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Monday, October 20, 2014

Tashkent Chess Grand Prix begins Today

Hello chess blog friends, the second stage of the FIDE Chess Grand Prix Series 2014-15 begins in Tashkent, Uzbekistan today. The premier chess event runs from October 20 to November 2. Back in 2012 and 2013 Tashkent hosted one of the stages of the Grand Prix series 2012-2013 as well as one of the tournaments of the Women's Grand Prix series 2013-2014. 

The tournament follows the first stage which recently finished in the capital of Azerbaijan. Fabiano Caruano (ITA) and Boris Gelfand (ISR) tied for the first place in Baku Grand Prix and are the leaders in the third GP series. 



Both winners will come directly from Baku to participate at the second stage in Tashkent as well as six other participants from the previous stage including former world chess champion and local hero Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), Teimour Rajabov (AZE), Hikaru Nakamura (USA). Sergey Karjakin (RUS) and Dmitry Andreikin (RUS). Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA), Anish Giri (NLD), Dmitri Jakovenko (RUS) and Baadur Jobava (GEO) are the other 4 participants, who join the GP series 2013-2014 starting from the second stage. 

On 15th of October FIDE announced the change of the third leg of the Grand Prix series to Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. According to regulations the representative for the new host city is GM Baadur Jobava who replaces GM Ghaem Maghami with his complete playing schedule. 

Over eleven rounds, the strongest players in the world will compete in the round robin tournament with the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 60 minutes being added at that point and then each player will be allotted 15 minutes after the second time control and an increment of 30 seconds per move will be allowed from move 61 onwards.

The prize money offered by host city is 120,000 Euros. The winner of Grand Prix in Tashkent will get 20,000 Euros. 
A very special cup will be prepared for the strongest player in the Grand Prix series 2014-2015. During the opening ceremony in Baku the Classic Jewelry House Lobortas demonstrated the models of future Big and Small trophies to award the FIDE Grand Prix series winner. 

The trophy consists of precious elements and stones of varying size, including silver, gold and diamonds. The Classic Jewelry House Lobortas has experience addressing the FIDE’s needs, having previously created for the FIDE the Large and Small Chess Cups "Caissa" and the cup for the winner of recently finished Women’s Grand Prix series 2013-2014.

Official website

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