Yerevan hosts 5th Individual Chess Championship

The 5th European Individual Chess Championship is being held on March 2-15, 2014 in Yerevan. The Championship is dedicated to the memory of the World 9th Champion Tigran Petrosian whose 85th birthday is celebrated this year, according to Armenia’s Chess Federation.

The opening ceremony was held on March 2 at the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after A. Spendiarian and was attended by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

The championship is an 11-round Swiss system tournament.

Games will take place from March 3 till 14, starting at 15:00 at “Elite Plaza” Business Centre. The last round will start at 14:00. March 9 is a rest day.

About 260 chess players from 27 countries take part in the championship. Among them there are about 130 grandmasters and more than 200 chess players with international titles.

The greatest delegations are those of Armenia (about 80 participants), Russia (53), Georgia (17), Israel (17), Ukraine (13), Turkey (10).

According to the regulation chess players taken the first 23 places are entitled to participate in the World Cup.

The prize fund is 160,000 Euros. 25 main and 15 special prizes are included. The first prize winner will be awarded 20,000 Euros. The money prizes will be equally shared among the players with the same score.

The chief arbiter is IA Ashot Vardapetyan (Armenia).

The chairman of the Appeals Committee is GM Smbat Lputian (Armenia), members are GM Giorgi Giorgadze (Georgia) and IA Gennadij Nesis (Russia).