Nakamura, MVL, Caruana Confirmed For Abu Dhabi Super Blitz Challenge
The Abu Dhabi Chess & Culture Club and Chess.com announce the first Abu Dhabi Super Blitz Challenge, on Wednesday, April 15. The tournament features a prize fund of $10,000 and is open to all titled players. Early entries include GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and GM Alexander Grischuk.
The tournament will have a time control of 3+1. The first stage is a 11-round Swiss. There will be 5-minute breaks after round five and nine. The top eight finishers will advance to an eight-player knockout playoff with a 2-game mini-match per round with armageddon tiebreak that will determine the final placements. There are four prizes:
- First place: $5,000
- Second place: $3,000
- Third place: $1,500
- Best female: $500*
*Prize goes to the best female player not finishing among the top three.
"Based on the directives of the authorities to the residents to stay at home during the lockdown, the Abu Dhabi sports council took the initiative to organize a big online event," said Hussein Abdullah Khouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Chess & Culture Club.
"It is very important to emphasize the role and support of the Abu Dhabi sports council in the community, and as the Abu Dhabi chess club, we would like to appreciate this move on behalf of all chess lovers in the UAE and the world.
"We will put all efforts to boost this event and together with the enthusiasm and commitment of all of you we will overcome the current circumstances and will checkmate the virus!"
Format:
The tournament will start on Wednesday, April 15 at 10 a.m. Pacific time which is 19:00 CEST and 21:00 in Abu Dhabi. Chess.com will be hosting the event and providing a live broadcast on Chess.com/tv with expert commentary by GM Aryan Tari and IM Danny Rensch.
Chess.com is inviting as many top grandmasters as possible for this event. At the time of writing, Grischuk and Vachier-Lagrave, both Candidates for the 2020 world championship, have confirmed their participation.
To participate, go to Chess.com/Play/Online and find the Abu Dhabi Super Blitz Challenge under "Tournaments," registration opens an hour before the event starts on 15 April.
Alongside the Abu Dhabi Super Blitz Challenge, there will also be a special event for residents of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Masters will be held April 8-13 and consists of five Swiss tournaments similar to the Titled Tuesday tournaments.
The Masters will have a $4,000 prize fund. If you're from the UAE and would like to play, make sure you join the Abu Dhabi Chess & Culture Club on Chess.com.
Peter Doggers joined a chess club a month before turning 15 and still plays for it. He used to be an active tournament player and holds two IM norms.
Peter has a Master of Arts degree in Dutch Language & Literature. He briefly worked at New in Chess, then as a Dutch teacher and then in a project for improving safety and security in Amsterdam schools.
Between 2007 and 2013 Peter was running ChessVibes, a major source for chess news and videos acquired by Chess.com in October 2013.
As our Director News & Events, Peter writes many of our news reports. In the summer of 2022, The Guardian’s Leonard Barden described him as “widely regarded as the world’s best chess journalist.”
In October, Peter's first book The Chess Revolution will be published!
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