Canadian Open is underway

The Canadian Open Chess Championship is the country's premier event for chessplayers to meet and compete. 280 players including 22 Grandmasters are now squaring off in Ottawa, Canada's capital, July 7 to 15, 2007.

Please visit the Canadian Open Blog for the latest news and updates

Official Results of 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship

The official results of the Canadian Youth Chess Championship held at July 3-6 at the Chateau Laurier.

Girls Under 8

1. Kelly Wang
2. Aleksandra Milicevic
3. Cendrina Bilodeau-Savaria

Boys Under 8

1. Janak Awatramani
2. Yinshi Li
3. John Doknjas

Girls Under 10

1. Rebecca Giblon
2. Joanne Foote
3. Lin Fei Kang

Boys Under 10

1. Christopher Knox
2. Zhaoyang Luo
3. Richard Wang

Girls Under 12

1. Myriam Roy
2. Alexandra Botez
3. Erika Ruiter

Boys Under 12

1. Nikita Kraiouchkine
2. Joey Qin
3. Nikita Gusev
   

Girls Under 14

1. Liza (Yelizaveta) Orlova
2. Dalia Kagramanov
3. Catherine Frenette

Boys Under 14

1. Arthur Calugar
2. Lloyd Mai
3. Louie Jiang

Girls Under 16

1. Sonja Xiong
2. Jasmine Du
3. Chelsea Ruiter
   

Boys Under 16

1. Haonan Zhou
2. Eric Hansen
3. Aman Hambleton
   

Girls Under 18

1. Gabrielle Nadeau
2. Amelia Mandamin

Boys Under 18

1. Ling-Feng Ye
2. Bindi Cheng
3. Derek Jia

2007 Canadian Open Round 1 will be commencing at 2:00pm EDT.

Posting and Results will be post at http://canchess.blogspot.com

CYCC Playoff and Final Round Results

At 5:53 pm: all playoff rounds concluded.

u8B Janak 1st, Yinshi 2nd
u8G Cendrina 3rd
u10G Rebecca 1st, Joanne 2nd, Lin Fei 3rd
u10B Richard 3rd
u12B Nikita Gusev 3rd.
u12G Myriam 1st, Alexandra 2nd
u14G Dalia 2nd, Catherine Frenette 3rd
u14B Lloyd 2nd, Louie 3rd u16B Eric 2nd, Aman 3rd
u16G Sonja wins, Jasmine places second, Chelsea third.
u18B no playoffs
u18G no playoffs

Full results can be found at:
http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/results

CYCC Top Standings after Round 6

Canadian Youth Chess Championship Top Standings after Round 6:

Boys Under 8 (tied)

• Janak Awatramani
• Yinshi Li

Girls Under 8

• Maxin, Janelle

Boys Under 10

• Christopher Knox
  

Girls Under 10 (tied)

• Rebecca Giblon
• Joanne Foote

Boys Under 12

• Nikita Kraiouchkine

Girls Under 12 (tied)

• Roy, Myriam
• Botez, Alexandra

Boys Under 14

• Lloyd Mai

Girls Under 14

• Liza (Yelizaveta) Orlova

Boys Under 16

• Haonan Zhou

Girls Under 16 (tied)

• Jasmine Du
• Sonja Xiong

Boys Under 18

• Ling-Feng Ye

Girls Under 18
Gabrielle Nadeau declared section winner

Round 7 begins at 9:30am EDT tomorrow. Playoffs are at 2:30pm

Full standings can be found at: http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/results

Live coverage of selected games are available at http://www.monroi.com/

CYCC Top Standings after Round 4

Canadian Youth Chess Championship Top Standings after Round 4:

Boys Under 8 (tied)

• Janak Awatramani
• Yinshi Li

Girls Under 8

• Maxin, Janelle

Boys Under 10 (tied)

• Christopher Knox
• Zhaoyang Luo

Girls Under 10

• Rebecca Giblon

Boys Under 12

• Nikita Kraiouchkine

Girls Under 12 (tied)

• Roy, Myriam
• Botez, Alexandra

Boys Under 14

• Lloyd Mai

Girls Under 14

• Liza (Yelizaveta) Orlova

Boys Under 16

• Haonan Zhou

Girls Under 16

• Jasmine Du

Boys Under 18

• Bindi Cheng

Girls Under 18

• Gabrielle Nadeau declared section winner

Round 5 begins at 9:30am EDT today.

Full standings can be found at: http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/results

Live coverage of selected games are available at http://www.monroi.com/

Susan Polgar thrills the kids at the CYCC Opening Ceremonies

Susan Polgar was the centre of excitement at today’s opening ceremonies of the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship. More than 180 kids and their parents crowded into the Fairmont Chateau Ballroom to witness this unprecedented event in Canadian chess history.

GM Polgar, with her two sons, Tom and Leeam, and her business manager, Paul Truong, marveled at the tournament venue.

“An incredible playing hall” remarked GM Polgar, “and a great learning experience, giving young players wonderful opportunities to visit new places and make new friends.”

Mainstream media in Ottawa proved to be extremely interested in GM Polgar and the CYCC. TV camera crews were on hand at the opening ceremonies. In between signing autographs for the kids, Polgar managed to squeeze in interviews with both major TV news networks. Later in the day, GM Polgar was also interviewed by the Ottawa Citizen and CBC Radio.

Gordon Ritchie, Chair of the Organizing Committee, kicked off the opening ceremonies. Speeches were given by Mr. Ritchie, Bill Allen of TELUS, the major sponsor of the CYCC, and Bill Doubleday, President of the Chess Federation of Canada.

GM Polgar gave a speech and to formally conclude the opening ceremonies, performed the ceremonial first move.

