‘Triumph’ as city marks up chess success

Sep 12 2007 by Paula Owens, Liverpool Daily Post

PLANNING has started for a major international chess event in Liverpool next year after this year’s hugely- successful chess tournament in the city.

Organisers declared the competit- ion “a real triumph”, with over 12m hits on the website and many people visiting St George’s Hall to watch the games.

The 2007 tournament ended on Sunday, with China beating the UK team 28-20 to win the new Liverpool Trophy, and Germany’s Daniel Fridman winning the International Open, which attracted entrants from more than 20 countries.

Tournament organiser Professor David Robertson, head of the Public Policy Institute at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “It is hard to describe just how successful the event has been.

“In chess terms, it was world-class, and in terms of how people perceive the city, it was a real triumph.

“More than 12m hits were recorded on the website in five days.”

Prof Robertson said last year’s inaugural event had been eclipsed this year – and that the 2008 tournament, coinciding with the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations, promises to be even more successful.

“Planning starts now, because the 2008 event will be on a scale that is far more ambitious than anything attempted here so far,” he said.

“As well as the British Champion- ships, there will be a huge European International tournament, as well as the possibility of a UK-China rematch or a UK-India match.”

“The Chinese team would certainly be keen to come back – they postponed their trip home so they could spend more time in Liverpool,” added Prof Robertson.

Altogether,26 Grandmasters took part in last week’s event, and Prof Robertson is confident the world’s top players will be coming to Liverpool next July and August for the British Championships and next September for the International Open.

He said: “We have proved we can run a hugely-successful, high-quality event here, with worldwide impact – and next year’s will be even better.”

During the contest, 25-year-old Stewart Haslinger, from Ainsdale, scored enough points to become Merseyside’s first chess Grandmaster for 100 years.

The tournament also saw the youngest-ever female Grandmaster, 13-year-old Hou Yifan, of China, play British supremo Nigel Short, often regarded as the UK’s strongest-ever player.

Twin sisters Angela and Maria Eagle, MPs for Wallasey and Garston, both former international chess players, visited the event.

Tournament winners received their prizes on Sunday evening at a ceremony held at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Lime Street.

The event, which was staged in the Concert Room of St George’s Hall, was supported by the Liverpool Culture Company and the Mersey Partner- ship, as well as Liverpool JMU.

For information about The Liver- pool Chess Foundation visit www.l iverpoolchessinternational.co.uk

paulaowens