HCM CITY — The 9th HD Bank International Chess Tournament 2019 opened on Thursday in HCM City with the attendance of many representatives of the city and foreign consulates.

The event is known as one of the highest quality tournaments in the region, bringing together 304 master chess players from 28 countries and territories around the world, including super Grandmasters (GM) ranked in the top 100 of the world, with an average Elo coefficient of 2,314.

The players are competing for one week at the Rex Hotel in HCM City for the highest number of awards ever, with total prizes worth US$60,000, an increase of about US$5,000 compared to last year.

As many as 148 participants are competing in the Master’s category for athletes who have Elo ratings (a standard measure for evaluating a player’s strength) of 2,100 for men and 2,000 for women, reflecting their world-class abilities.

The rest will take part in the Challenger’s discipline.

Players will play nine matches. The winner of the Master’s pool will win US$16,000 while the Challenger’s champion will bag $1,200.

Lê Thành Trung, deputy general director of HD Bank and deputy president of the Việt Nam Chess Federation, said: “With what the HDBank Cup International Open Chess Tournament has achieved, I believe that in the future Việt Nam will gain even more success in this tournament.”

This year’s tournament has attracted many talented players, including Wang Hao (China), Mareco Sandro (Argentina), Demchenko Anton (Russia), Cheparinov Ivan (Georgia), and Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn (Việt Nam).

Talented female players inlude Stefanova Antoaneta (Bulgaria), Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim (Uzbekistan), Bulmaga Irina (Romania), Sukandar Irine Kharisma (Indonesia), and Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên (Việt Nam).

The tournament also has a lucky draw for chess lovers in which participants choose a number from 001 to 999 on the HDbank Facebook fanpage and guess which country will be a champion.

The lucky draw prizes are an Iphone MS Mas and 99 Việt Nam Chess Team jackets.

Chess lovers can find more information for the event at www.chess.hdbank.com.vn and www.vietnamchess.vn.

Matches are being broadcast online at www.livegame.vietnamchess.vn. 

The HDBank International Chess Tournament 2019 was sponsored by Rex Hotel Saigon, VOI (Vietnam Oman Investment), Vietjet Air, Phú Long, and HD SAISON. VOI has accompanied the tournament for the last two years (2018 and 2019). — VNS