Ten more Asians will qualify for World Women Championship Knock Out
The India Cements 9th Asian Women Chess Championship incorporating the World Qualifying Tournament, will be held at Connemara Hotel, Chennai from 3rd to 12th September,2001.
Thirty five players and five officials from eight countries have confirmed their participation in this 11-round Swiss System Championship. The largest continent will be the host, India, with 10 entries, followed by China with 7, Kazaksthan 5, Uzbekistan 4, Sri Lanka 2, Vietnam 2 and Turkmenistan 1.
This Championship assumes greater significance than its previous editions as the top 10 women from here will qualify for the Individual Women's World Chess Championship to be held later this year. Hence there is bound to be intense competition among the players till the last day to get into the top 10.
The Indian WGM S. Vijayalakshmi (www.chess-mate.com understands Pallavi Shah being zonal champion is directly seeded for the world championship knock out along with title holder Xie Jun and others) a rating of 2397 is the highest-rated player followed by WFM Wang Yu of China with 2382 Elo points. The Championship has attracted 4 WGMs and 13 IWMs. The average rating of the players is 2087. The Champion will be conferred with the IWM title, if she is not one already. WGM norms will also be available for the players.
The Championship, as reported earlier, will be a 11-round Swiss to be played from 3rd September, 2001. The schedule is given below. The Championship will be played at the Binny Hall, Connemara Hotel.
The Inaugural function will be held at 6.00 P.M. on 12th September, 2001 at the same venue.
International Master and nine times National Champion, Arjuna Awardee Shri Manuel Aaron has been nominated as the Chief Arbiter of this Championship. The total prize money will be US$ 8000. The break-up of prize money in US Dollars:
1 $ 2000
2 $ 1750
3 $ 1400
4 $ 750
5 $ 600
6 $ 500
7 $ 400
8 $ 300
9 $ 200
10 $ 100
Total Prize Money: $ 8000.
The Prize money is awarded by FIDE.
The Championship's main & title Sponsor is THE INDIA CEMENTS Ltd. We are grateful to Mr. N. Srinivasan, Vice-President, FIDE and Secretary General AICF for his efforts in getting these tournaments allotted to India. Thanks to his initiative, many of our players are now getting invitations and extra entries in many Asian and World Championships, the latest being the case of M. Kasturi, who won the Asian Junior Girls Championship recently.
We are grateful to the Tamil Nadu Chess Association for extending all help to make this Championship a success. It will not be out of place to mention that Tamil Nadu is the Mecca of Indian Chess. Headed by Dr. N. Mahalingam and Manuel Aaron as President and Secretary of AICF during late 80s, laid a solid foundation for chess to grow in this country. Later Mr. Ummer Koya has done tremendous work in the last decade.
The Hon. Secretary of the Sports Promotion Foundation Shri D.V. Sundar is a well- known promoter of the game of chess. Being the Vice- President of All India Chess Federation, it has given him access to the latest developments in the game world wide. He has the experience of organising the Worlds Candidates Match between Grandmasters Anand and Dreyev in 1991, the Asian Zonals, Nationals and FIDE Tournaments, the latest being the Pentamedia Grandmaster Chess Tournament during August 2000 which was a resounding success.
We have invited our Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr. J. Jayalalitha to distribute the medals and prize money to the winners on the final day. We are awaiting her response.
Doordarshan will cover the games on all days.
S.Ganesan
Chairman
Organising Committee