Saturday, April 30, 2011

2011 Grand Pacific Open

6th Grand Pacific Open
April 22 - 25, 2011
Sponsored by Victoria Chess
A new undertaking for Goddesschess, we provided a modest prize fund this year for chess femmes playing in the Open.  Congratulations to WGM Nino Maisuradze for winning the Open with a perfect score of 6.0/6 - the first player to ever do this.

Here is a report from the organizers:

Well, the dust has settled on the 5th annual Grand Pacific Open. A record attendence was set (again!) at 104 players in the main event. We drew players from Europe, across the US, and across Canada. Something like 20+% of the players were out of province (and 80% not from Victoria). The tournament attracted it's first GM and WGM (the eventual winner) as well as a selection of national (and world) and provincial junior champions.

Side events at the GPO (free for participants in the main event) were again popular and included a scholastic event, active tournament, blitz, and bughouse (or double chess).

As always, the event was held at the Hotel Grand Pacific,, a very nice hotel located in Victoria's Inner Harbour next to the BC legislature and across the street from US ferry connections. All equipment was provided and $4250 in guaranteed prizes. Stay tuned for announcements on next year's event - same place, same time (Easter) 2012, same venue.

A big thank you to those to made donations to support the tournament and to our Sponsors:

Bernard Callebaut chocolates
Orca Spirit Whale watching tours
IMAX Theatre
Hotel Grand Pacific
MonRoi
Downtown Victoria Business Association
Bard and Banker Scottish pub
Goddess Chess

The main event was convincingly won by WGM Nino Maisuradze with a 6-0 score with wins against most of the highest rated players. Coming in with 5.5 points for second place was Vancouver junior Loren Brigham Laceste who despite his A class rating,, took out a number of masters and experts.

According to Brian Raymer, our contact at Victoria Chess:

Most registered players yet -- 104 (87 last year)
Most female players
First time a woman has won the GPO (maybe for any other major Canadian chess tournament)
Most US players
Most countries represented

The 2011 GPO has come to a close. WGM Nino Maisuradze won the event with a perfect 6-0 score. She becomes the first person to win the GPO with a perfect score.

Chess femmes who participated and their final standings:

Open:
(1) WGM Nino Maisuradze 2296 6.0/6 overall winner and winner of $70 Goddesschess prize
(12) WFM Valeria Ganswind 2318 4.0/6 $60 Goddesschess prize
(24) WCM Alexandran Botez 1994 3.5/6 $50 Goddesschess prize
(34) Sarah R. May 1696 3.5/6 $300 class prize and winner of $40 Goddesschess prize
(48) Alice Xiao 1769 3.0/6 $30 Goddesschess prize
(56) Lan Ma 1801 2.5/6
(62) Joanne Foote 1483 2.5/6
(70) Polly P. Wright 1657 2.0
(79) Jill Ding 1208 1.5

Reserve:
(5) Andrea Botez 743 3.5/6

Full standings at Monroi, one of the sponsors of this year's Grand Pacific Open. 

A couple of photos of the action taken by Julie and Beau Pulfer - I'm not able to identify the players, sorry:


1 comment:

Happy Valley Chess Club said...

Top picture: WGM Nino Maisuradze (France)
Bottom: Sarah May (Vancouver - WA)

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