Al Ain Chess Dec 19 - GM Yuri Kuzubov of Ukraine Top Seed

Hello chess blog friends, GM Yuri Kuzubov of Ukraine is top seed at the Al Ain Chess Tournament to be held from Dec 19 - 26 at the Hili Rotana Hotel. Forty-five Grandmasters and 14 International Masters are among 153 participants from 26 countries for the $50,000 Al Ain Classic Chess Championship. Seventeen of these players are rated above 2600 -- namely Ukrainians Yuriy Kryvoruchko, Alexander Areshchenko, Mikhailo Oleksienko, Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Vladimir Onischuk, Belarussian Sergei Zhigalko, Armenians Tigran L. Petrosian and Arman Pashikian, Ivan Sokolov of the Netherlands, Samuel Shankland of the USA, Constantin Lupulescu of Romania, Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia and Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova. 

Aside from the host country, the largest contingent is from India with 33 players followed by Azerbaijan with 22 players. National team member GM Rauf Mamedov heads the Azerbaijan delegation while GM Aghijeet Gupta and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi lead the Indian contingent. The tournament will be a 9-round Swiss System. Round 1 will start 6pm tomorrow, 19 Dec. 

Two rounds are scheduled 10am and 5pm on Saturday followed by daily rounds starting 4pm. The last 9th round starts 2pm on Friday, 26 Dec. Games shall be broadcast live on the web. At stake are some US$50,000 for the first 20 places with a top prize of $11,000 for the champion and various category prizes.

Al Ain Chess Club president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan (second from left) giving a press conference yesterday at the Hili Rotana hotel. In photo are, from left, Dr. Rashed Al Dhaheri, chairman of the UAE Chess Federation Constitutional Commission, Sheikh Sultan, Dr. Saif Al Nuaimi, General Secretary of the Al Ain Chess Club and Engr. Sultan Al Yabhoni, Deputy President of the Al Ain Chess Club. (Via FIDE)

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