10th Annual Grand Pacific Open

Goddesschess has provided funds for the Grand Pacific Open since 2011, and now here we are, with the 10th annual tournament coming up fast!

Here's the website for all the details, registration info, hotel info, etc.

This year's GPO will be held once again in beautiful Victoria, BC, Canada, over the Easter weekend, March 25 - 28, 2016.  Six-round FIDE and CFC rated Swiss tournament.  Guaranteed prize fund of $5,000.  Goddesschess prizes for the chess femmes are in addition to any other prizes for which female players may qualify.

This year WGM Nino Maisuradze is returning to Victoria, hooray! She won the event in 2011 and came in second the next year (2012) when GM Hikaru Nakamura made an unexpected appearance and took the top spot.

WGM Maisuradze together with GM Alexandr Fier will be participating in a simul on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 6:30 p.m., cost is $10/person, on-site registration at 6:15 p.m. -- come one, come all!  It's not often you get to test your mettle against such high calibre players.

Organizers have told me that registration has already broken their record and this event promises to be he largest ever, hooray!

We are always thrilled to see how many chess femmes come out to play in great local events like the Grand Pacific Open.  This is why we direct our funding toward such events, three events annually in my hometown of Milwaukee that are organized by my adopted chess club (Southwest Chess Club located in Hales Corners, Wisconsin), the annual GPO in BC organized by Victoria Chess, and the annual Montreal Open Chess Championship in Quebec, this year organized by the Association des E'tudiant de l'ETS.

Ladies, let's make this the best turn-out year ever for chess femmes at all our Goddesschess sponsored events!