General news about the BCC and the chess world
The 13th Malaysian Chess Festival will be taking place 9-18 September 2016
A record 324 players from more than 40 countries are competing in the 16th Bangkok CC Open tournament – Thailand and South-East Asia’s strongest tournament of the year to date – being held in the heart of Bangkok at the Dusit Thani Hotel.
English Grandmaster Nigel Short, the winner of last year’s tournament, has returned to defend his title but he is seeded only second behind Spanish Grandmaster Francisco ‘Paco’ Vallejo Pons. Many other top players from around the world, including a total of 17 Grandmasters are ready to fight these two for first place.
The first round saw no upsets at the top boards where Short, Surya Ganguly and Ildar Khairullin with the white pieces, and Vallejo, Loek van Wely and Jan Gustafsson, with black won their games against lower rated opposition.
Vallejo, however, had to fight for five hours to overcome Kim Yew Chan, the Malaysian youngster holding firm for much of the game and missing a brilliant drawing opportunity on move 54.
Short, his brain hard-wired differently, beat New Zealand’s top female player, astro-physicist Helen Milligan, Short eventually converting a rook endgame.
The upset of the day was achieved by local veteran Poompat Sivara who drew easily with Indian Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte. Belying the huge differential in world rankings, Kunte was in trouble almost from the start and was lucky that Sivara chose to repeat moves and take a draw when victory was close at hand.
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports minister has unveiled a tax deduction program that encourage people to eat out at restaurants during Songkran. Read more in the original article
One month to go and the 16th Bangkok Chess Club Open is heading for a record breaking entry. Truly international, it is almost an A–Z of 46 countries from Afghanistan to Việt Nam. And with 57 varieties of titled players, you have every chance of making your own title norm.
More details and entry form are available here:
This is just to remind you that Early Bird registration for the 16th Bangkok Chess Club Open finishes March 10, 2016.
We have over 220 registered participants from 41 countries, with 56 titled players including previous champions GM Nigel Short, GM Paco Vallejo and GM Jan Gustafsson.
More details and entry form are available here:
US chess prodigy FM Liang Awonder is bringing his unique skills to the 16th Bangkok Chess Club Open in April this year. This remarkable 12-year old has already achieved three International Master norms and his application of the IM title is due for approval, making him the world’s youngest IM.
At eight years old, Liang was the youngest ever to beat an International Master; at nine years old he became the youngest person ever to defeat a Grandmaster with a victory over GM Larry Kaufman at the Washington International – beating Fabiano Caruana’s record by over 10 months.
~ Photo by Austin Fuller ~
Can you beat this talented 12-year old? Join us at the 16th BCC Open and find out. Registrations for the tournament have passed 115 from 34 different countries, including 18 Grandmasters. More details and entry form are available here: