FIDE Grand Prix 2014-2015

[Chris Rice]

The first in the series of 4 starts on Wednesday. http://baku2014.fide.com/en/main-page/1 ... 15-in-baku

[MJMcCready]

The first in the series of 4 starts on Wednesday. http://baku2014.fide.com/en/main-page/1 ... 15-in-baku

Does anyone know what the venue will be, I can't find it posted anywhere.

[Mick Norris]

Dominguez has swapped events with Giri and will play in Baku

http://baku2014.fide.com/en/players

[Mick Norris]

The first in the series of 4 starts on Wednesday. http://baku2014.fide.com/en/main-page/1 ... 15-in-baku

Does anyone know what the venue will be, I can't find it posted anywhere.

Not sure if this helps

the opening ceremony will be held at the Cultural Center of the Ministry of National Security

from
http://www.chess.az/newsitem.html?id=8571

EDIT also see
https://twitter.com/Chess__News/status/ ... 6274731008

[Chris Rice]

The first in the series of 4 starts on Wednesday. http://baku2014.fide.com/en/main-page/1 ... 15-in-baku

Does anyone know what the venue will be, I can't find it posted anywhere.

Not sure if this helps

the opening ceremony will be held at the Cultural Center of the Ministry of National Security

from
http://www.chess.az/newsitem.html?id=8571

EDIT also see
https://twitter.com/Chess__News/status/ ... 6274731008

Yes that's a bit odd and no doubt we'll find out today or tomorrow as the event gets going but the Russian text translates to "Baku Hilton in anticipation. Tomorrow - the official arrival of participants Grand Prix." which might be indicative that its the Baku Hilton rather than the Cultural Event Centre advertised on the official site where the GP is to be played?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Cultural Center of the Ministry of National Security"

Interesting title - suggests an art gallery and concert theatre for off-duty spies.

[Mick Norris]

Yes that's a bit odd and no doubt we'll find out today or tomorrow as the event gets going but the Russian text translates to "Baku Hilton in anticipation. Tomorrow - the official arrival of participants Grand Prix." which might be indicative that its the Baku Hilton rather than the Cultural Event Centre advertised on the official site where the GP is to be played?

On the other hand, the Hilton might just be where the players are staying? Of course, having an opening ceremony in the "Cultural Event Centre" (as Google translate has it) and the main event elsewhere makes sense too

[Roger de Coverly]

On the other hand, the Hilton might just be where the players are staying? Of course, having an opening ceremony in the "Cultural Event Centre" (as Google translate has it) and the main event elsewhere makes sense too

For an organisation that would show how it should be done to make chess a spectator sport, they, Agon, do not do terribly well on even the basics such as announcing in advance where events will be held.

[Mick Norris]

My favourite bit of the website is this
http://baku2014.fide.com/en/organisers

which currently has the Organisers listed as

..

[Chris Rice]

Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan
http://www.mns.gov.az/en/
Here's a picture of the building. Nothing about chess on their website. Last press release was a few days ago when they stopped some drugs shipment coming in from Iran. Apparently the place has some real chess pedigree as it housed the USSR Championships in 1961 (won by Spassky with 14.5/20 or at least one of the versions, there appears to have been another USSR Championship in Moscow in 1961 which was won by Petrosian with 13.5/19 - wonder what was going on there? Anyway this was the same year Botvinnik retook the title back from Tal with a 13-8 victory also in Moscow) and 1972 (won by Tal with 15/21 - the year of the Fischer-Spassky match).

[MJMcCready]

I called the hotel and even they didn't know. Not what you would expect from a Hilton.

[Chris Rice]

Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan
http://www.mns.gov.az/en/
Here's a picture of the building. Nothing about chess on their website. Last press release was a few days ago when they stopped some drugs shipment coming in from Iran. Apparently the place has some real chess pedigree as it housed the USSR Championships in 1961 (won by Spassky with 14.5/20 or at least one of the versions, there appears to have been another USSR Championship in Moscow in 1961 which was won by Petrosian with 13.5/19 - wonder what was going on there? Anyway this was the same year Botvinnik retook the title back from Tal with a 13-8 victory also in Moscow) and 1972 (won by Tal with 15/21 - the year of the Fischer-Spassky match).

Kirsan mentioned Spassky and Tal in his opening ceremony speech at the mysterious building. http://en.chessbase.com/post/baku-grand ... s-tomorrow

Still not 100% sure that the Cultural event center is the same as the Ministry of National of Security of Azerbaijan building but who cares, at least the event looks like it about to get underway so here are the juicy pairings for Round 1:

Dominguez - Kasimdzhanov

Tomashevsky - Grischuk

Karjakin - Caruana

Gelfand - Andreikin

Nakamura - Svidler

Mamedyarov - Radjabov


Games due to start at 11am BST. Its over 11 rounds with the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 60 minutes being added at that point and then each player will be allotted 15 minutes after the second time control and an increment of 30 seconds per move will be allowed from move 61 onwards.

Here's a link to the Live Games feed, assuming it works of course: http://baku2014.fide.com/en/component/c ... 15-in-baku

[NickFaulks]

Kirsan mentioned Spassky and Tal in his opening ceremony speech at the mysterious building.

He then said "I hope that one of the participants of the Baku Grand Prix will also become a world champion one day.”

I wonder what Kasimdzhanov thought about that.

[MJMcCready]

He probably thought this is what happens when you are abducted by aliens.

[Chris Rice]

Agreed, as I understand it, memory wiping your abductees is de rigeur if you want to be taken seriously as an alien abductor which explain's Kirsan's slip on Kasimdzhanov. Meanwhile Mamedyarov - Radjabov have halved out in 31 moves.