At a dinner to honour the 13^th edition of the Tradewise International Chess Festival, Tourism Minister Samantha Sacramento insisted that the event was a crucial event on the Rock, emphasizing the importance of successful event led tourism in Gibraltar.

Speaking at the dinner, held at the Rock Hotel’s Khaima, Ms Sacramento expressed how fortunate Gibraltar was to have the players as their guests. She touched upon the immense growth of the festival since its inauguration 2003. She further expressed how pleased she was with the strong emphasis afforded to women in the festival.

Organiser Brian Callaghan spoke of the top players’ average rating of 2731, making this the strongest leader board ever seen in Gibraltar. Mr. Callaghan paid tribute to the Government for their support of the event. The tournament has this year attracted 430 visitors.

The final speaker, President of the Association of Chess Professionals, Emil Sutovsky discussed the possibility of hosting an all women’s tournament on the Rock.