Jan 24 - Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Tournament Opening Ceremony
The opening night of the Tradewise Gibraltar International Chess Festival is always hectic – arrival, registration and of course catching up with old friends. This year it felt extra special as the festival prepares to celebrate its 15th birthday.
The Caleta Hotel was buzzing as players, guests, organisers and sponsors gathered for the opening ceremony of the 2017 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival last night. The proceedings got off to a fine start with a performance from pipers and a drummer from the Gibraltar Sea Scout Band.
The first of the pairings was drawn – with the help of Miss Gibraltar 2016 Kayley Mifsud – to determine who would play the top seed in this year’s tournament, World No. 2, Fabiano Caruana. He will play white against FM Rakesh Kumar Jena.
Gibraltar’s Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Steven Linares, said he was proud to be celebrating 15 years of chess on the Rock.
Mr Linares commented it was a great honour for him to be back as Minister at the Caleta Hotel to inaugurate the festival for his fifth consecutive year and to celebrate the 15th birthday of the tournament.
“It is a special year and we are really proud to have been here for 15 years.”
“We are one of the biggest open tournaments in the world,” he said.
Mr Linares proudly stated how chess had also taken off on the Rock, especially in schools.
“Children in schools have really engaged in chess. It is becoming a popular game. I know there are many of you who live and work at playing chess professionally, there are many who love it as sport.”
He called on everyone present to take this message back to their countries that chess can be a game played by all: “everybody can play chess.”
He was joined by Miss Gibraltar 2016 Kayley Mifsud who drew the pairings for the top boards in the first day of competition today.
The Gibraltar Masters starts at 3pm and the team will be going live once again from the studio at the Caleta Hotel with Grand Master Simon Williams and International Master and current British Women’s Champion Jovanka Houska.
There are more than 250 chess players in the Tradewise Gibraltar Masters this year with some 400 players as part of the festival. Once again more than 50 countries are represented.
Pics: Top: Miss Gibraltar 2016 Kayley Mifsud, with World No.2 and the top seed at this year’s Festival Fabiano Caruana. Miss Gibraltar helped draw the pairings at the opening ceremony for the top boards on the first day. Pic: Sophie Triay.
Middle: Pipers and drummer of the Gibraltar Sea Scouts opening the proceedings. Pic: Sophie Triay
Bottom: Tournament director, Stuart Conquest, Gibraltar’s Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Steven Linares, , Miss Gibraltar 2016 Kayley Mifsud, World No.2 Fabiano Caruana, Tradewise Chairman James Humphreys, Organiser Brian Callaghan. Pic: Sophie Triay.
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