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.