is the sponsor of the nationwide chess Grand Prix
tournaments.
9th May 2010.
Two tournaments have been held since my last Grand Prix update – the Oceania Senior
Championship (incorporating the NZ Senior Champs) and the North Island Rapid Championship,
both Class 2 events.
Leading scores:
North Island Rapid, Hamilton – G. Jones (Eng) 6/6 1, S. Wagner (5) 2, N. Pinic (4.5) 3,
J. Duneas, P. Garbett, D. Han, A. Ansell, H. Gao, H. Marko, R. Gibbons, R. Dare,
J. Kennedy (4) 4-12 … 37 players.
NI Junior Tournament – M. Shewan (6/6) 1, A. Ang, L. Xiong, Joseph Chen, S. Lockwood-Geck,
E. Han (4) 2-6 … 13 players.
Oceania Senior Championships, Christchurch – B. Jones (Aus) 5.5/7 1, W. Lynn (5) 2,
P. Fraemohs, P. Stuart, D. Lovejoy (Aus), N. Cooper, F. Hutchings (Aus), L. Cornford (4.5)
3-8 … 21 players.
The leader has changed in only one division – the Seniors – where Bob Mitchell and
Jim Cater are now tied at the top. NZ Senior Champion William Lynn comes in at 8th, while
the emergence of several previously unknown Seniors has also caused some movement, with
Peter Fraemohs debuting in 6th place..
In the Open, Paul Garbett moves up a place to 3rd, while Noel Pinic comes in at eighth.
Pinic also jumps from 5th to 3rd in the U2000, where Stefan Wagner debuts at number 10.
James Kennedy climbs two spots to 4th in the U1700, and comes in at 10th in the U1400
and 7th in the Junior division.
The only change in the Female division is Lilian Dare’s appearance at 10th equal.
E. Han moves up a place to 7th in the U14 and U1400 division, while M. Shewan comes in at
10th. However some GP points are still to be awarded in this section from the North Island
Rapid, as birthdates have not yet been supplied.
Grand Prix Leaders:
Open: N. Croad 35, J. Duneas 32.11, P. Garbett 31.11, A. Ker 29.75, G. Thornton 28,
M. Steadman 25.75, D. Han 24.61, N. Pinic 21.1, R. Smith 20, L. McLaren 19.5.
U2000: E. Tanoi 65.17, H. Gao 53.5, N. Pinic 42, A. Ansell 37.8, D. Runcan 34.9,
X. Jashari 20, H. Vital 17.67, R. Taylor 15.9, E. Chen, S. Wagner 15.
U1700: Luke Li 55.1, S. Lyall 37.5, W. Li 36.2, J. Kennedy 35, M. Budd 32.9,
T. Gothorp 23.3, Shirley Wu 22.5, D. Rong 17.5, G. Chen, Sharon Wu 17.4.
U1400: D. Rong 81, W. Zhang 39.5, A.G. Li 31.5, H. Kolev 27, J. Ansell 19.5, C. Fan,
A. Pendharkar 17.5, S. Yang 16.5, J. Chen 15.5, I. Geddes-Cook, J. Kennedy 15.
Junior: H. Gao 76.5, M. Krstev 63.5, L. Li 53, A. Ansell 47.5, D. Shen 37, D. Rong 33,
J. Kennedy 30.5, W. Li 27, E. Chen 22.25, J. Li, C. Fan 17.5.
Senior: R. Mitchell, J. Cater 62.5, R. Taylor 59.5, L. Cornford 57.25, P. Stuart 49.5,
P. Fraemohs 42.75, N. Cruden 30.5, W. Lynn 28.75, W. Power 27.25, P. Young 20.
Female: H. Milligan 89.5, N. Tsoi 68.5, Sharon Wu 37.5, J. Li 35.5, E. Chen 35,
Shirley Wu 25, K. Qiu 24, C. Fan, E. Charamova 17.5, V. Smith, S. Maroroa, L. Dare 15.
U14 & U1400: D. Rong 87, A. G. Li 47, W. Zhang 44, J. Chen 43.95, C. Fan 29, H. Kolev 27,
E. Han 24.7, S. Liang 20, Scott Yang 16.5, M. Shewan 15.
Don’t be shy if you have turned or are turning 60 (men) or 50 (women). Please advise me so
that you can be included in the Senior division. Tournament officials, I still need those
junior birthdates in any results please.
I am still having to track down some upcoming events myself; organisers, please tell me
about your Grand Prix tournament and the details.
Slow notification of results and missing player details have been making my job difficult
lately. Please organisers/club officials help me by abiding by the GP rules “Tournament
Organisers’ Responsibilities - To advise the Grand Prix Administrator of the complete
results within a fortnight of the completion of the tournament (the sooner the better)”
and by filling in juniors’ birthdates! (and seniors when they are new).
I would also remind organisers to advise me of any Grand Prix events at least a month
beforehand so they can be advertised. Too many clubs seem to be relying upon me to hunt out
details of their events from somewhere else.
For complete GP points and totals go to www.newzealandchess.co.nz where Helen Milligan
kindly regularly updates them.
Yours for chess
Bob Smith
Grand Prix Administrator
25th January 2010.
As announced last year, NZCF Council had reached an agreement with Millennium Hotels and Resorts
to extend the sponsorship deal for the nationwide chess Grand Prix until the end of 2010.
A "Memorandum of Understanding" with the Millennium Hotels and Resorts Group was signed by
NZCF President Paul Spiller. Click the above link and have a look at some of the excellent
accommodation available for future chess tournaments.
Paul Spiller
Photo by Stan Yee
Grand Prix Season
The Millennium Hotels NZ Chess Grand Prix for 2010 officially begins on January 1, 2010 and will end
with the final Grand Prix event held before December 31, 2010.
