Tribune News Network
Doha
The third edition of the Qatar Masters Open Chess 2023 will begin at Lusail Multipurpose Hall on Wednesday. The hugely popular chess tournament is headlined by Magnus Carlsen of Norway and a string of world champions and Grandmasters from around the world.
The 10-day championship will see 250 players, both male and female, representing 42 countries, including 62 Grandmasters.Players from 16 Arab countries are also guaranteed at the 10-day event while India will have the largest pool of entries with 76 male and female players.
A prize fund of $108,250 is on offer with $25,000 reserved for the winner, $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for third place. Special prizes for women, juniors and Arabic players will also be provided.
The first edition of the tournament took place in 2014, when Yu Yangyi outscored rating favourites Anish Giri and Vladimir Kramnik to take home the title. The next year, it was Magnus Carlsen who won the event — he tied for first with Yu and then beat him in a blitz playoff, while Kramnik had the best tie-break score among the players finishing a half point behind the leading duo.
This year’s edition is a 9-round Swiss open, with a time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.
Rounds will be played daily until October 20. The players will get a rest day after round 5, on Monday, October 16.
The technical meeting will be held in the morning before the competitions open with the first move at 3pm in the presence of Mohamed Al Mudahka, President of the Qatar Chess Association (QCA), a number of FIDE officials and members of the Arab Chess Federation along with a number of dignitaries will also be present at the tournament venue today.
Al Mudahka, President of QCA, said hosting the tournament at Lusail Multipurpose Hall represents an important addition because the venue possesses all the elements for the success of the tournament. “We welcome all participating delegations, including coaches, administrators, and players, and we hope that the current the third edition will be a huge success, he said.
Al Mudahka pointed out that entry will be free for fans, and some accompanying events will be held on the sidelines of the tournament.
“After the tournament was held in 2014 and 2015, we look forward to maintaining the reputation of the tournament that it gained in the previous two editions. We hope that our efforts will culminate in presenting a distinguished edition and witnessing wonderful levels from all participants.”