Shortly thereafter, Round 1 of the tournament began. There was a discernible buzz in the tournament hall as several players were equipped with Monroi devices to record their moves and broadcast their games in real time in on the Internet. Parents equipped with laptops were stationed in the hotel hallways, following the action.

The first day of the 2007 CYCC was a great day for chess. GM Polgar made a great impression on the kids. But equally so, Ottawa, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, and the CYCC made a great impression on GM Polgar.

You can read Susan’s impressions of Ottawa on her blog at: http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/ . If you wish to follow the CYCC games online, please visit: http://monroi.com/wdc . Tournament results are posted as they are available at: http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/results

2007 CYCC: GM Susan Polgar meets Canada's best young chessplayers

Four-time World Women's Chess Champion Susan Polgar received a warm welcome Monday afternoon from the players of the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship.

GM Polgar, the CYCC's honorary chairperson and a leading advocate of youth chess, arrived in Canada after making the long drive from New York to Ottawa. She had flown to New York hours earlier from Budapest.

Still, GM Polgar was in good spirits, traveling with her two sons, Tom and Leeam, and her business manager Paul Truong. From the Chateau Laurier, they strolled along the Rideau Canal to Ottawa City Hall for the CYCC's opening reception. Upon her arrival, GM Polgar mingled with the eager throng of players and their parents.

Soon after, the formal ceremonies began. Gordon Ritchie, Chair of the 2007 CYCC Organizing Committee (shown above with GM Polgar, her manager and her sons), introduced Dave Gibbons of the Ottawa Mayor's Office, who welcomed GM Polgar and the CYCC's participants on behalf of Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien. GM Polgar gave a brief speech wishing success to the CYCC participants. After, she was interviewed by several Ottawa television news reporters.

GM Polgar will have a busy day Tuesday, which is Day One of CYCC competition. She will spend one-on-one time with CYCC players when their games are finished, and lecture to players over the lunch hour, and speak to parents when the second round of CYCC play takes place. Beginning in the early evening, GM Polgar will give a simultaneous exhibition, taking on dozens of CYCC players at once.

Her presence at the event is made possible thanks to the generous support of TELUS Corp., the major sponsor of the 2007 CYCC.

The 2007 CYCC qualifies Canada's best young chess players for the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship, to be held in Antalya, Turkey this fall. More than 180 Canadian boys and girls -- a record number -- are competing in the 2007 CYCC from July 3 to 6 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

Additional photos of the CYCC opening reception can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/canopenchess/CYCC

2007 Canadian Open: new Canadian star Anton Kovalyov confirmed

Fifteen-year-old Anton Kovalyov, a 2483-rated FIDE master, is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

For players of his age, he is ranked second in the world behind the Italian prodigy and IM Fabiano Caruana.

FM Kovalyov, who was born in Ukraine and has lived in Argentina for the last seven years, is settling in Canada just days before the 2007 Canadian Open. He and his family will live in Montreal, and the 2007 Canadian Open will be Anton's first tournament on Canadian soil.

Anton, who has studied with GMs Oscar Panno and Pablo Ricardi, has one IM norm and one GM norm. Several weeks ago, he won the Avellaneda Open, ahead of such seasoned, higher-rated players as GM Rubén Felgaer and GM Andrés Rodriguez.

Anton, who began playing chess in 2000, counts super-GM Vassily Ivanchuk among his favourite players.

He joins nearly 240 players of all strengths and more than a dozen nationalities at the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship, to be staged July 7-15 at the Ottawa Marriott.

For more information and to register online, please visit www.canchess.ca

2007 CYCC: July 2 registration/Ottawa Mayor's reception

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien is keen to extend his warm welcome to participants of the 2007 Canadian Chess Championship.

The Mayor plans to make an appearance during the CYCC's July 2 check-in/registration. That will take place at Ottawa City Hall, roughly a 10-minute walk from the CYCC venue, the Chateau Laurier. We hope that out-of-town players who arrive in time will be able to drop in at the casual, late afternoon/early evening reception.

After 4 p.m., players will be able to pick up their registration packages (including their free t-shirts) in Ottawa City Hall's rotunda. The City is providing a reception with finger foods and soft drinks after from approximately 6 p.m. We also hope that the travel plans of GM Susan Polgar, the CYCC's honorary chair, will allow her to attend the reception and spend some mingling time with players and their parents.

(Players unable to pick up their registration materials on July 2 will be able to register at the tournament venue early on July 3, before the CYCC's opening ceremony at 9 a.m.)

With less than a week until play begins, the CYCC, sponsored proudly by TELUS, has more than 150 registered players from across Canada. They are vying to win the right to represent Canada at the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship in Turkey in November.

For more information and to register online, please visit www.canchess.ca.

2007 CYCC and Canadian Open confirm free World Chess Live memberships for their players

The Organizing Committee of the 2007 CYCC and 2007 Canadian Open is pleased to announce that the Internet Chess Club (ICC) has agreed to offer all registrants at the Canadian Youth and Canadian Open Chess Championships free membership in World Chess Live through the end of 2007.

At registration, participants in this offer will be required to provide their names and e-mail addresses for transmission to World Chess Live, which will then send instructions with regard to opening new accounts or applying this offer to existing accounts.

This offer replaces the original offer of an internet subscription by the World Chess Network (WCN) which is no longer in existence.

2007 Canadian Open poster unveiled

Shame I can't get it to show bigger in the blog, but you get the idea. This is also by Sam at Intent Design, who also did our canchess.ca website. Suitable for framing, don't you think?

2007 CYCC poster unveiled

This great poster is the excellent work of our graphic designer, Sam of Intent Design. You just can't go wrong with this guy.

Super-GM Bu Xiangzhi confirmed for the Canadian Open

Super-grandmaster Bu Xiangzhi of China is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

GM Bu, just 21, has been the top-ranked chess player in China. With a FIDE rating of 2656, he is currently No. 2 in his country, a point behind GM Zhang Pengxiang.

