Strongest ever Open tournament in Oceania?

[Javier]

The Sydney International Open is definitely going to be one of the strongest chess tournaments ever held in Oceania. This is an excellent opportunity to play against a field of World Class Grandmasters in what is known to be one of the most beautiful cities in this planet: Sydney!

The event will be held between Tuesday April 10th and Saturday April 14th.

 

Here's a list of some of the players that have already confirmed their entry:

 

01 GM Shipov, Sergei (2591 - RUS )

02. GM Mikhalevski, Victor (2590 - ISR )

03. IM Stojanovic, Mihajlo (2576 - SCG )

04. GM Timoshenko, Georgy (2563 - UKR )

05. GM Chandler, Murray G (2548 - ENG )

06. GM Matamoros Franco, Carlos S (2540 - ECU )

07. GM Rogers, Ian (2529 - AUS )

08. IM Smerdon, David (2460 - AUS )

09. IM Zhao, Zong-Yuan (2455 - AUS )

10. GM Johansen, Darryl K (2454 - AUS ) T

 

So far, there are 9 GM's. 6 IM's. 3 FM's. 1 WIM's. 1 WFM's. Opportunities for gaining/improving a FIDE rating are high and FIDE title opportunities (FM/IM/GM) could arise. All players are welcome!

 

Check out the official website

 

Airfares cost something like 1200 Euros from Europe, although you might be able to get something even cheaper (Airfrance offers some really good deals)

 

There's also a big open tournament in Thailand a few days before Sydney International, and another open tournament in Camberra (capital of Australia) a few days after, so you might wish to spend a short chess holiday

 

Here are some pictures I took in Sydney last year:

 

[Javier]

143 players are taking part in the event. The organizers are providing an excellent site with up to date information and games.

Check it out HERE!

[Javier]

GM Timoshenko wins SIO, GM Antic second (equal points).

 

