News
Release
Friday 4th December 2009
LONDON CHESS CLASSIC
The strongest chess tournament in the UK
for twenty-five years gets underway at Olympia on 8 December
2009. The opening press conference is being held on
Monday 7 December 2009 at 13:30 hrs at Olympia where
some of the greatest stars of world chess will be lining up
to meet the press and also draw lots for pairings.
At their head is former world chess
champion Vladimir Kramnik, who has very fond memories of
chess in London. It was here in 2000 that he won his title
in a sensational match with Garry Kasparov, widely
considered the world’s best ever player. Before the match,
pundits gave Kramnik little chance but he beat the reigning
champion without losing a single game and became the only
human ever to beat Kasparov in a match. Kramnik arrives in
London on the back of a great victory at the Mikhail Tal
Memorial tournament in Moscow, where he showed the sort of
form that took him to the title in 2000. At 34, Kramnik is
in his chess prime.
Magnus Carlsen, who celebrated his 19th
birthday only five days ago, also has a Kasparov connection.
The great Russian recognise a talent that matched his own as
a teenager and became the young Norwegian’s coach early in
2009. This dream pairing bore fruit in September when
Carlsen dominated the ‘Pearl Spring’ tournament in China,
finishing way ahead of world rated number one Veselin
Topalov of Bulgaria. Carlsen finished second to Kramnik in
Moscow but there was twofold consolation: he did well enough
to displace Topalov from the top of the world rating list,
and then won the World Blitz Championship ahead of a stellar
field.
Making up the ‘awesome foursome’ from
overseas are Ni Hua and Hikaru Nakamura. Between them, these
two young grandmasters have won five national championships
of their respective super-power countries. Ni Hua, 26, is
the only player ever to have won three Chinese national
championships. UK chess fans are already very familiar with
him as he was part of the superb Chinese national squad
which travelled to Liverpool in 2007 and beat the United
Kingdom team. Hikaru Nakamura, who will turn 22 during the
London Classic, has already won two US Championships. Hikaru
is a specialist in fast chess – the faster the game, the
more points Hikaru scores! Just two weeks before the
tournament, he played a short ‘rapidplay’ match with world
number one Magnus Carlsen – and won. You can bet Magnus will
be thirsting for revenge in London.
The best chess talent in the world will
be up against England’s four leading grandmasters. Nigel
Short is a household name. He put British chess on the map
in 1992/93 when he defeated the legendary ex-world champion
Anatoly Karpov in a match, and then the Dutch grandmaster
Jan Timman, to qualify for a world title match with Garry
Kasparov, held at London’s Savoy Hotel. At 44, he is almost
a veteran by chess standards but he has struck a rich vein
of form in recent months to regain his position as England’s
number one. Also in the field is his displaced rival,
Michael Adams, 38, who is probably the most consistently
successful British player of all time in terms of rankings
and ratings. He reached number four in the world chess
rankings in the early 2000s and stayed at that level for a
number of years. Amongst his victims in world knock-out
championships in the 1990s was soon-to-be world champion
Vladimir Kramnik. Luke McShane, 25, is the third highest
rated English grandmaster. His prodigious natural talent for
the game has enabled him to maintain an astonishingly high
standard of play whilst studying for an Oxford degree and
now holding down a high-flying job in the City. He is one of
the best non-professional chess players in the world. David
Howell, who turned 19 two weeks before Magnus Carlsen, broke
Michael Adams’ age record for becoming a grandmaster when he
did so aged 16. He is the reigning British Chess Champion –
in fact, double British Champion as he holds the title
jointly at rapidplay chess too. David is passionate about
his chess and highly ambitious – there is no telling what
heights he may reach. He will relish the opportunity to
cross swords with young rivals such as Carlsen and Nakamura.
For more information and to buy tickets to
The London Chess Classic, please go to
www.londonchessclassic.com
For further information please call:
John Saunders Chess Press Chief,
London Chess Classic
M: 07777 664111
E :
chesspress@londonchessclassic.com
7th Nov
2009
-
Guest of Honour
Viktor Korchnoi
Simultaneous,
Sunday 13th and Monday 14th
December, 7:00pm
|
The London Chess Classic is delighted to
announce that Viktor Korchnoi, one of the all
time greats of world chess has agreed to be the
tournament’s Guest of Honour. Korchnoi still
plays high level chess at the age of 78 and
recently played on board one for Switzerland at
the European Team Championship.
Korchnoi fought two world title matches against
Anatoly Karpov in 1978 and 1981 which captured
the imagination of the world. A man who had
defected from the USSR and made into a
non-person took on the might of the Soviet chess
machine while his son was imprisoned by the
Communist authorities.