In the 2006 Chess Olympiad, where the Chinese team finished in second place, GM Bu played first board. He won four games and drew eight, including his games against top GMs Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian.

When GM Bu became a Grandmaster in 1999 at the age of 13 years, 10 months, 13 days, he was the youngest person to hold the title. He gave up status of the world's youngest Grandmaster to Sergey Karjakin in July 2002.

Notable players that GM Bu has defeated include GMs Vassily Ivanchuk, Gata Kamsky and Sergey Karjakin.

The 2007 Canadian Chess Championship takes place July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information and to register online, visit http://canchess.ca.

2007 Canadian Open: two 2500+ GMs confirmed

GM Sipke Ernst of the Netherlands (FIDE 2554) is registered to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship, as is GM Sandipan Chanda (FIDE 2552) of India.

GM Ernst, left, is coming to Ottawa from the Netherlands with three Dutch FIDE-rated masters.

GM Chanda, above right, is part of a three-person contingent from India, along with GM Abhijit Kunte, co-winner of the 2006 Canadian Open in Kitchener, and IM Chandrashekhar Gokhale (FIDE 2354). IM Gokhale played in the 2004 and 2006 Canadian Opens.

The list of registrants for the 2007 Canadian Open now includes nearly 230 players, of which more than 20 are grandmasters from more than a dozen countries. Former World Chess Championship challenger Nigel Short of Great Britain tops the field.

The 2007 Canadian Open, a 10-round, one-section event with a prize fund of $26,500, runs from July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. It promises to be one of the strongest chess events in Canada's history, with GM lectures, simuls, a blitz tournament and a bughouse tournament among its side events.

For more information or to register online, please visit http://canchess.ca/.

2007 Canadian Open: blitz and bughouse tournaments

The key details for the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship blitz and bughouse tournaments have been finalized.

Most notably, the event's blitz tournament, to be held on the evening of July 7, will feature a guaranteed first prize of $500. The blitz competition's entry fees will be $10 for Open players and $20 for others.

The bughouse tournament will be held the evening of July 14, with the entry fee of $20 per two-person team.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. This blog is filled with information on the event's elite players, prize-fund breakdown, and side events. To register online or read more tournament details, please visit www.canchess.ca.

Polish GM Kamil Miton to play in 2007 Canadian Open

Grandmaster Kamil Miton is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

GM Miton, Poland's No. 2 player whose current FIDE rating is 2653, is playing in the 2007 Canadian Open thanks to the kind support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa and LOT Polish Airlines.

Just 23, GM Miton has numerous tournament victories and achievements to his credit, including

• Polish Junior Champion under 12 (Zagań 1996) - scoring 11/11
• World Junior Champion under 12 (Menorca 1996)
• Vice World Junior Champion under 20 (Yerevan 2000)
• Winner of the World Open (Philadelphia 2002)
• First place in International Open Chess Tournament (Las Vegas 2004)
• Winner of the World Open (Philadelphia 2005)

GM Miton is the 16th Grandmaster to confirm his participation in the 2007 Canadian Open, to be held at the Ottawa Marriott from July 7 to 15. British GM Nigel Short tops the field, followed by GM Vadim Milov of Switzerland, GM Sergey Tiviakov of the Netherlands and GM Miton of Poland. The one-section field so far includes 220 players representing all playing strengths and more than a dozen chess federations. They are competing for place, class and special prizes from a prize fund of $26,500.

For more information on the event, and the register online, visit www.canchess.ca.

2007 Canadian Open: Russian Grandmasters register

Four Russian Grandmasters and a Moscow-based International Master have signed up for the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

The contingent includes GM Andrey Rychagov (2571 FIDE) GM Anton Shomoev (2551 FIDE) GM Bator Sabuev (2485 FIDE) and GM Arkady Vul (2324 FIDE). IM Alexander Reprintsev (2410) rounds out this group.

The 2007 Canadian, to be held July 7 t0 15 at the Ottawa Marriott, so far has 20 Grandmasters confirmed to participate, along with 200 other players of many nationalities and playing strengths. They compete in one section for a place, class and special prizes drawn from a prize fund of more than $26,500.

For more information and to register online, visit www.canchess.ca.

2007 CYCC: Draw for free museum passes

Several of Ottawa's great tourist attractions are kindly supporting the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship, donating free individual and family passes that will be given to participants.

The attractions include:

• The National Gallery of Canada


• The Canadian Museum of Civilization


• The Canadian War Museum


• The Canadian Museum of Nature

Thanks to these institutions for their generosity! The attractions are either within walking distance or a short drive away from the tournament venue, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

All told, the organizers have several dozen passes to give away, and will do so at the event through several draws, with pools determined by the dates when players registered. Players who register before June 15 will have better chances of winning passes than those who register after June 15.

The 2007 CYCC will be held July 3 to 6 in Ottawa to determine boy and girl national champions in their age groups that will represent Canada this fall at the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship in Turkey. For more information on the 2007 CYCC and to register online, please visit http://canchess.ca.

2007 Canadian Open: darker blue t-shirt

Slightly different shade of blue... the slightly lighter, brighter blue option can be seen here.

I'm assured, by the way, that the any blurriness in general and in particular of the date/placelines will not be an issue when the designer exports the image in a higher-res format...

IM Duong of Montreal to play in 2007 Canadian Open

International Master Duong Thanh Nha of Montreal has confirmed his participation in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

A fixture for nearly 20 years on the Quebec chess scene, IM Duong was the 1988 Quebec Junior Champion ahead of Alexandre Lesiege. IM Duong finished second at the 1999 Canadian Closed Zonal, behind GM Lesiege.

