My homies at the ICC sent on this press release, and in the interest of jingoistic July 4th solidarity, I'm breaking with my usual high ethical laziness standards and running it complete.
The Internet Chess Club, in conjunction with Chess Tigers, organizers of the popular annual Mainz Chess Classic in Germany, are offering a unique chance to play in a free online qualifier to win a round trip ticket, 600 Euro ($811) cash, hotel room and breakfast at the Hilton Mainz Hotel, by the banks of the Rhine, just 1 block from the picturesque Old Town, from August 15 to 20 (5 nights and 6 days!). You will also receive an automatic seat into two of the biggest and most prestigious series of rapid chess tournaments in the world, playing alongside many of the game's top grandmasters: the 6th FiNet Open, the world's biggest Chess960 (FischerRandom) tournaments, and the 14th ORDIX Open, one of the biggest and strongest rapid tournaments in the world.
While there, you will also have the best seats in the house for the main evening attraction of two intriguing 6-game matches: Vishy Anand vs. Rustam Kasimdzhanov for the Grenkeleasing World Rapid Championship, and Levon Aronian vs. Etienne Bacrot, for the FiNet Chess960 World Rapid Championship. [sic] To win this exclusive offer, you will need to play in a series of Chess960 ICC online qualifiers 7-12 July, with the final 32-player KO running 14-15 July - further details here. This event is only open to ICC members and for those who sign up NOW for a free trial membership of the ICC - so don't delay, sign-up here today!
For further information: John Henderson, jbhthescots@chessclub.com, Tel: +1 (817) 347-9593
It's actually not matches this year. There are two mini-tournaments with the same four players: Anand, Aronian, Kasimdzhanov, and Bacrot. One is Chess960 and the other normal rapid. I went to the official site to confirm that but none of the PDF files with the schedules and other info work. They all produce errors. But the interview with Anand on the main page mentions the new format.
This is an interesting event, but I'm more in tournament chess ;)
Two interesting things said by Anand in his interview:
"There will be a World Championship in Mexico, and the winner will be the World Champion. But I have no idea what will happen next year."
"We need a tournament in which the very best players of the world, together with the reigning World Champion, determine the next World Champion. I believe that a tournament is the best way to determine who will be the next World Champion."
[1]
Hans-Walter Schmitt is running a clever promotion with ICC. He is promoting the Chess Tigers' annual August chess960 tournament, and chess960 itself; all for 600 euros.
One move per day chess960 can be played for free on MrFixItOnline.com (along with many other games).
[2]
Regarding the Tournament World Chess Champion concept...
http://members.aol.com/graemecree/chesschamps/worldtourney/index.htm
The players ranked 2,4,6 in the world are not allowed to play in Mexico 2007's so-called "world champtionship" tournament: Topalov, Ivanchuk, Mamedyarov.
Did not Kramnik just beat Anand et al by a full point in the Dortmund tournament? Why should a different Mexico 2007 take precedence?
What do you mean, "not allowed?" The Topalov-Kramnik match was well-covered, I believe. Ivanchuk and Mamedyarov both lost in the qualifier event for Mexico, the World Cup. If you are just going to take the top eight from the rating list there's no need for qualifiers at all. The entire point is to have a world championship cycle that means something more than the usual tournaments. It's about winning when it matters most, and Ivanchuk and Mamedyarov didn't do that. I'm more annoyed at Svidler, Morozevich, and Anand being there without having to qualify. I'd rather have matches than another tournament, but that's another matter.
Mig wrote:
{
Ivanchuk and Mamedyarov both lost in the qualifier event for Mexico, the World Cup.
}
Fair point Mig, about Ivanchuk & Mamedyarov. I only went back as far as their absence from the 16 players in the candidates' matches:
(from http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2006/11/remember_the_candidates.htm)
CANDIDATES' MATCHES:
1. Levon Aronian (ARM) - 16.Magnus Carlsen (NOR)
2. Peter Leko (HUN) - 15.Mikhail Gurevich (TUR)
3. Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - 14.Sergey Rublevsky (RUS)
4. Boris Gelfand (ISR) - 13.Rustam Kasimjanov (UZB)
5. Etienne Bacrot (FRA) - 12.Gata Kamsky (USA)
6. Alexander Grischuk (RUS) - 11.Vladimir Malakhov (RUS)
7. Judit Polgar (HUN) - 10.Evgeny Bareev (RUS)
8. Alexei Shirov (ESP) - 9.Michael Adams (ENG)
I should have reread the convoluted details at the following link. I had mis-memorized the paragraph about Ivanchuk ("If you are Vassily Ivanchuk, then you probably bitterly regret not being rated one point higher"):
http://www.chessbase.com/eventarticle.asp?newsid=2791
WCChamp cycles necessarily take months and years. This can lead to an improving player being highly ranked yet absent from the current cycle.