Hou Yifan

It is not unusual for promising young players taking part in events of the “Schachgesellschaft Zürich” to go on to reach the heights of world chess. Bobby Fischer, who played the 150th anniversary tournament in 1959, became World Chess Champion in 1972. Will the young Hou Yifan step into his shoes? Nobody knows. But she has already come a long way: At only 15, she is Women's World Chess Vice Champion, has the men’s Grandmaster title and is close to Elo 2600. Further, she is No. 22 on the Zurich Jubilee-Open’s registration list which includes more than 40 grandmasters and over 100 titled players. On guard, then, if you are sitting across from a cheerful young lady with two barrettes! Attacking play is another of Hou Yifan’s trademarks, and a skill with which top grandmasters like Short, Vallejo Pons and Sasikiran are already painfully familiar.

We'd like to thank New Voice International AG  and Hotel Seehof, part of Meili Unternehmungen in Zurich, for their generous support which allowed us to invite Hou Yifan to the Jubilee-Open.

Alexander Morozevich

World class chess players will compete at the Schachgesellschaft Zürich's Jubilee-Open from 9 to 15 August 2009 at the Kongresshaus.
New on the participant's list are Alexander Morozevich, highly regarded for his spectacular and unorthodox playing style, and Chinese prodigy Hou Yifan. The chess club's jubilee events culminate in the Champions Simultan and the Champions Rapid on 22/23 August, when World Champions like Anand and Kasparov will play at Zurich Main Station.
Alexander Morozevich, 31-year-old Muscovite chess wizard, is the top candidate at the Alois Nagler Memorial, the Master Tournament of the Jubilee-Open. He participated already twice at the FIDE World Chess Championship and heads an array of grandmasters at the Zurich event. Among them are two 15-year-olds: the Chinese Hou Yifan, 3rd on the women's world ranking list and Women's World Chess Vice Champion, and Anish Giri, the world’s youngest grandmaster. Experienced players like Alexey Dreev, Artur Yusupov and Lajos Portisch, who played at the World Championship Candidates Tournaments in the past, will also be competing. 199 players appear on the participant's list of the Alois Nagler Memorial, which is endowed with CHF 75'000 in prize money by the Alois Nagler Foundation.
The Accentus (Swiss Chess) Open, the general tournament for players with 2050 ELO or less, enjoys great popularity also. 146 players have registered already, among them many juniors and seniors. They will compete for many attractive prizes awarded to the 16 best contestants, and to the best in their age- and rating-group. Single prizes will be as high as CHF 4'000, the total summoning up to CHF 25'000, all donated by Accentus (Swiss Chess).
Tournament organiser Georg Kradolfer expects 500-600 players altogether. The Jubilee-Open will therefore be one of the big chess events of this year. To offer good playing conditions to all participants, the tournament will not take place as planned in the Garden Room, but at the bigger Convention Hall of Kongresshaus Zürich.
To register for the Jubilee-Open online and for further information concerning the Schachgesellschaft Zürich's Jubilee-Open please visit this page