Even in defeat Korchnoi has shaped the future of
chess. It should not be forgotten that he
sportingly agreed to play Garry Kasparov in a
Candidates semi final after the Soviets had
refused to allow Kasparov to take part in the
match after it had been scheduled to take place
at Pasadena in 1984. Although he had already won
by default, Korchnoi agreed to play in London
and Kasparov eventually won and went on to
challenge Anatoly Karpov.
Korchnoi’s longevity at the top level, nearly 50
years, is unparalleled. Visitors to the London
Chess Classic which takes place at Olympia from
December 8-15 will be able to hear him comment
on the games or take on the great man in a
simultaneous display at Olympia on Monday 14th
at 7pm.
Malcolm Pein (IM), Director London Chess Classic
|
|
.
The Korchnoi
charity
ticket
has
been
sold
for
£410. All
proceeds will be going to the Chess in Schools and
Communities charity. All tickets for both simuls have now
sold
out.
The
30
board
Korchnoi
simul
displays
are
taking
place
on
Sunday
13th
and
Monday
14th
December
at
7:00pm.
. |
13th
Oct 2009
-
Side
events in London
The London Chess
Classic will
have several
side events
running
alongside the
main event at
Olympia from
December 8th to
15th. As well as
the GM all play
all with Magnus
Carlsen,
Vladimir Kramnik,
Hikaru Nakamura
plus the top
four English
GMs, there will
be a FIDE rated
open tournament,
a weekend
tournament on
December 12th
and 13th and a
one day Rapid
Chess event on
December 13th.
Six Grandmasters
and 2
International
Masters have
already declared
for the Open
which has an
£8000 prize
fund. To enter
any of the
tournaments or
to buy tickets
for auditorium
and commentary
room visit
www.londonchessclassic.com.
27th Sept 2009 -
Festival and
side events now
announced, enter
here or see
full details
here
A week long
chess festival
including a FIDE
Rated Open with
a guaranteed
£8000 prize fund
will run
alongside the
London Chess
Classic 2009
which takes
place at the
Olympia
Conference
Centre from
December 8-15
2009. The
tournament has
been scheduled
to allow players
to watch the
opening moves of
the Classic
before their
games in the
Open begin. A
minimum of six
Grandmasters
will be invited
to the Open
Classic and
title norm
opportunities
will be
available.
There will also
be a weekend
tournament, a
one day
Rapidplay and
every evening,
Blitz in the
foyer. Anyone
entering the
Open, Rapidplay
or Weekend
Classic will
receive free
entry to the
auditorium to
watch the main
event and they
will also be
able to access
the Grandmaster
Commentary Room.
In addition the
games will be
relayed on
screens
throughout the
Olympia
Conference
Centre.
Details on how
to enter and the
tournament
regulations are
at
www.londonchessclassic.com.
I am delighted
to announce that
there will be no
entry fees to
any Classic
tournament for
children under
the age of 16.
For those who
would rather
just watch,
tickets are now
on sale and
again, admission
for children
under 16 will be
free throughout
the event.
Adult tickets
are just £10 per
day or just £50
for all seven
rounds. Adult
and junior
ticket holders
receive
admission to the
tournament plus
a guaranteed
seat in the
auditorium and
access to the
Commentary Room
where some of
the UK's leading
Grandmasters
will give
insights into
the play and
answer
questions.
Tickets can be
purchased from
the London Chess
Centre on 0207
388 2404 or
online at
www.londonchessclassic.com.
The London Chess
Classic is the
strongest all
play all
tournament to be
held in Britain
for 25 years
with four of the
world's finest
players and
England's
leading quartet
of Grandmasters.
Heading the
field is the
fourteenth world
champion
Vladimir Kramnik
and 18 year old
Norwegian Magnus
Carlsen already
hailed as a
future champion
by Garry
Kasparov who has
recently agreed
to train the
chess genius.
Malcolm Pein
(IM), London
Chess Centre
13th Sept 2009
-
Chess is
Free for
Children at the
London Chess
Classic 2009
The London Chess
Classic 2009
will offer free
admission to
children for the
duration of the
event which runs
from December
8th to 15th.
Adult tickets
are just £10 per
day or just £50
for all seven
rounds. Adult
and junior
ticket holders
receive
admission to the
tournament,
which is being
staged at
London's
prestigious
Olympia
Conference
Centre, plus a
guaranteed seat
in the
auditorium and
access to the
Commentary Room
where some of
the UK's leading
Grandmasters
will give
insights into
the play and
answer
questions.
The London Chess
Classic is the
strongest all
play all
tournament to be
held in Britain
for 25 years
with four of the
world's finest
players and
England's
leading quartet
of Grandmasters.
Heading the
field is the
fourteenth world
champion
Vladimir Kramnik
and 18 year old
Norwegian Magnus
Carlsen already
hailed as a
future champion
by Garry
Kasparov who has
recently agreed
to train the
chess genius.
Tickets are
now on sale
or call the
London Chess
Centre on 0207
388 2404.