Here is a game that IM Duong played against an experienced GM, of which IM Duong is justifiably proud:

Duong T.N - Murrey Jacob

COQ 1997 round 7

1.b3 f5 2.Bb2 Nf6 3. Nf3 e6 4.g3 Be7 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 Nbd7 8. Nbd2 Qe8 9. c4 a5 10. a3 c6 11. Qc2 Qg6 12. Rae1 d5 13. cd cd 14.Rec1 Bd6 15. Ne5 Qh6 16. Ndf3 f4 17. gf Qf4 18.Qd2 Qf5 19. Qg5 Nb6 20. Qh4 Ne4 21. Bh3 Qf6 22. Qg4 Re8 23. a4 Bd7 24. Rc2 h6 25. Nd2 Ng5 26. Bg2 Rac8 27. Rfc1 Rc2 28.Rc2 Rf8 29.Qg3 Bb4 30. Bc1 Nf7 31.Ndf3 Nd6 32. Ng4 Qe7 33.Nh6 Kh7 34.Ng4 Ne4 35. Qh3 Kg8 36. Nfe5 Be8 37. f3 Nd6 38. Qg3 Nd7 39.e4 de 40.fe Qd8 41.Nh6 Kh7 42. Qh3 gh 43. Qh6 Kg8 44. Bh3 Ne5 45.Be6 + 1-0

IM Duong is the sixth Canadian International Master to register for the Canadian Open, joining IMs Tomas Krnan, Artem Samsonkin, Leonid Gerzhoy, Tom O'Donnell and Lawrence Day.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information and to register online, go to www.canchess.ca.

2007 Canadian Open: more t-shirt options

Here are more options for event t-shirts. These are courtesy of the 2007 Canadian Open's great friend, Sam of Intent Design. See anything you like? (I've asked Sam for some designs on navy backgrounds, which I think would look good.) Use the "comment" feature below to make your preference known.

2007 Canadian Open: special prizes for top Canadians

The organizers of the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship are pleased to increase the event's prize fund so that two special prizes will be awarded to the event's top two Canadian finishers.

The first top Canadian prize will be $1,000. The second top Canadian prize will be $500. These prizes will be open to all Canadian citizens and landed immigrants who are members of the Chess Federation of Canada.

These prizes will be given over and above other prizes arising from the $25,000 prize fund, which is projected on 200 paid entrants. The event, to be held July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott, is very close to reaching this milestone. The list of registered players can be found here.

More information on the prize-fund breakdown can be found here.

To register for the 2007 Canadian Open or find out more about the event, please visit www.canchess.ca.

2007 CYCC: t-shirt options

Thanks to Sam at Intent Design, who created not only the CYCC logo and t-shirt tests above, but also the website www.canchess.ca, which is getting rave reviews of its own.

By the way, the plan is to give the t-shirts away for free to CYCC players.

We're not sure what background colour to go with. Which do you prefer? Use the "comment" feature below to let us know.

2007 Canadian Open logo, t-shirt options

Thanks to Dwight MacPherson of the Ottawa Citizen for his great work on our event's logo. We're not sure which one will make it onto the t-shirt ... or rather, what colour the t-shirt will be and whether the red lettering (which makes the t-shirt more expensive) is a must. Any suggestions? Click on "comments" below.

GM Tu of Vietnam to play in 2007 Canadian Open

GM Tu Hoang Thong, a four-time Champion of Vietnam, is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

GM Tu of Saigon, is rated 2472 FIDE. He is just 35, but since 1990 he has played nine times on Vietnam's national team at the Chess Olympiads. He has also competed in the Asian Team Championships, playing on the Vietnamese team that finished second in 2005 behind India.

GM Tu was the South East Asia Champion in 2003 and Australian Masters Champion in 1997. He is a childhood friend of Montreal IM Duong Thanh Nha.

GM Tu is one of 15 Grandmasters confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open, which has a projected prize fund of $25,000 based on 200 paid entries. So far, More than 166 players of all levels are registered.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information, and to register or reserve accommodation, visit: www.canchess.ca

Toronto's IM Samsonkin to play in 2007 Canadian Open

Seventeen-year-old IM Artem Samsonkin of Toronto is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

IM Samsonkin, rated 2373 FIDE and formerly of Belarus, recently settled in Toronto. Soon after, he won the Toronto Active Championship ahead of IMs Michael Schliefer and Leonid Gerzhoy. IM Samsonkin is a product of the Soviet school of coaching and has been a coach himself for the past two years.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. Almost 160 players are registered so far, including 15 Grandmasters. GMs Nigel Short, Vadim Milov and Sergey Tiviakov lead the pack. The event's prize fund is projected at $25,000 based on 200 paid entries.

The entry fee is $125 until May 31. After, until July 6, the fee is $150. On site, the fee will be $175.

Until June 6, the Ottawa Marriott offers a great discount to Canadian Open players: $89/night for a single or double, $99 for a triple and $109 for a quad room.

_________________

GM Mikhalevski to play in 2007 Canadian Open

GM Victor Mikhalevski of Israel has confirmed his participation in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

No stranger to Canada's chess community, GM Mikhalevski, who is rated 2590 FIDE, has played in Canadian tournaments every summer for the last four years. He won the Quebec Open in 2003. GM Mikhalevski "is both a very exciting chess player and a great person," says Canadian GM Mark Bluvshtein.

GM Mikhalevski's participation in the 2007 Canadian Open is made possible by the kind assistance of the Embassy of Israel in Ottawa.

GM Mikhalevski will celebrate his 35th birthday during the 2007 Canadian Open. He is renowned for his theoretical knowledge of the Grunfeld Defence and he also oversees the Kings Indian Defence coverage at the opening theory website www.chesspublishing.com.

GM Mikhalevski was born in Gomel, in the former Belorussia, USSR, which is now the Republic of Belarus, in 1972 and started to play chess at the age of 6.

