OREANDA-NEWS. February 12, 2008. “Aeroflot – Russian Airlines”, association of chess federations and the Russian chess federation, supported by the Committee of Tourism of the Government of the city of Moscow, from February 13th to February 23rd, 2008, are holding the chess tournament “Aeroflot Open 2008” in the Russian capital, reported the press-centre of Aeroflot.

Aeroflot, supporting the chess tournament as the national kind of sport and allocating funds for the prize, is the general carrier of the participants.

This world’s biggest open chess tournament is held for the seventh time. Each year the competition excites more and more interest. “Aeroflot Open 2002” called together 370 chess-players from 34 countries, with 95 Grand Masters among them. Next year 476 chess players participated in the tournament. In 2004 there were 644 chess players.

This year approximately 400 chess-players of various categories from 50 countries will take part in the tournament. This major open tournament for the chess-players of different qualifications is, as always, held “under the wing” of the leading air carrier “Aeroflot – Russian Airlines”.

For the second year the festival will be held within the walls of “Izmailovo”, the large tourist complex, in the “Gamma Delta” Hotel. This time the participants of the tournament are provided with the prize - largest in history of this festival – two hundred thousand US dollars. As before, the festival will consist of four tournaments (A1, A2, B and C), formed in accordance with the participants rating and held in conformity with the Swiss system within nine rounds. The biggest interest is excited by the A1 group, where the required rating is over 2550 and where a range of extra-class chess players (rookies) participate.

A total of 150 prizes are adjudged in the four groups. There are special prizes for the best results among veterans, women and juniors (to the amount of 5000 US dollars), each participant can receive only one (first) prize.

The opening ceremony will take place on February 13th, 2008, in the premises of the “Gamma Delta” Hotel at 21.00 hours. The Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Chess Federation Mr.Alexander Zhukov, the Head of the Expert Administration of the President of the Russian Federation Mr.Arkadiy Dvorkovich, the Director General of the JSC “Aeroflot” Mr.Valeriy Okulov, well-known politicians and businessmen are expected to attend the ceremony. The closing date of the competition and the awarding ceremony is February 22nd, 2008.