Garry Kasparov, Karpov, Korchnoi and Judit in Zurich

Celebrating 200 Years of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich — Events Begin on Sunday

Sunday, 9 August 2009, heralds the start of the events around the 200-year anniversary of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich. The events begin with the Jubilee-Open at the Kongresshaus Zürich.

For seven days, some 600 chess enthusiasts — worldclass players among them — will compete in the Open for CHF 100,000 in prize money. The celebration will reach its climax on 22/23 August 2009, when the world’s most renowned chess champions will launch a simultaneous exhibition and a rapid chess tournament at Zurich Main Station. Credit Suisse is the jubilee events’ main sponsor.

The Jubilee-Open, slated for 9 –15 August 2009 at the Kongresshaus Zürich, will bring almost 600 participants from 43 countries together, chess enthusiasts who range from occasional players through to world class champions such as Alexander Morozevich.

In the Alois Nagler Memorial (Master Tournament) 44 grandmasters und 46 international masters will compete for the CHF 75,000 prize money offered by the Alois Nagler Foundation.

In the Accentus (Swiss Chess) Open, the General Tournament, players will vie for the CHF 25,000 Accentus (Swiss Chess) has sponsored as a prize. The event is open to the public, and the top games will be broadcast live over the internet at www.sgzurich2009-live.ch. Chess enthusiasts can register through 8 August 2009 via the designated website at www.sgzurich2009.ch or on the day of the event on site.

Undoubtedly, the high point of the jubilee festivities will be events on 22/23 August 2009. It is on that weekend that the world’s best chess players of the last 50 years will assemble at Zurich Main Station and show their magic: Viswanathan Anand, Werner Hug, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Alexander Khalifman, Viktor Korchnoi, Vladimir Kramnik, Judit Polgar, Ruslan Ponomariov, Boris Spassky, Veselin Topalov will all be participating. On Saturday, 22 August 2009, eight of these champions will be playing in a simultaneous exhibition with 200 amateurs.

On the next day, Sunday, 23 August 2009, eight of these champions will compete against one another in a rapid chess tournament. Both events are open to the public.

As main sponsor of the jubilee, Credit Suisse continues a solid association with the Schachgesellschaft Zürich, one that, on the occasion of Credit Suisse’s recent 150-year anniversary in 2006, brought Kasparov, Karpov, Korchnoi und Judit Polgar to the “Chess Champions Day” in Zurich. Co-sponsor Swiss Re offers further support to the jubilee, as do four additional partners: the City of Zürich (which assumed the patronage of the event), the chess software enterprise Chessbase, the Accentus foundation (Swiss Chess) and the Alois Nagler Foundation.

For further information on the jubilee of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich, please visit www.sgzurich2009.ch and www.sgzurich2009-live.ch.

Dr. Christian Rohrer
Schachgesellschaft Zürich
Jubilee 2009
Communications
www.sgzurich2009.ch
www.sgzurich2009-live.ch