Coached during his formative years by his brother, IM Alexander Mikhalevski, he won not less than five Belarus championships for his age category and thus participated in five Junior USSR Championships.

In 1991 the Mikhalevski family moved to Israel. Two months later I shared 2-3rd place in the Israeli Open Championship. Later the same year and also in 1992 he won two Junior Israeli Championships. In the summer of 1991 participated in the Junior World Championship. IM from 1993, GM from 1996.

Here are some of GM Mikhalevski's best results:

• 1996 - Co-winner of Israel Championship with GMs Psakhis and Yudasin
• 1997 - 1st place in the International Festival in Rishon-Lezion, Israel (ahead of GMs Smirin, Psakhis, Goldin and many others)
• 1998 - Vice-Champion of Israel ( lost in the Finals on third tie-break to GM Liss winning on the way against GMs Avrukh, Psakhis and Gruenfeld )
• 2002 - Qualified for the last 16 in 6th Corsica Masters in Bastia, France (rapid) making a draw with Anand
• 2003- 1st place in the Quebec Open
• 2003- 1st place in the Second International tournament in San Salvador, El Salvador 7.5 out of 9
• 1991-2002 many times Israel Team Champion and Israel Cup Champion in the team of Beer-Sheva Chess Club

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information, visit: www.canchess.ca

2007 Canadian Open: $25,000 prize fund

The organizers of the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship are pleased to announce that the event's projected prize fund has been increased from $20,000 to $25,000 based on 200 paid entries.

The increase has been made possible because of the generous corporate sponsorship and donations received by the event to date. Chief among them is the support from gold sponsors Hill & Knowlton Canada and Magmic Games.

The prize fund's proposed breakdown is as follows:

Projected $25,000 prize fund based on 200 paid entries

Open: 5000, 3000, 2000, 1200, 700, 600, 500, 400

Class Prizes:

U2400: 1200, 650, 450

U2200: 1100, 600, 400

U2000: 1000, 550, 350

U1800: 850, 450, 300

U1600: 700, 350, 250

UNR: 250, 150

Special Prizes

Top Junior (18 or under) : 400, 200

Top Woman: 400, 200

Top Veteran (60 + ) : 400, 200

Biggest upset (largest difference by rating): 200

Age prizes – age determined as of July 7, 2007.

Plus: $1,000 to be awarded to players achieving the highest cumulative scores in the Canadian Open and the top section of the Quebec Open combined. Prize split TBD.

In the works are a blitz tournament with an augmented prize fund and a bughouse tournament.

The 2007 Canadian Open is to be staged from July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. So far, more than 140 players are registered, or which roughly 120 are paid entrants.

Some important deadlines:

• After May 31st, the entry fee of $125 CAD increases to $150 CAD. It is $175 CAD at the venue.
  
• The rates at the Marriott ($89 CAD /night single /double, add $10 CAD for triple and $20 CAD for quad) are available only until June 6th, after which they increase quite steeply.

Basic event information: www.canchess.ca

MonRoi's classy site: www.monroi.com/tournamentgate/CanOpen07/index.html

Online registration for the Canadian Open: http://canchess.myshopify.com/

Online reservations for the Ottawa Marriott: http://cwp.marriott.com/yowmc/chess/

Players registered in the Canadian Open: http://cocycc.pbwiki.com/CORegisteredPlayers

About our gold sponsors:

Hill & Knowlton Canada is Canada's industry leader in public relations,
public affairs and strategic communications. (www.hillandknowlton.ca)


Magmic Games, based in Ottawa, is a leading developer and publisher of
mobile entertainment, offering a wide variety of action, sports, casino,
puzzle, and multiplayer games for BlackBerry, J2ME, Brew, and Sidekick
handsets. (www.magmic.com)

Legendary GM Borislav Ivkov to play in Canadian Open

The renowned Serbian GM Borislav Ivkov is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

GM Ivkov, 73, will bring a profound sense of chess history to the event, to be staged July 7 to 15 in Ottawa at the Ottawa Marriott.

Gm Borislav Ivkov, left, vs. GM Victor Korchnoi at the 2006 European Senior Chess Championship. Gm Korchnoi, won the battle, but GM Ivkov won the tournament.

GM Ivkov won the first World Junior Championship in 1951 in Birmingham. He played chess at the highest level during the 1950s and 1960s, and played GM Bent Larsen in a Candidate’s quarter final in 1965. GM Ivkov played Bobby Fischer at least half a dozen times between 1959 and 1970.

With a FIDE rating of 2430, GM Ivkov remains a fierce competitor today. Last year, more than 50 years after his world junior championship title, GM Ivkov won the European Senior Chess Championship European Senior Individual Championship 2006 with an outstanding 8/9 score, ahead of higher-rated rivals that included GMs Korchnoi, Cebalo and Jansa. GM Ivkov lost to GM Korchnoi in time trouble, but won all his other games.

Borislav Ivkov - Vlastimil Jansa, 2006 European Senior Chess Championship
1. Nf3 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Bg4 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. d5 Ne5 7. Be2 Bxf3 8. Bxf3 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 Nf6 10. O-O O-O 11. Rb1 a6 12. Bd2 c6 13. Rfe1 Nd7 14. Qe2 Qc7 15. Rec1 Rfc8 16. b3 Qd8 17. a4 Qf8 18. a5 Bd4 19. Na4 Qg7 20. b4 Qe5 21. Qf3 Qf6 22. Be3 Qxf3 23. gxf3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Rab8 25. c5 Ne5 26. Kg2 Rc7 27. Rc3 Rd8 28. Nb6 Kf8 29. Rbc1 f5 30. cxd6 exd6 31. f4 Ng4 32. h3 Nf6 33. exf5 gxf5 34. dxc6 Ne4 35. R3c2 Rg7+ 36. Kh2 bxc6 37. Rg2 Rxg2+ 38. Kxg2 Ke7 39. Rxc6 Rg8+ 40. Kf1 Rg3 41. b5 Rf3+ 42. Kg1 Rg3+ 43. Kh2 Ke6 44. bxa6 Rg7 45. Nc8 1-0

GM Ivkov is the 12th Grandmaster to confirm his participation in the 2007 Canadian Open. Topping the field are super-Grandmasters Nigel Short, Vadim Milov and Sergey Tiviakov.

