Indonesia Chess Open 2012 Inaugurated at Glittering Ceremony

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,

Asia's first Grandmaster Eugene Torre with wife (extreme left) and a performer at the opening ceremony of the Indonesia Chess Open 2012 on Thursday. 

The latest chess tournament news via Fide is that the Indonesia Open 2012 has begun with a grand opening ceremony. The 2nd Indonesian Open Chess Championship 2012 was officially declared opened by Deputy Sports Minister Prof. Djoko Pekik Irianto in a colourful ceremony featuring Indonesia dance from different parts of the vast country. Attending the opening was Adi Suyuso who represented Major General Toni Suratman, President of the powerful Indonesia National Sports Committee (KONI) and Grandmaster Utut Adianto, Deputy Preisdent of PERCASI (All Indonesia Chess Federation), various officials, as well as most of the 27 Grandmasters, the top 50 Indonesian players, and some 40 other internationals who had arrived in time.

The 2nd Indonesian Open Chess Championship is going to have its first round on Friday, with Grandmasters such as Ivan Sokolov, representing the Netherlands, Li Chao and Yu Yangyi from China, Vlad Tkachiev representing France, the other Vietnam superstar Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son, Jaan Ehlvest now playing for the USA, India’s Surya Sekhar Ganguly and the large delegation from the Philippines of Oliver Barbosa, Rogelio Antonio, John Paul Gomez, Mark Paragua, Darwin Laylo, Eugene Torre and Richard Bitoon and others.

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World Chess Championship 2012 - Don't Take Gelfand Lightly, Says Anand Second Ganguly

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012


Hi everyone,


Here is a comment by World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand's second GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly from India. Gangul, speaking to an Indian newspaper, says Boris Gelfand -- the challenger in the forthcoming World Chess Championship 2012 to take place in Moscow -- cannot be taken lightly.





Indeed, according to the current form and statistics, Anand goes into the event as a favourite against Gelfand, but says Ganguly, "We have to remember that Gelfand is among the top chess players of the world for the last 10 years or so. He is a great positional player with a strong Soviet chess background. Also, Gelfand won the right to challenge Anand by winning the Candidates meet in which the world's leading players took part."


Anand has been the World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2002 when the top chess title was split. He won the unified title in 2007, and successfully defended it against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008. He defended it again against Veselin Topalov in 2010.


Gelfand is playing the highest tournament of the chess world for the first time and would be extremely motivated and hungry, says Ganguly. Gelfand, born June 24, 1968, in Minsk, Belarus (formerly part of the USSR), emigrated to Israel in 1998 where he lives at present.


From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com