Super-GM Vadim Milov confirmed for the 2007 Canadian Open

The Organizing Committee of the 2007 Canadian Open Chess Championship is very pleased to announce that another super-GM has accepted their invitation to play in Ottawa this summer. Swiss Grandmaster Vadim Milov, 34, has confirmed his participation and his play will certainly add extra excitement to the fight for first place.


GM Milov, 34, was born in Russia and moved to Israel before settling in 1996 in Switzerland. With a rating of 2665, GM Milov is Switzerland's top-ranked player, ahead of GM Victor Korchnoi. He is a globe-trotting chess professional keen to play -- and win -- at prestigious open events around the world.

Last year at the 34th World Open in Philadelphia, GM Milov was one of nine players who tied for first, with 7.0/9 each. A tiebreak playoff between Gata Kamsky and GM Milov was won by GM Kamsky. Other recent tournament successes include joint first places at Santo Domingo 2003, Geneva 2004, and the U.S. Open of 2005. He also won the Corsica Masters International Rapid 2005 by defeating Viswanathan Anand in the finals.


GM Milov is currently the second-ranked player confirmed to play in the Canadian Open in Ottawa, to be held July 7-15 at the preimum hotel the Ottawa Marriott. He is outranked only by GM Nigel Short.

A chessbase.com search suggests that GM Short and GM Milov have played just once before:

[Event "Najdorf mem 11th"]
[Site "Buenos Aires"]
[Date "2000.09.18"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Milov, Vadim"]
[Black "Short, Nigel D"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E59"]
[WhiteElo "2626"]
[BlackElo "2677"]
[PlyCount "116"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 dxc4 8.Bxc4 c5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. Nf3 Qc7 11. O-O e5 12. Qc2 Re8 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. f3 Bd7 16. Rb1 Bc6 17. Re1 Rad8 18. Bf1 Rd6 19. c4 Rde6 20. Qf2 Nd7 21. e4 Qh5 22. Bf4 f5 23. exf5 Qxf5 24. Bg3 Ne5 25. Qd2 h5 26. Rb3 g5 27. h3 h4 28. Bf2 b6 29. Rbe3 Qf4 30. Qc3 Kf7 31. Qc2 Qf6 32. a4 a5 33. Rb1 Bd7 34. Qh7+ Qg7 35. Qxg7+ Kxg7 36. Reb3 Bxa4 37. Rxb6 Bc2 38. Rxe6 Rxe6 39. Rb5 Bd3 40. Rxa5 Bxf1 41. Kxf1 Rc6 42. Rxc5 Rxc5 43. Bxc5 Nxc4 44. Ke2 Kf6 45. Kd3 Ne5+ 46. Ke4 Nd7 47. Be3 Kg6 48. Bd4 Nf8 49. Ke5 Nd7+ 50. Ke6 Nf8+ 51. Ke7 Nh7 52. Ke6 Nf8+ 53. Ke7 Nh7 54. Bc3 Kf5 55. Kf7 Kf4 56. Be1 Kf5 57. f4 Kxf4 58. Kg7 Nf8+ 59. g4
1/2-1/2


If they play in Ottawa, who knows what the result might be?