Marathons fill up in record time and it is no different for the Amsterdam Chess Open, a chess tournament that takes place from 1 to 3 November at the HvA Business Campus in Amsterdam-Zuidoost and has already reached the intended five hundred participants a month in advance. The organisers are pleasantly surprised.
The Amsterdam Chess Open is being held for the second time this year, but the new event on the Dutch chess calendar is now a resounding success. In the first week of October, almost a month before the first move is played, the five hundredth participant registered.
“We are very pleasantly surprised by the diverse field of participants and also by the enormous interest. This shows that the Amsterdam Chess Open has become a permanent fixture on the chess calendar,” says Jan Timmerman, chairman of the tournament committee.
The tournament will now be starting to work with a waiting list, but there is still a good chance that players who haven't registered yet will still be able to participate. “On average, about ten percent still cancel, so it certainly pays to put yourself on the waiting list,” says Marjolein Aarten, treasurer and producer.
The Amsterdam Chess Open will be held from 1 to 3 November in the Corry Tendeloohuis of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, two rounds will be played per day with a classical rate of play; the first prize in the A group is €2000. The highest ranked player of the Chess Federation of Greater Amsterdam (SGA) is the new SGA champion.
One day before the general tournament, on 31 October, the event kicks off with the City Districts Tournament, a rapid tournament in the context of Amsterdam 750 in which teams from the various city districts compete against each other. This tournament is intended for home chess players of all ages who would like to participate in a tournament for once. Participation is free; the only condition is that all players know the rules of chess.
Partners of the Amsterdam Chess Open are the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA), Amsterdam 750 and the Chess Federation of the Greater Amsterdam (SGA).
For further information, please contact amsterdamchessopen@gmail.com.