Calendar

February 27th 2010 - Bay of Plenty 25'+5" Rapid, Mt. Maunganui.
Venue: Kiwi Room, Hillier Center, 31 Gloucester Rd (Girven Road end), Mt Maunganui, Tauranga. Two-section 6-round swiss-system, with a time control of 25 minutes each plus an increment of 5 seconds per move. Prizefund: Top section 1st $250, 2nd $150, 3rd $100, grade prizes of $60 and $40. Second section: 1st $100, 2nd $60, 3rd $40, grade prizes of $60 and $40. Schedule: 9 am Players' Meeting, 9:30 rd 1, 11:00 rd 2, 12:30 rd 3, 14:30 rd 4, 16:00 rd 5, 17:30 rd 6, prize-giving after completion of last round. Contact: Hans van Hutten, e-mail BOPrapid@xtra.co.nz. This event is a Millennium Hotels Grand Prix class 2 event. Download entry form here (Word document).
Visiting English Grandmaster Gawain Jones will be competing.

This will be followed by the Bay of Plenty Lightning at 20:00 sharp at the same venue on the same day. A minimum of 12 entries are required for the tournament to proceed. It will be a 7-round swiss system, with a time control of 5 minutes per player for the game. Entries close at 18:00 on the day. Entry fee: $15. Prize fund: 1st $100, 2nd $50, 3rd $30. Download entry form here (Word document).

March 5th-7th 2010 - Auckland Chess Centre Weekender, Auckland.
Organised by the Auckland Chess Centre. Venue: Auckland Chess Centre, 17 Cromwell, St, Mount Eden, Auckland. An Open and an under-1700 tournament, each a 6-round Swiss system with a time control of all moves in 90 minutes with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move one. The Open will be a FIDE-rated event. Both tournaments will be nationally rated and are therefore open only to NZCF-registered players; unregistered players may register at the tournament ($15). Entry fees: Open $40 (no junior entry fee); U-1700 $40 (no junior entry fee). No entries accepted after 6pm on 5th March. Minimum prizefund: Open: 1st $370, 2nd $250, 3rd $150, grading prizes totalling $150; U-1700: 1st $320, 2nd $200, 3rd $100, grading prizes totalling $100. Round times: Fri 5th March, players' meeting 6:30pm, rd 1 7:00pm; Sat 6th, rd 2 9:30am, rd 3 2:00pm, rd 4 7:00pm; Sun 7th, rd 5 9:30am, rd 6 2:00pm. Prizegiving when games have finished. A half-point bye may be taken on the Friday or Saturday only, if claimed at the time of entry (no byes on Sunday). This event is a Millennium Hotels Grand Prix class 1 event. Details from Edward Tanoi, 98 Whitney Street, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, e-mail ettanoi@gmail.com. Download entry form here (Word document).

March 21st 2010 - Howick-Pakuranga Annual Latvian Rapidplay, Pakuranga, Manukau City.
Venue: Te Tuhi Centre of the Arts, 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga. Four sections, open, under-1700, under-1400 and junior (under 14), 6 round swiss-system, with a time control of 25 minutes each plus an increment of 5 seconds per move. Entry fee $30 for all. Prizefund: $3,350. Schedule: Registration 8:30 am; Players' Meeting 9:00 am; Rounds at 9:30 am, 10:45 am, 12:00 noon, 1:45 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:10 pm with prizegiving as soon as possible thereafter. Enquiries: Organiser Kees van den Bosch, 37 Centre Court, Pakuranga, Manukau City, email kvdbstj@gmail.com. Download entry form here (Word document). This event is a Millennium Hotels Grand Prix class 1 event.

April 1st-5th 2010 - Doeberl Cup, Canberra, AUSTRALIA.
Website: www.doeberlcup.com.au. Venue: Hellenic Club of Canberra. There will be various events including the Premier tournament (9 rounds with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1; limited to players with a minimum FIDE of 1900 or titled). Other events: Major and Minor (7 rounds with a time control of 90 minutes for all moves plus an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1); Mind Games under-1200; Lightning. Schedule for Premier: Thursday 1st: sign in by 12:00; 13:00 rd 1; 19:00 rd 2. Friday 2nd: 13:00 rd 3; 19:00 rd 4. Saturday 3rd: 09:30 rd 5; 15:30 rd 6. Sunday 4th: 09:30 rd 7; 15:30 rd 8. Monday 5th: 09:30 rd 9; 14:30 Prize-giving. Prizefund: total AUS $17,850, of which $12,350 will be awarded in the Premier. For more information and online entry, see the website.