For more information on the 2007 Canadian Open, which boasts a projected prize fund of $25,000 based on 200 entries, visit: www.canchess.ca. The site includes links to register online and reserve accommodation at the Ottawa Marriott, where single/double rooms are discounted to $89/night (reservations must be made before June 6th).

GMs Bluvshtein and Yermolinsky, IM Day and others featured in Canadian Open side events

The organizers of the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship are pleased to announce some of the tournament's side events:

GM Mark Bluvshtein will kick off the 2007 Canadian Open with a 25-board simul on the evening of July 6th. The event is presented by Bell Canada.

IM Lawrence Day will launch his book on the late Canadian IM Bryon Nickoloff. IM Day will give a short talk, take questions and sign copies of the book.

GM Alex Yermolinsky, former U.S. champion and the renowned author of The Road to Chess Improvement and Chess Explained: The Classical Sicilian, will lecture on The Classical Sicilian. He will also sign copies of his books.

GM Suat Atalik of Turkey, rated 2584 FIDE, and his wife WGM Ekaterina Atalik, rated 2374 FIDE, will give a tandem simul.

GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova, rated 2587 FIDE, will give a simul.

The dates and entry fees for the events are still to be determined.

More side events are in the works. A blitz tournament is planned. So too is a bughouse (double chess) tourney.

Further details will be announced soon, as will a breakdown of the Canadian Open prize fund.

The entry fee for the event is $125 until the end of May. After, it will be $150 till July 6, and $175 at the playing site.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged from July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information and to register online or reserve accommodation, visit: www.canchess.ca.

Two more GMs confirmed for 2007 Canadian Open

Two more Grandmasters -- GM Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova and GM Tomas Likavsky of Slovakia -- are confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

GM Iordachescu is rated 2587 FIDE. He has been over 2600, and is a true chess globetrotter who in recent years has played in the Bahamas, as well as in Dubai, England, Holland, Italy, Libya, Romania and Spain.

GM Likavsky, rated 2485 FIDE, played last year in the Tournoi International de Montréal Empresa 2006. His participation in the Canadian Open this year is due to the kind support of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovakia in Ottawa.

These elite players join a field of more than 140 players so far. The group includes 11 Grandmasters, topped by former World Championship contender Nigel Short.

The 2007 Canadian Open will be staged from July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information and to register online or reserve accommodation, visit: www.canchess.ca.

The entry fee for the event is $125 until the end of May. After, it will be $150 till July 6, and $175 at the playing site.

Two Canadian IMs confirmed for Canadian Open

International Masters Leonid Gerzhoy and Tom O'Donnell have confirmed their participation in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

IM Gerzhoy, who has a FIDE rating of 2398, is Canada's reigning Junior Chess Champion and the Chess Champion of Toronto. He will be representing Canada in the World Junior Chess Championship later this year in Yerevan, Armenia.

IM O'Donnell, of Ottawa, has played on four Canadian Chess Olympiad teams: Thessalonika, Greece (1988); Novi Sad, Yugoslavia (1990); Manila, Philippines (1992); and Moscow, Russia (1994). He has won the championships of British Columbia (1988), Ontario (1988) and Quebec (1992). He gained his IM title based on a series of tournaments he played in Hungary in 1990-91.

The 2007 Canadian Open takes place in Ottawa at the Ottawa Marriott from July 7-15. For more information and to register online or reserve accommodation, visit: http://canchess.ca.

The entry fee for the 2007 Canadian Open is $125 until the end of May. After, till July 6, it is $150. At the playing venue, it will be $175.

Status Report on the Canadian Youth Chess Championships 2007

From the Organizing Committee, a status report on the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship:

Participants in this year's Canadian Youth Chess Championships are in for a treat. The event will be held in the storied Fairmont Chateau Laurier in the heart of downtown Ottawa following the Canada Day celebrations. After registering on the holiday Monday at Ottawa's City Hall (just steps away from the Chateau Laurier), competitors will be welcomed with hospitality by Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien and introduced to the CYCC's Honorary Chair, GM Susan Polgar, four-time women's world champion and renowned advocate for chess for kids.

The next morning, Polgar will make the ceremonial first move as the tournament begins and some 200 of the best young players in the country compete for the right to proclaim themselves Canada’s best for their age groups. Games will be broadcast in the skittles room, across Canada and around the world over the Internet using the MonRoi system. After each round, the young players may analyze their games with the tournament's Master-in-Residence, Thomas Roussel-Roozmon, himself a former Canadian youth champion. All registrants will also receive a one-year subscription to the World Chess Network online chess club.

On Friday afternoon, the winners will be determined. That evening, they and their parents will be transported to the residence of Turkey's Ambassador to Canada to be briefed on what awaits the qualified players this November in Antalya and be presented by the Chess Federation of Canada with their "Passports to Turkey." Super-GM Nigel Short, a former prodigy, will share his experiences with these leaders of a new generation of chessplayers.

In all, it should be a week to remember for these remarkable young Canadians and their supportive parents. The event has been organized by a team of unpaid volunteers and made possible by the generous support of corporate sponsors including a number of chartered banks and leading law firms, private donors and, above all, TELUS Inc. as the major sponsor for the championships.

