2014-01-27

Zurich Chess Challenge - 205 years of chess history




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Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 live at ChessBomb with computer analysis.

This year's Zurich Chess Challenge starts on 29th January 2014 and has a record average rating of 2801!

One of the top chess tournaments worldwide at present, Zurich Chess Challenge Tournament has a long history dating back to 1809, when the Schachgesellschaft Zürich was first founded, which makes it the oldest chess club in the world. The founders were Sigmund Spöndli (the State cashier of Zurich), Leonhard Ziegler (a paper manufacturer), Johann Escher (a grocer) and the three painters Heinrich Maurer, Carl Schulthess and Heinrich Schulthess.

In the 20th century the Schachgesellschaft Zürich gained popularity with its international tournaments, especially after the end of World War II.

The 125-year-jubilee tournament of the Schachgesellschaft Zürich in 1934 was won by the World Champion Alexander Alekhine.

The 150th anniversary in 1959 was won by MIhail Tal.


1.John Nunn6.0
2.Viktor Korchnoi5.5
Yasser Seirawan5.5
Florin Gheorghiu5.5
Juan Bellón López5.5
Gennadi Sosonko5.5
Boris Spassky5.5
8.Vlastimil Hort5.0
Stefan Kindermann5.0
The 175th anniversary in 1984 was celebrated with an invitational tournament, featuring 8 Swiss players and 14 foreigners, including the World champion Boris Spassky. The surprise winner was GM John Nunn.


#Ti.PlayerRtngFEDPts.BH
1GMAreshchenko Alexander2651UKR50
2GMAvrukh Boris2641ISR47
3GMDreev Alexey2660RUS750
4GMMikhalevski Victor2631ISR748
5GMMorozevich Alexander2751RUS51½
6GMKuzubov Yuriy2635UKR50
7GMSutovsky Emil2675ISR49
GMGolod Vitali2599ISR49
9GMMeier Georg2658GER48
10GMPelletier Yannick2574SUI47½
GMHess Robert L.2560USA47½
12GMSandipan Chanda2585IND47
GMGeetha Narayanan Gopal 2575IND47
GMBosiocic Marin2551CRO47
15GMGharamian Tigran2615FRA46½
16GMFridman Daniel2665GER45
17GMMiroshnichenko Evgenij2696UKR44½
GMHou Yifan2584CHN44½
GMBischoff Klaus2551GER44½
20GMBauer Christian2602FRA44
21IMBromberger Stefan2510GER42½
22IMHirneise Tobias2429GER40½
23GMIvanisevic Ivan2629SRB36
In 2009 Zurich Chess Challenge celebrated its 200th Anniversary. The winner of the Open tournament was GM Alexander Areshchenko. The event also featured a Champions Simultan against a World Chess Champion: Viswanathan Anand, Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Viktor Korchnoi, Vladimir Kramnik, Boris Spassky, Ruslan Ponomariov, Veselin Topalov – each of these players had simultans with 25 selected amateurs players.


The Schachgesellschaft Zürich has seen almost all the most famous players, including the World champions Lasker, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov and Kramnik, and many other exceptional players from the newer generations.

Series of articles on the Schachgesellschaft Zürich's history:
Part I (1809-1914) 
Part II (1914-1945) 
Part III (1945-1961) 
Part IV (1975-to the present)

You can see games from Zurich Chess Challenge 2013 with computer analysis at ChessBomb (won by GM Fabiano Caruana).

Watch live Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 live at ChessBomb with computer analysis.

Official page: Zurich Chess Challenge

Regular updates are also posted on Twitter and Facebook.