April 7th-11th 2010 - Parramatta Chess Festival, AUSTRALIA.
Website: http://www.chessaustralia.com.au/index.cfm?site=open. Venue: Parramatta Town Hall, Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150, Australia. There will be two 9-round swiss-system events, the Sydney International Open (open to all players) and the Sydney International Challengers (restricted to players under 2000). Time control: 90 minutes for 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1. Schedule: Tuesday 6th: 18:30-19:45 registration; 20:00 Players' meeting. Wednesday 7th: 9:15 Opening Ceremony; 9:30 rd 1; 15:30 rd 2. Thursday 8th: 9:30 rd 3; 15:30 rd 4. Friday 9th: 9:30 rd 5; 15:30 rd 6. Saturday 10th: 9:30 rd 7; 15:30 rd 8. Sunday 11th: 9:30 rd 9; 16:30 Prize-giving. Prizefund: the Open will have prizes totalling AU$14,000; the Challengers AU$2500 plus books for rating prizes. Entry fees: Open: free for GMs, IMs, wgms, wims, and all players over FIDE 2500. AU$100 for FIDE 2499-2399; AU$125 for 2399-2300; AU$150 for 2299-2200; AU$175 for under 2200; AU$225 for unrated. Challengers: entry fee AU$100 for FIDE rating under 2000; AU$125 for unrated. Contact: Brian Jones, Australian Chess Enterprises, 1 Garfield Road East, Riverstone NSW 2765, Australia, e-mail info@chessaustralia.com.au.

April 20th-30th 2010 - Asian Continental Championships, Subic, PHILIPPINES.
Organiser: Philippine Chess Federation. Website: www.ncfphilippines.org Information: Asian individual championship event. Each Oceania federation is allowed to nominate a representative, typically entitled to free accommodation. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

April 23rd-26th 2010 - NZ Seniors' Championship, incorporating Oceania Seniors' 2010, Christchurch.
Venue: Canterbury Chess Club, 27 Tyne Street, Christchurch (free parking available). The Championship will be a 7-round swiss-system tournament with a time control of 90 minutes + 30 second increment per move. Eligibility: males born before 1st January 1950; females born before 1st January 1960. Players must be registered with their national federations. The top Oceania player will be Oceania Seniors' Champion and qualifies as the Oceania representative in the World Seniors (in Arco, Italy, October 25th - November 7th). The top NZ player receives the title of 2010 NZ Seniors' Champion and is the holder of the NZ Seniors' Trophy until 2011. Schedule: Friday 23rd April, Registration from 5:00 pm, Players' meeting 6:00pm, rd 1 6:30pm; Saturday 24th April, rd 2 9:30 am; rd 3 2:30 pm; Sunday 25th April, rd 4 9:30 am, rd 5 2:30 pm; Monday 26th April, rd 6 9:30 am, rd 7 2:30 pm, prize-giving as soon as possible. Prizefund: 1st $300, 2nd $200, 3rd $100; grade prizes $150, $100, $50. Entry fee: $50. Contact: further information from Nigel Cooper: nigelcooper@paradise.net.nz. This event is a Millennium Hotels Grand Prix class 2 event. Download entry form here (pdf document).

May 2nd 2010 - Waikato Rapid.
More information soon.

May 9th-19th 2010 - Commonwealth Championships, Delhi, INDIA.
Organiser: Delhi Chess Association. Website: www.delhichess.com. Download the regulations here (pdf file). Each Commonwealth country is eligible to field one man, one woman, one junior girl (Under-20), one junior boy (Under-20) player and one boy and girl each in under-8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 as official entrants. Their boarding and lodging will be provided free. Entry fees and registration fees must be paid by all players. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

May 14th-16th 2010 - Wellington Open.
More information soon.

June 17th-27th 2010 - Asian Junior U20 Championships, Chennai, INDIA.
Listed as June 14th-24th on the Indian chess calendar (see indianchessfed.org). This is an international junior under-20 event. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

June 26th 2010 - Upper Hutt Open "25+5" Tournament, Upper Hutt.
Organised by the Upper Hutt Chess Club. More information will follow.

July 3rd-11th 2010 - George Trundle NZ Masters Tournament, Auckland.
Entry by invitation only. Sponsored by the Auckland Chess Centre and avid local enthusiast George Trundle. Venue: Auckland Chess Centre, 17 Cromwell, St, Mount Eden (spectators welcome). Closed 9-round all-play-all tournament where several NZ players will be trying for FIDE (World Chess Federation) IM norms. Concurrent closed 9-round all-play-all Qualifiers' event. Time control: this event will use the same time control as the Olympiad, ie 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes to complete the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move from move 1. Default time will be 30 minutes after the start of play. Organised by Michael Steadman, e-mail steadmanm@hotmail.com.

