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).