Jerry Bibuld announces field for GM-norm invitational

Friends in the World of Chess:

It is my great pleasure to announce that all 10 players in the
Generation Chess International Tournament may now be named. The average FIDE rating is 2480.7, so it qualifies as Cat. X, with a score of 6/9 earning a GM norm.

The tournament will start on Wednesday, 23 April, and conclude on Friday, 2 May. Saturday, 26 April, will be a free day. All games will be played at the
Marshall Chess Club, 23 West 10th Street, New York City. FIDE requires that the pairings be made at least 24 hours before the first round, so the Opening Ceremonies will be held on 22 April. Rounds will start at 1230 hours from Monday through Friday and at 1600 hours on Sunday. (All games will be "aired" on ICC.) The time controls will be at 40/2, G/40, with increments of 30 seconds after every completed move. The prize fund will be $1,000 for first place, $600 for second place and $400 for third place.

Players will be required to sign a contract that, under severe penalty, they will not offer draws before move 50 or claim draws by three fold repetition before move 50. In the case of triple repetition claims, the player will not be fined if (s)he can prove that not claiming the draw -- making a move to break the repetition -- would cause the player to enter an inferior position on the board. The penalty for a player offering a draw -- and the opponent accepting such an offer -- or a player claiming a draw by threefold repetition before the 50th move -- will be a fine of !0% of the appearance fee, if a GM, plus 10% of any prize money "won" by the offender(s). In addition, such player(s) would not be invited to future tournaments organized by the sponsors. (I believe there will be several tournaments organized on behalf these sponsors.) The fines, if any, will be paid to the American Foundation 4 Chess, which currently organizes the
U.S. Chess Championships.

I have checked with FIDE and been told that such regulations would be acceptable, provided the players were allowed to make a draw, if they insisted. It is urged, concerning the question of draws, that you read the article on draws by GM Maurice Ashley, now available at the website of The Week in Chess.

In addition, the players will be required to wear "proper attire". Essentially, "proper attire" means, for these sponsors, no jeans and no sneakers.

Following are the 10 players who will make up the tournament. They are listed in FIDE rating order, as of April 2003.

GM Jaan Ehlvest (EST) 2587
GM Leonid Yudasin (ISR -- former World Championship Candidate) 2558
IM Varuzhan Akobian (USA) 2547
GM Larry Christiansen (USA -- former U.S. Champ.) 2544
IM Eugene Perelshteyn (USA -- former U.S. Jr. Champ.) 2452
IM Mark Bluvshtein (CAN) 2451
IM Irina Krush (USA -- former U. S. Women's Champ.) 2431
IM William Paschall (USA) 2429
IM Amon Simutowe (ZAM -- Zambian Champ.) 2411
IM Elect Stephen Muhammad (USA) 2397

For religious considerations, GM Yudasin will not keep score or press the (digital) clocks on Wednesday, 23 April, or Thursday, 24 April. However, volunteers already have been selected to perform these tasks for him and 10 minutes will be deducted from his allowed time on each of these days.

I shall be Chief Arbiter.
John Fernandez, will be Deputy Arbiter. Ron Young and Larry Tamarkin, managers of the Marshall Chess club, will be available, as needed, to act as Assistant Arbiters.

If you have questions concerning the following, please feel free to call me at (914) 328-6138 -- my home -- or (917) 349-9844 -- my wireless number.


Fraternally,


Jerome Bibuld, IA
chessphoto@aol.com



Posted by The Chess Drum: 15 April 2003