2014 Grand Pacific Open

Hola everyone!  This year's Grand Pacific Open takes place April 18 - 21, 2014 in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

As you know, Goddesschess is funding prizes for the chess femmes again this year and providing a little extra to help defer some costs. 

Website.

It's just a few weeks away now, woo woo!  Someday perhaps I will be able to travel to British Columbia, I really would like to see that part of the world. 

So far there are 89 pre-registered players in the Premier and U1800 Sections, plus another 15 players in the YCC.  The highest rated female players are WGM Katerine Rohonyan, who lives in Seattle, Washington (USA) FIDE 2299, CFC 2351 and Alice Xiao, FIDE 1874, CFC 2007, living in Vancouver.  I did not see WFM Chouchanik Airapetian's name on the list, so she must have withdrawn.  Darn.  No re-match of the two top female players from last year's event after all.

But this also opens up the possibility for other chess femmes to win Goddesschess prizes!

Stay tuned.  As we are still quite a way out from final registration I won't have a full list of female competitors for awhile yet. Last year, Rohonyan finished in 4th place in the Open with 4.5/6, just out of tournament prize money (but she won top Goddesschess prize). 

There is a Facebook page. 

Rah rah rah, chess femmes!  I'm looking forward to following the action :)

8th Annual Grand Pacific Open

Goddesschess is once again a proud sponsor of the Grand Pacific Open that takes place in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada).  This year it's on for April 18 - 21, 2014.

The tournament will once again be hosted at the spectacular Grand Pacific Hotel in downtown Victoria, BC. 

You can get all of the tournament details online, and also register online (please do). 

Goddesschess funds separate prizes for the top five finishing female chessplayers as well as funding to help defer the expenses of a WGM to play at the GPO.  Traditionally, the Grand Pacific Open has had a great turn-out of female chessplayers.  That is one reason we are proud to offer sponsorship to this Canadian event, beginning with the 2011 Grand Pacific Open.  As some of you may know, Don McLean, who was an integral part of Goddesschess and webmaster of the Goddesschess website for many years, was a Canadian, and we stretched our dollars to provide funds to both Canadian and American events. Don died in 2012, but his memory lives on in Goddesschess.

In 2014, the GPO is featuring two veterans from U.S. Women's Chess Championships:  WGM Katerina Rohonyan and WFM Chouchanik Airpetian -- both returning to the 2014 GPO!  Rohonyan and Airpetian made their first appearances and faced off against each other at the 2013 Grand Pacific Open, where Rohonyan bested Airpetian and took the top women's prize.  Will Airpetian get revenge this year, hmmm?

I hope you all will support this great regional event that draws players from far and wide.  GM Hikaru Nakamura played in the GPO a few years ago.  You never know who may show up...