1 	3 	GM Timoshenko, Georgy 	UKR 		2566 	0 	W113+	B 62+	W 47+	B 2=	W 16+	B 11+	W 7=	B 17+	W 3=	7.5
2 	10 	GM Antic, Dejan 	SCG 	Serbia and Montenegro 	2443 	2428 	B102+	W 50+	B 17+	W 1=	B 9+	W 7=	W 3=	B 13+	W 15+	7.5
3 	2 	GM Mikhalevski, Victor 	ISR 		2590 	0 	B 66+	W 28+	B 20-	W 50+	B 25+	W 22+	B 2=	W 8+	B 1=	7
4 	7 	IM Zhao, Zong-Yuan 	NSW 		2476 	2537 	W108+	B 44=	W 69+	W 20+	B 8=	B 19+	W 13=	B 7=	W 16+	7
5 	9 	GM Johansen, Darryl K 	VIC 		2456 	2467 	W 86+	B 38+	W 23+	B 16-	W 44=	B 56+	W 30=	B 31+	W 7+	7
6 	13 	IM Lane, Gary W 	NSW 		2421 	2452 	W 84+	B 39+	W 57+	B 7-	W 43-	B 69+	W 44+	B 21+	W 17+	7
7 	6 	GM Rogers, Ian 	NSW 		2513 	2621 	B 74+	W109+	B 37+	W 6+	W 15+	B 2=	B 1=	W 4=	B 5-	6.5
8 	12 	GM Bakre, Tejas 	IND 		2426 	0 	B 91+	W 33+	B 18+	W 10=	W 4=	B 44+	W 15=	B 3-	W 30+	6.5
9 	15 	IM Xie, George 	NSW 		2404 	2375 	W 90+	B 48+	W 65+	B 11=	W 2-	B 43+	W 24+	B 15=	W 10=	6.5
10 	5 	GM Matamoros Franco, Carlos S 	ECU 		2523 	0 	W106+	B 24+	W 32+	B 8=	W 19=	B 13-	W 27+	W 18+	B 9=	6.5
11 	8 	IM Smerdon, David C 	VIC 		2456 	2469 	B 98+	W 49+	B 31+	W 9=	B 21+	W 1-	B 18-	W 64+	B 36+	6.5
12 	11 	IM Solomon, Stephen J 	QLD 		2430 	2428 	W100+	B 34+	W 43+	B 15-	W 27+	B 17-	W 46+	B 19+	W 14=	6.5
13 	18 	FM Bjelobrk, Igor 	NSW 		2386 	2422 	B140+	W 18-	B 87+	W 64+	B 46+	W 10+	B 4=	W 2-	B 33+	6.5
14 	17 	FM Goldenberg, Igor 	VIC 		2388 	2368 	W 73+	B 53+	W 15-	B 38+	W 24=	B 34=	W 49+	B 23+	B 12=	6.5
15 	4 	GM Chandler, Murray G 	ENG 	England 	2548 	2566 	B 94+	W 46+	B 14+	W 12+	B 7-	W 49+	B 8=	W 9=	B 2-	6
16 	14 	IM Toth, Andras 	HUN 	Hungary 	2408 	2430 	B 71+	W 64+	B 52+	W 5+	B 1-	W 18=	B 21=	W 25+	B 4-	6
17 	28 	Rej, Tomek 	NSW 		2260 	2258 	B 99+	W 87+	W 2-	B 57+	B 26+	W 12+	B 20+	W 1-	B 6-	6
18 	55 	Oliver, Gareth 	ACT 	Norths 	2110 	2057 	W119+	B 13+	W 8-	B 32+	W 23+	B 16=	W 11+	B 10-	B 22=	6
19 	24 	IM Garbett, Paul 	NZD 	New Zealand 	2313 	2394 	B 77+	W 26=	B 40+	W 36+	B 10=	W 4-	B 50+	W 12-	B 51+	6
20 	16 	IM Ansell, Simon 	ENG 		2402 	0 	B118+	W 51+	W 3+	B 4-	W 30=	B 28+	W 17-	B 24=	W 46+	6
21 	25 	FM Smith, Robert W 	NZD 	New Zealand 	2294 	2285 	W 85+	B 81=	W 70+	B104+	W 11-	B 45+	W 16=	W 6-	B 50+	6
22 	21 	Ly, Moulthun 	QLD 	Sheldon College 	2322 	2260 	W 89+	B 57-	W 78+	B 39+	W 48+	B 3-	W 38+	B 30=	W 18=	6
23 	26 	Steadman, Michael 	NZD 	New Zealand 	2273 	2227 	B111+	W 82+	B 5-	W 67+	B 18-	W 26+	B 54+	W 14-	B 55+	6
24 	38 	Wallis, Christopher 	VIC 		2178 	2178 	B126+	W 10-	B 94+	W 52+	B 14=	W 37+	B 9-	W 20=	B 58+	6
25 	29 	Ayvazyan, Armen 	NSW 		2241 	2241 	W 63+	B 65-	W100+	B 68+	W 3-	B106+	W 48+	B 16-	W 60+	6
