Italian Rapid Chess Championship 2011 by the beach

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011

Hi everybody,

The MDL's Marina dei Cesari in Fano, Italy, is all set to host the 2011 Italian Rapid Chess Championships. Taking place in Fano for the first time, the three-day championship – which begins on today - April 15 - will see qualifying tournaments with over 300 players, including top international stars.

Day 1 will be the "Rapid 30 minute" tournament (seven rounds), day 2 is for "Blitz 5 minute" (11 rounds) and finally the "Rapid 15 minute" (9 rounds) on the last day. The total prize fund will be €16,000, divided into €4000, €5000 and €7000 for the respective days. There will also be a painting (40cm x 50cm) by the internationally respected artist Fathi Hassan, worth €4500, for the winner of the final day.

The venue for the competition will be an outdoor covered concert area - adjacent to the marina’s exclusive J Lounge - which is renowned for hosting high profile events at the marina throughout the year, including the popular Fano Jazz Festival. Inside the concert area will be 150 wooden chessboards, alongside the latest recording and scoring equipment. Spectators will be welcome, but the tournament will also be streamed live at www.fano2011.com.

Marina Manager, Enrico Bertacchi, said: “We are delighted and very honoured to welcome the 2011 Italian chess championships to Marina dei Cesari. This year, in addition to sailing and fishing, the other official sport at the marina will be the game of chess!” Marina dei Cesari is located byn the Adriatic Sea in the picturesque coastal town of Fano, 30 miles south of Rimini in Western Italy. You can access the official website here.

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