July 5th-9th 2010 - New Zealand Junior Championship and Rapid Championship, Auckland.
Organiser: Howick-Pakuranga Chess Club. The Junior Championship will take place 5th-8th July with the Junior Rapidplay 9th July.Venue: Elm Park School in Pakuranga. Enquiries: Kees Van Den Bosch, 37 Centre Court, Pakuranga, Auckland, email kvdbstj@gmail.com. More information and entry forms will be available here in due course.

July 8th-18th 2010 - Asian Youth Championships, Beijing, CHINA.
This is an international junior event with several age categories, from under-8 up to under-18, open and girls. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

July 27th 2010 - Girls' Team Interschool Competition, Christchurch.
Venue: Selwyn House School for Girls, Christchurch. Girls form teams of four and play in either Year 1 to 6, Year 7 to 8 or Year 9 to 13. Certificates for all and trophies for highest placed Christchurch school and home educated teams. Composite teams very welcome but are not eligible for placings or prizes. Contact: Jacinta.buist@xtra.co.nz for further information and entry forms. This is part of a nationwide Chess for Girls Week, an initiative of the New Zealand Chess Federation, to encourage girls to try chess in an all-girl environment.

July 28th 2010 - Girls' Individual Chess Championship, Christchurch.
Venue: Selwyn House School for Girls, Christchurch. Girls (from Years 1 to 13) play other girls in the same year as themselves. Certificates for all and medals for highest placed Christchurch girl in each year group. Contact: Jacinta.buist@xtra.co.nz for further information and entry forms. This is part of a nationwide Chess for Girls Week, an initiative of the New Zealand Chess Federation, to encourage girls to try chess in an all-girl environment.

August 2nd-17th 2010 - World Junior Championship, Chotowa Czarna, POLAND.
This is an international junior under-20 event. New Zealand is entitled to one place only, which is usually determined by winning the NZ Junior event. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

August 13th-15th 2010 - Waikato Open.
More information soon.

August 19th-28th 2010 - World Youth under-16 Olympiad, Antalya, TURKEY.
This is an international junior under-16 team event. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

August 28th - September 8th 2010 (provisional dates) - Merdeka Team Rapidplay Championship and the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
The Malaysian Chess Federation has given tentative dates for the Merdeka Team Rapidplay Championship (28th-31st August) and the Malaysian Open (1st-8th September).

September 4th-12th 2010 - World University Chess Championship, SWITZERLAND.
This is an individual tournament for which a team ranking is computed. There are separate events for men and women; the men's event is not in general open to women (or vice versa) and permission would have to be sought if a woman wanted to play in the men's event (or vice versa). It appears that we may be represented by between three and eight players, which must include at least one and not more than five players of each gender. Participants must be born between January 1st, 1982 and December 31st, 1992 and must be enrolled at a university or similar institution in 2010. The organisers expect entries to be made via the university sports association of the country where the student is studying. The New Zealand association address is: University Sport New Zealand, Level 3 Travel Tourism House, Boulcott Street 73-89, Wellington Tel. (04) 4993550 Fax. (04) 4993770 E-Mail admin@universitysport.org.nz. Preliminary informal expressions of interest are now sought. More details, and the full qualification criteria, will be put up here when we have them. In the meantime, if you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Website: www.wucc2010.ch

19th September - 4th October 2010 - World Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, RUSSIA.
Further information in due course. Meanwhile note that Olympiad team places are on offer at the New Zealand Chess Supplies 117th New Zealand Congress: the winner (outright) of the New Zealand Championship earns the right to play for the New Zealand Open team and the winner (outright) of the New Zealand Women's Championship, which will be incorporated in the Major Open, earns the right to play for the New Zealand Women's team. Update: these places were earned by Anthony Ker and Shirley Wu. See the Olympiad Page for more details about the event.

October 19th-31st 2010 - World Youth Championships, Halkidiki, GREECE.
This is an international junior event with several age categories, from under-8 up to under-18, open and girls. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

October 25th - November 7th 2010 - World Senior Championships, Arco, ITALY.
This is an international senior event for men aged over 60 and women over 50. There is usually a parallel women-only event for women over 50. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.

November 12th-27th 2010 - Asian Games, Guangzhou, CHINA.
Chess is included as a 'sport' in the Asian Games. See the official website: www.gz2010.cn/en. If you are interested in playing, please contact Paul Spiller. Players need to be aware that they will most likely need to fund their own expenses aside from their entry fee and accommodation which is normally covered by the organisers for representative players only.