Tournament Categories
There are four tournament categories, based on the total prize-fund offered.
Super Class – prize-fund $4,000 or more
Class 1 - prize fund $1,400 to less than $4,000
Class 2 - prize fund $700 to less than $1,400
Class 3 - prize fund $300 to less than $700
Grand Prix Points
Grand Prix points are awarded as follows:
Super Class: 1st 25, 2nd 20, 3rd 15, 4th 12, 5th 9.
Class 1: 1st 20, 2nd 15, 3rd 12, 4th 9, 5th 6.
Class 2: 1st 15, 2nd 12, 3rd 9, 4th 6, 5th 4.
Class 3: 1st 12, 2nd 9, 3rd 6, 4th 4, 5th 3.
In the case of ties, Grand Prix points will be shared and rounded to two decimal places.
Grand Prix Prizes
Open: 1st $750 2nd $500 3rd $400 4th $300 5th $200
Under 2000: 1st $400 2nd $300 3rd $200 4th $100
Under 1700: 1st $350 2nd $250 3rd $150 4th $75
Under 1400 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 4th $50
Junior: 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 4th $50
Female: 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 4th $50
Senior: 1st $300 2nd $200 3rd $100 4th $50
Under 14 & U1400 1st $150 2nd $100 3rd $50
Special prizes: Best non-prize-winning North Islander outside Auckland and Wellington
$50. Best non-prize-winning South Islander $50.
Eligibility
Only New Zealand citizens and residents can win Grand Prix points.
A player can win only one prize, but may compete in any number of divisions for which
he/she is eligible.
He/she will be allocated the largest prize won at the end of
the season or, in the case of prizes of equal value, the prize for the division where
he/she finished in the higher placing. If the eligible prize and placing are equal,
the player shall be awarded the prize from the division contested by the most players.
Rating Regulations
Ratings for grade divisions are based on players’ standard ratings in the most recently
published official NZCF list prior to the start of the Grand Prix i.e. November 2008.
Grand Prix points will be awarded in qualifying rating divisions, regardless of whether
players win prizes at an individual tournament.
A player’s best five events are counted towards his/her totals; these cannot include
more than three class 3 tournaments or more than 3 rapid events.
There is no differentiation between points offered at standard and rapid events.
Juniors are under 20 on 1 January, 2010.
Seniors are 60 or over on 1 January, 2010, or in the case of females, 50 or over.
Tournaments where entry is restricted by factors other than rating are not eligible
for grand prix points, except where there is a specified Grand Prix category e.g.
female, junior, senior.
In divisions where fewer than five qualifying events are held during the year, no
prizes will be paid out.
Where players choose to compete in a tournament with a rating category above their
level, they are not eligible for any Grand Prix points in their division.
An internal club tournament may earn Grand Prix points under the following conditions:
it is open to anyone in the country and publicised to all clubs, it can only be a
class 3 event, and the appropriate Grand Prix levy must be paid. N.B. A club may hold
a maximum of two internal Grand Prix events during the year.
Grand Prix Levies:
Tournaments included in the Grand Prix pay the following levies to NZCF
Auckland or Wellington:
Super Class: $200
Class 1: $150
Class 2: $100
Class 3: $ 50
All other areas:
Super Class: $180
Class 1: $130
Class 2: $ 80
Class 3: $ 30
These discounts recognise that Auckland and Wellington can claim a significant preponderance
of New Zealand’s chess population. They aim to encourage maximum participation in the Grand
Prix.
Multi-tier Events
Where tournaments are effectively several different restricted events, only one levy is payable,
based on the total prize-fund e.g. the New Zealand Championship and Major Open attract only one
levy, as they run concurrently and cater for different rating groups. They are both regarded as
being in the same category, based on the combined prize-fund. However the New Zealand Rapid
Championship is regarded as a separate tournament, as it is run at a different time and is open
to all players. It attracts a separate levy, as do the North and South Island Rapid
Championships.
Official NZCF Tournaments
All official NZCF Tournaments held before December 31, 2009 are automatically included
in the 2009 Grand Prix. These are:
The New Zealand Championship
The New Zealand Major Open
The New Zealand Rapid Championship
The North Island Championship
The North Island Rapid Championship
The South Island Championship
The South Island Rapid Championship
The New Zealand Junior Championship
The New Zealand Junior Rapid Championship
The New Zealand Women’s Championship
The New Zealand Seniors’ Championship
===========================================================================
Tournament Organisers’ Responsibilities
To advise the Grand Prix Administrator at least one month before a tournament that it
will be a Grand Prix event, pay the relevant NZCF levy and provide the name and contact
details of a person responsible for ensuring a tournament report and games are
forwarded to the “NZ Chess” magazine within a fortnight of the completion of the event.
To ensure the Grand Prix and Grand Prix sponsor is mentioned on tournament entry forms.
To endeavour to publicise the Grand Prix and sponsor’s name in any media coverage.
To make the most recent Grand Prix standings available to tournament participants
at the start of the event.
To advise the Grand Prix Administrator of the complete results within a fortnight
of the completion of the tournament (the sooner the better).
Grand Prix Administrator
The Grand Prix administrator for 2010 is FM Bob Smith. He will be responsible for:
Updating the Grand Prix standings as soon as possible after each tournament.
Making the current Grand Prix standings available to organisers prior to the start
of their tournaments.
Ensuring the current standings are publicised in NZCF bulletins, in “NZ Chess”, and on
www.nzchess.co.nz website of the New Zealand Chess Federation.
Bob Smith can be contacted by
Phone: (07) 575 5845 or 0274 786 282
Email: Caissa@xtra.co.nz
Postal: For postal enquiries or information - 3 Acacia Court, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga 3116