26 	63 	Hu, Jason 	NSW 		2038 	2066 	W117+	B 19=	W 29+	B 30=	W 17-	B 23-	W 90+	B 44+	W 43+	6
27 	31 	Pyke, Malcolm L 	VIC 		2235 	2135 	W 96+	B 45-	W 84+	B 65+	B 12-	W 83+	B 10-	W 54+	B 52+	6
28 	37 	Lin, Zhigen Wilson 	VIC 		2189 	2103 	W 60+	B 3-	W134+	B 45=	W 73+	W 20-	B 55=	B 81+	W 48+	6
29 	40 	Gutierrez Castillo, Paloma 	ESP 		2176 	0 	B107=	W 75+	B 26-	W 58=	B 71=	W 93+	B 82+	W 32=	W 47+	6
30 	32 	Chow, Samuel 	VIC 		2220 	2278 	B101+	W 35=	B 55+	W 26=	B 20=	W 33+	B 5=	W 22=	B 8-	5.5
31 	23 	Bucher, Denis 	SUI 		2315 	0 	W130+	B 68+	W 11-	B 48-	W 86+	B 67+	W 53+	W 5-	B 40=	5.5
32 	22 	FM Smirnov, Vladimir 	NSW 		2319 	2303 	B 76+	W 54+	B 10-	W 18-	W104+	B 59+	W 34=	B 29=	W 39=	5.5
33 	49 	Bernardino, Almario Marlon 	PHI 		2146 	0 	W 79+	B 8-	W 63=	B 61+	W 42+	B 30-	W 56+	B 35+	W 13-	5.5
34 	46 	Suttor, Vincent 	NSW 		2153 	2173 	B116+	W 12-	B 71+	W 37=	B 82+	W 14=	B 32=	W 36-	W 87+	5.5
35 	1 	GM Shipov, Sergei 	RUS 		2592 	0 	W 78+	B 30=	W 45+	B 44-	W 53=	B 51=	B 66+	W 33-	B 64+	5.5
36 	33 	Wright, Neil S 	NSW 	Newcastle 	2217 	2118 	W 61=	B 72+	W 81+	B 19-	W 45-	B113+	W 70+	B 34+	W 11-	5.5
37 	19 	IM West, Guy 	VIC 		2368 	2326 	W134+	B 59+	W 7-	B 34=	W 70+	B 24-	W 51-	B108+	W 69+	5.5
38 	44 	Ikeda, Junta 	ACT 	Norths 	2154 	2164 	B 93+	W 5-	B 74+	W 14-	B118+	W105+	B 22-	W 65=	B 71+	5.5
39 	48 	Wei, Michael 	ACT 	Actjcl 	2148 	2149 	B127+	W 6-	B111+	W 22-	B 58+	W 66-	B 74+	W 83+	B 32=	5.5
40 	45 	WIM Caoili, Arianne B 	QLD 		2153 	2196 	W104=	B 97+	W 19-	B 73-	W132+	B131+	W 61=	B 85+	W 31=	5.5
41 	27 	Stojic, Dusan 	VIC 		2271 	2223 	W131+	B 52-	W 86-	B 96+	W 84=	B 78+	W 45-	B 73+	W 68+	5.5
42 	34 	Tredinnick, Malcolm Robert 	NSW 		2205 	2137 	B 75-	W110+	B105+	W 82=	B 33-	W 84-	B130+	W 91+	B 65+	5.5
43 	30 	Repplinger, Marc 	GER 		2239 	0 	B 88+	W105+	B 12-	W 54+	B 6+	W 9-	B 64=	W 51=	B 26-	5
44 	42 	Chokshi, Manthan 	IND 		2168 	0 	B112+	W 4=	B 58+	W 35+	B 5=	W 8-	B 6-	W 26-	B 98+	5
45 	70 	Illingworth, Max 	NSW 		2007 	1963 	B139+	W 27+	B 35-	W 28=	B 36+	W 21-	B 41+	B 46-	W 62=	5
46 	39 	Yu, Ronald 	NSW 		2177 	2182 	W103+	B 15-	W 89+	B 86+	W 13-	B 68+	B 12-	W 45+	B 20-	5
47 	20 	FM Sales, Jesse Noel 	PHI 	Philippines 	2361 	2389 	B 92+	W 67+	B 1-	W 51+	B 49-	W 54-	B 84+	W 57+	B 29-	5
48 	50 	Lazarus, Benjamin 	QLD 	The Gap A 	2140 	1981 	B132+	W 9-	B124+	W 31+	B 22-	W 74+	B 25-	W 66+	B 28-	5
49 	43 	Atzmon-Simon, Barak 	NSW 		2157 	2080 	W142+	B 11-	W 85+	B130+	W 47+	B 15-	B 14-	W 52-	W 84+	5
50 	47 	Cunanan, Homer 	PHI 		2150 	0 	W122+	B 2-	W131+	B 3-	W 90+	B 65+	W 19-	B 61+	W 21-	5