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Kings, Queens and Knights on the Rock in the 2019 Gibraltar International Chess festival
From humble beginnings in 2003, the Gibraltar International Chess Festival has gained a wide scale international following and prestigious acclaim.
Voted as the best open event in the world by the Association of Chess Professionals for four consecutive years, from 2011 – 2014, chess enthusiasts, juniors, experts and Grandmasters alike from all over the world are eagerly anticipating the Gibraltar International Chess Festival 2019… and the numbers show it.
246 players from all around the world have signed up this year, and this number is expected to grow with last minute entries, to fight in this tactical battle of the brains at the emblematic Caleta Hotel overlooking Catalan Bay Village Gibraltar, starting on the 21st and ending on the 31st of January.
With 108 Grandmasters, 64 International Masters, 30 FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) Masters and 44 players competing for a title – the competition will be fierce.
There are three main tiers in this tournament; Amateurs, Challengers and Open Masters. The Open Masters’ round will provide players the once in a lifetime opportunity of playing against the top world-rated players.
This year’s highest ranked participating Grandmaster is French Maxime Vachier-Lagrange, who was the Junior World Champion in 2009, three-time French Champion, five-time winner of the ‘Beil Grandmaster Tournament’ and won the Sinquefield Cup in 2017.
Gibraltarian FIDE Master Stephen Whatley, a talented chess player with an even more successful future ahead of him, won the title of British Chess Champion at the age of 10, and moved on to win the Adult British Rapid Play at the age of 12 among a multitude of other achievements. He will be among those to look out for this year.
20 year old Norwegian Junior Grandmaster Aryan Tari, who has been playing chess since the age of 5 and won the 2012 Junior section of the Norwegian Chess Championships and other competitions, is another one to keep and eye on this year.
Stephen’s mother, Sharon Whatley, is the President of the Gibraltar Chess Association, Secretary of the Calpe Chess Club and National Arbitrator. Sharon explains that chess has become a much more accessible sport for women over the years, who now compete at the highest levels.
The current Women’s World Champion, 27 year old Chinese Grandmaster Ju Wenjun, is said to be one of the favourites at this year’s tournament, but this is a competition that provides many surprises so we will have to wait and see.
Schedules, location and more information can be found at www.gibchess.com
REACH will be covering the championship and bringing you all the news in future editions.
