3 Tournaments!
For players wanting the ultimate Three Week Chess Holiday we have on offer three high quality 9 round tournaments beginning in Australia's Bush Capital, moving through Sydney, and finishing in Thailand at a beautiful resort. Each of the tournaments in 2007 attracted high quality fields and allowed players of all strengths to play.
The 45th Annual Doeberl Cup held in Canberra over Easter attracted a field of nearly 200 players. The playing strength of the Premier Division (which was 7 rounds and has now been extended to 9 rounds) averaged 2044 rating points. The tournament was won by Australian Grand Master Ian Rogers (2621). The field included eight Grand Masters, four International Masters, three Women International Masters and two FIDE Masters. The titled players came from Australia, Russia, India, Ukraine, Israel, Spain, Hungary, Serbia, Ecuador and the Philippines.
The 2008 Sydney International Open runs from the 25th to the 29th of March 2008. The 2007 Sydney International Open had 9 GM's entered (including GM's Shipov, Mikhalevski, Timoshenko, Chandler, Matamoros, Rogers, Johansen, Antic, Bakre). The tournament was won by GM Georgy Timoshenko who finished on 7.5 with GM Dejan Antic. The players came from Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, England, Norway, Spain, Finland, Hungary and Scotland represented the European continent, while Ecuador and Chile represented the Americas. From Asia, we have players who flew in from India and the Philippines, while the Kiwis and the Roos (for those of you who are not in the know, the Australians are called the Roos) represented Oceania. Amongst them, there are nine Grandmasters, eight International Masters, four FIDE Masters, two Women International Masters and one Women FIDE Master.
The 2008 Bangkok Open will run from the 1st to the 6th of April 2008 located at the Century Park Hotel. The 2007 Bangkok Open was held in one of the most spectacular island locations in Asia, Phuket Thailand. Australian IM David Smerdon outplayed field of 4 GMs and was a clear winner in 7th Bangkok Chess Club Open. He came to Thailand to 'have some holiday' and after very relaxed and convincing performance made his 2nd GM norm as well! Three times BCC Open winner GM Rogelio Antonio from the Philippines was clear second this time, followed by 6 players in t/b order: GM Ian Rogers from Australia, GM R.B. Ramesh from India, GM Dimitri Komarov from Ukraine, IM Simon Ansell from England, Cor van Dongen from the Netherlands and FM Martin Haag from Germany. The 9th place Finnish FM Asko Hentunen achieved an IM norm as well!