The event will be covered in the electronic and print media, including The Ottawa Citizen, media sponsor for the event, and broadcast over the Internet.

We would also like to remind prospective CYCC registrants that the registration fee is $150 until June 29, 2007 (after which a $50 late fee will apply). However to encourage early bird registrations, we will be holding a draw for those registering on or before May 31 and another draw on June 15, 2007. The draw winners will receive two museum admission vouchers for the Museum of Civilization, Canadian War Museum and Museum of Nature.

We expect that the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship will be a thrill of a lifetime for all of the kids participating in this event. We look forward to seeing you in Ottawa this July.

More information about the Canadian Youth Chess Championship can be found at http://canchess.ca/.

To learn more about TELUS, please visit http://www.telus.com/

Visit Susan Polgar online at http://www.susanpolgar.com/ and http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

IM Thomas Roussel-Roozmon coming to CYCC and Canadian Open

Laval, Quebec International Master Thomas Roussel-Roozmon, one of Canada's great young chess hopes, will be the IM-in-residence at the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championships.

Thomas is 19 and has a FIDE rating of 2447. He represented Canada at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy. Just six years earlier, he won the Boys Under-12 section of the CYCC, and represented Canada at the WYCC in Oropesa Del Mar, Spain, where he finished 9th.

Thomas earned his IM title just a few days before his 16th birthday.

As the IM-in-residence at the CYCC, Thomas, who is fluently bilingual, will be available to share his extensive chess knowledge with and analyse the games of all players.

Thomas says he is looking forward to giving back to the CYCC. He might even enjoy being the event's in-house teacher more than he enjoyed playing. "I'll be more relaxed," he says. "It will be a lot of fun."

This year's CYCC will be staged from July 3 to 6 in Ottawa at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier.

Thomas will also be playing in the Canadian Open Chess Championship, which runs from July 7 to 15 in Ottawa at the Ottawa Marriott. He will certainly be one of the leading Canadians to root for, and he is hoping to achieve a grandmaster norm in the strong field which currently includes eight grandmasters.

"I’ve been to Ottawa a few times in the past and I always had a good time there," says Thomas. "The presence of world-class players like Short, Milov and Tiviakov will make this event very interesting, so I’m glad that I’m going to play such a strong tournament in a very nice city."

At the 2005 Canadian Open in Edmonton, Thomas finished 11th.

Outside of chess, Thomas studies mathematics and economics at the University of Montreal.

For more information on the CYCC and Canadian Open, please visit: http://www.canchess.ca/

Photo Credit: http://www.monroi.com/

Hill & Knowlton Canada on board as Gold Sponsor for the 2007 Canadian Open

The 2007 CO CYCC Organizing Committee is pleased to announce Hill & Knowlton Canada as a GOLD Corporate Sponsor for the 2007 Canadian Open ChessChampionship. Hill & Knowlton is Canada 's industry leader in public relations, public affairs and strategic communications.

Wendy Cumming, Senior Vice President said that Hill & Knowlton is especially pleased to be involved the 2007 Canadian Open.

"Chess represents commitment of the individual and excellence in strategicthinking. These elements represent what webelieve as a company and what we deliver to our clients. The game of chess and our sponsorship of the 2007 Canadian Open is a natural extension of what we excel at as an organization."

The Canadian Open Chess Championship is Canada 's premier annual chessevent and attracts more than 200 players from beginners to visitingworld-class super grandmasters. The 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship runs from July 7 to 15 in Ottawa , Canada . The Championship is run by an organizing committee of volunteers under the auspices of the ChessFederation of Canada , a charitable organization with the mandate to promote and encourage the knowledge, study and play of the game of chess. TheCanadian Open website is http://canchess.ca

About Hill & Knowlton Canada

Hill & Knowlton Canada (www.hillandknowlton.ca ) is Canada 's leading public affairs and public relations firm specializing in government relations and corporate, crisis, consumer marketing, technology, natural resources,healthcare communications and financial and investor relations. Hill &Knowlton Canada is a recipient of Level III Certification under the National Quality Institute's Progressive Excellence Program, and a Top 100 Employerfor 2006. Its parent company, Hill & Knowlton, Inc, is a world leader inpublic relations and public affairs, with 71 offices in 40 countries, and is a member of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) (www.wpp.com ), one of the world's largest communications services groups.

GM David Howell, 16, confirmed for the 2007 Canadian Open

David Howell, who is 16 and Britain's youngest-ever Grandmaster, is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

David, rated 2511, will be playing in Ottawa in July thanks to the kind assistance of the British High Commission.

"This will be my first visit to Canada," says David. "My relatives in Vancouver and Edmonton have told me that it is a very beautiful country. So far I have played chess in 24 countries and I am looking forward to meeting the players and organizers of the 2007 Canadian Open."

Taught the moves of chess at the age of five by his father after they had bought a chess set for £1.00, David a year later defeated WGM (IM) Susan Lalic in a simultaneous display.

When he was eight years old, David shot to prominence in Great Britain, appearing on television and on the front pages of British newspapers, by beating GM John Nunn in a five-minute game.

When he was 11, he scored a draw against world champion Vladimir Kramnik in the last of four blitz games. After the match was over, Kramnik said: "It was definitely not a walk-over, I had to concentrate!" He predicted a great future for David.

David gained his IM title at the age of 14 and made two GM norms soon after. He clinched his Grandmaster title in January at the Rilton Cup tournament in Stockholm, Sweden.

Chess aside, David's favourite music includes the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters. He is a great fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, and he enjoys reading JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling.

David is the ninth Grandmaster to confirm his participation at the Canadian Open, to be staged July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott. For more information, please visit: http://canchess.ca/

Photo credit: http://www.chessbase.com/

Grandmaster Susan Polgar coming to the CYCC in Ottawa

Grandmaster Susan Polgar, winner of four Women’s World Chess Championships, will be coming to Ottawa in July to preside over the Canadian Youth Chess Championship.

