Al Ain: A stellar field of 45 top-ranked Grandmasters and 14 International Masters head the list of 153 players, from 26 countries, to take part in the $50,000 (Dh183,000) Al Ain Classic Chess Championship from December 19-26 at the Hili Rotana hotel in Al Ain.
GM Yuri Kuzubov of Ukraine is top seed in the tournament which boasts 17 players in the high rating category of above 2600, namely Ukrainians Yuriy Kryvoruchko, Alexander Areshchenko, Mikhailo Oleksienko, Evgenij Miroshnichenko and Vladimir Onischuk, Belarussian Sergei Zhigalko, Armenians Tigran L. Petrosian and Arman Pashikian, Ivan Sokolov of the Netherlands, Samuel Shankland of the USA, Constantin Lupulescu of Romania, Mikheil Mchedlishvili of Georgia and Viorel Iordachescu of Moldova.
Apart from the host country, the largest contingent is from India with 33 players followed by Azerbaijan with 22 players. National team member GM Rauf Mamedov heads the Azerbaijan delegation while GM Abhijeet Gupta and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi spearhead the Indian contingent.
The tournament will be played a nine-round Swiss System. with the first round starting from 6pm. Two rounds are scheduled 10am and 5pm on Saturday, followed by daily rounds starting 4 pm. The ninth and last round starts at 2 pm on Friday (December 26). Games shall be broadcast live on the web. There will be prizes for the first 20 places, with the winner looking to win $11,000 (Dh41,000).
