While we are at it we might as well give you a panoramic view of Panama City
[Source: Wikipedia]
The modern city with its skyscrapers, many still being built, contrasts
with...

... the older parts of town, built in the 19th and 20th centuries, currently
being restored

Houses decorated with pelicans and lizzards

The real thing: pelicans (and a turkey vulture) perched on a street light

Our GM reporter befriends a denizen of Panama City

It's a raccoon, Procyon lotor to biologists, a common mammal in these parts

A street vendor with colourful souvenirs for the locals and tourists

The "Metropolitan Cathedral" (Catedral Metropolitan) built in the
17th Century

The main altar inside the cathedral

The "Golden Altar", a testimony to Roman Catholic opulence

A visit to the famous, strategically vital Panama Canal is a must

A cargo ship in the locks
The maximum size of vessel that can use the canal, the "Panamax",
is 65,000–80,000 tonnes DWT (deadweight tonnage), but its actual cargo
is restricted to about 52,500 tonnes because of draft restrictions in the canal.

The tournament site – playing hall and hotel for the players

The tournament venue before the start of a round...

... and with play under way

It is inspiring to see a large number of female participants

Best female prize for WGM Oleiny Linares Napoles of Cuba, 6.5/9 with a 2426
performance

Second female prize for WGM Lisandra Teresa Ordaz of Cuba, 6.0/9, performance
2430

Third prize in the Open went to GM Aramis Alvarez Pedraza of Cuba with 7.0/9
points

Second prize for GM Walter Arencibia (checkered shirt), Cuba, with 7.0/9 points

First prize to the tournament photographer GM Sergei Tiviakov, with 7.5/9 points

A big payday for Sergei, as the Mayor of Panama City indicates

Official tournament site
Copyright
Tiviakov/ChessBase
Solution to our Panama Canal Quiz
Our question was: when you travel through the Panama Canal from east to
west, i.e. from its eastern-most entrance to its western-most exit, which ocean
do you end up in? Here's the correct answer:

Take a look at the above map of Panama with its neighboring countries and seas:
Now let us zoom in to see where exactly the canal is located:

So this means that when you travel in a westerly direction, i.e. from the eastern-most
entrance (at Balboa) to exit at the western-most part (Cristóbal) you
end up in the Caribbean Sea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. You do not
find yourself in the Pacific, as people would naturally assume. Tricky, right?
You can explore it on the following Google map:
View
Larger Map
Please note that you have to pay us a royalty if you use this puzzle in bars
and at parties.