The Championship, sponsored by TELUS, is Canada's premier chess event for young Canadians. The seven-round tournament will determine the top boy and girl in each of six age categories. The worthy winners will be sent to Antalya, Turkey, in November to represent Canada at the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship.

"This historic event is made possible by the generous support of TELUS," said Gordon Ritchie, chair of the organizing committee for the Championship. "The presence of former World Champion Polgar will make this a memorable occasion for all the participants and will help put Ottawa at the centre of chess in Canada in July."

The major sponsor of the Youth Championship, TELUS Corporation, is the largest telecommunications company in Western Canada and the second largest in the country. It provides a wide range of wireline and wireless telecommunications products and services including data, Internet Protocol (IP), voice, video and entertainment services.

"TELUS believes supporting the 2007 Canadian Youth Chess Championship is an excellent way for us to encourage and support young Canadians in achieving their academic and intellectual goals," said Janet Yale, TELUS executive vice president, Corporate Affairs. "It is part of our commitment to becoming Canada's premier corporate citizen by making a positive difference in the communities where we live, work and serve."

Grandmaster Susan Polgar, winner of four Women's World Chess Championships, will act as the event's Honorary Chairperson. The Hungarian-born Polgar is herself a former chess prodigy and renowned advocate for chess as a means to assist children of all ages flourish in school and gain important life skills.

"Research around the world has supported my belief," says Ms. Polgar. "Countless studies have shown that chess can help develop critical thinking that can be used in other areas of a child's life, academics and social situations."

Ms. Polgar will be deeply involved at the Championship, interacting with its participants and their parents in groups and individually. Ms. Polgar will give lectures, provide group instruction and play chess against dozens of the CYCC players in a simultaneous chess exhibition.

Expected to draw more than 200 young Canadian chess players, the CYCC will be staged July 3 to 6 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. The participants will be welcomed to Ottawa by Mayor Larry O'Brien at a reception at Ottawa City Hall.

***

More information about the Canadian Youth Chess Championship can be found at http://canchess.ca.

To learn more about TELUS, please visit www.telus.com

Visit Susan Polgar online at http://www.susanpolgar.com/ and http://www.susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

Photo credit: http://www.susanpolgar.com/

GM Aveskulov confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open.

Ukrainian Grandmaster Valeriy Aveskulov is confirmed to play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship, to be held at the Ottawa Marriott, July 7-15, 2007.


GM Aveskulov, 21, is rated 2539 and rising. His most recent victory was at the North American Winter Open in February in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Scoring 6-1, he finished ahead of three other GMs including Alexander Shabalov and Pascal Charbonneau and five IMs. He defeated Shabalov, a former U.S. champion, in just 22 moves.

[Event "OCF Winter NAO FIDE Open"]
[Site "Stillwater USA"]
[Date "2007.02.18"]
[EventDate "2007.02.17"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Valeriy Aveskulov"]
[Black "Alexander Shabalov"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2517"]
[BlackElo "2602"]
[PlyCount "43"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 Qc7 6. Qe2
Ne7 7. Nh4 g6 8. e5 Bg7 9. f4 O-O 10. Nf3 f6 11. Nbd2 fxe5 12. fxe5 Nf5 13. c3 Ba6 14. Ne4 Qa5 15. O-O Rab8 16. g4 Ne7 17. c4 Kh8 18. Be3 Ng8 19. Bxc5 d5 20. Bxf8 Rxf8 21. Nd6 dxc4 22. dxc4 1-0

GM Aveskulov is the eighth grandmaster to confirm his participation in the Canadian Open, to be held July 7-15 at the Ottawa Marriott. He joins GMs Nigel Short, Vadim Milov, Sergey Tiviakov, Suat Atalik, Abhijit Kunte, Mark Bluvshtein and Alex Yermolinsky. More GMs will be confirmed as the event nears.


For more information about the 2007 Canadian Open, visit: http://canchess.ca

Super-GM Sergey Tiviakov to play in the 2007 Canadian Open

Super-grandmaster Sergey Tiviakov, the reigning Dutch chess champion, will play in the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship in Ottawa in July, ensuring there will be a tussle at the top for first prize.


GM Tiviakov, 34, is very pleased that he will be making his first trip to Canada this summer. "I dreamed of visiting Canada from my early years. And what else can be dreamed of than starting a visit to the country than its capital city?" GM Tiviakov says. "I am very glad that my dream will soon come true and that I'll play in a very interesting strong tournament as well."
GM Tiviakov was born in Krasnodar in the former Soviet Union. He began his chess studies at five years of age and a few years later was studying in the school of the Former World Champion Vassily Smyslov. He began his professional chess career before he was 16, and was the World Junior Champion U-16 (1989) and U-18 (1990).

His highest rating was 2699 in the fall of 2005. His current rating is 2663.

The list of GMs playing in Ottawa also includes GM Nigel Short (2691), GM Vadim Milov (2676), GM Suat Atalik (2584), 2006 Canadian Open co-winner GM Abhijit Kunte (2527), GM Mark Bluvshtein (2520) and GM Alex Yermonlinsky (2511). More GMs will be confirmed as the Canadian Open nears.

A lover of languages and travel, GM Tiviakov speaks Russian, English, Italian, Dutch and Spanish languages. He has visited 54 countries and territories so far, and calls the Dutch city of Groningen home.

He is a keen reader of books on the paranormal, ancient civilizations, UFOs and other subjects. The 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship will be staged in Ottawa from July 7 to 15 at the Ottawa Marriott.

Event website: http://www.canchess.ca/

Photo credit: http://www.chessbase.com/